"The Phantom of the Opera" is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux, first published as a serialized work in 1909-1910. The story is a romantic thriller that revolves around a mysterious, disfigured musical genius known as the Phantom, who lives beneath the Paris Opera House. He falls in love with Christine, a beautiful young soprano, and becomes obsessed with her, leading to a dramatic series of events that include kidnapping and murder. The novel has been adapted into numerous films, plays, and, most famously, a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber