Phantom of the Auditorium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Phantom of the Auditorium | |
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| Author | R. L. Stine |
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| Cover artist | Tim Jacobus |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Goosebumps |
| Genre(s) | Horror fiction, Children's literature |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Publication date | October 1994 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 126 p. |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-590-48354-4 |
| Preceded by | Return Of The Mummy |
| Followed by | Attack Of The Mutant |
Phantom of the Auditorium is the 24th installment of R. L. Stine's Goosebumps series.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Upon producing a school play titled "The Phantom", a group of friends believe that the auditorium may be haunted by the mysterious night janitor, Mr. Emile.
However, as an unexpected twist towards the end, the truth is finally revealed: the auditorium might have been haunted by a shy and handsome student named Brian Colson. Brian, who was the vanished star of The Phantom play, actually perished about seventy years ago when the play was first performed at the school. Zeke, who is Brooke's friend, was suspected as being the phantom and was kicked out of the play and suspended from school. Mr. Emile actually turned out to be a homeless man living under the school.
Brian was supposed to play the phantom in the 1920s, so when his ghost finds the opportunity to play the phantom, he reappears as a new student at the middle school and befriends the protagonist, Brooke. Brooke is playing as Esmeralda, the main character of The Phantom.
Brooke unexpectedly warms up to Brian and as they become best friends, Zeke becomes the main culprit of pretending to be the Phantom in disguise. Later, the real phantom appears and refuses to show himself. He then falls off stage and his mask falls off. Brooke and Zeke soon see a snapshot of the phantom unmasked. The phantom is Brian.
Many ideas and features of this book are from Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera.
[edit] Similarities between this book and the Phantom of the Opera
1. The phantom hides beneath the auditorium and in Leroux's novel he hides beneath the Opera house.
2. In Leroux's novel, the phantom of the opera has an obsession with a woman named Christine Daae. In the Goosebumps story, a woman named Esmeralda features in the play who seems to be loved by the Phantom.
[edit] Tagline
He's out to stop the show... for good!
