Summary

In the Preface, the Forsyth discusses Gaston Leroux, the author of the original novel Phantom of the Opera. Forsyth states that Leroux worked as a journalist in a time period when it was not uncommon for journalists to make up news if they could not get the facts they needed for the story.

Forsyth next points out that Leroux claims his story is the truth yet there are several inconsistencies in the story that indicate he does not write the entire truth. First, Forsyth does not give specific dates on which the action of his novel took place. Second, he gives the incorrect weight of the chandelier in the Paris Opera House, saying it weighed 440,000 pounds when in reality it weighs only 14,000 pounds. Forsyth indicates that Leroux’s story also includes a Persian who paints the Phantom as being cruel and sadistic...