In the Eye of the Beholder: A Novel of the Phantom of the Opera
Sharon E. Cathcart
Historical Romance
[rating: 5/5]
Available in…
• HTML/TXT/RTF
• PDF
• Mobi/Kindle
• ePub/iPad
• LRF
• PDB
… from…
• Smashwords
• Barnes & Noble
Also in paperback
In the Eye of the Beholder stars Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, and is set some time within the epilogue of the famous story by Gaston Leroux. But the real story of In the Eye of the Beholder revolves around the heroine, Claire, an educated but simple woman, who had lost her fiancé, the only man she loved, in a disaster just before they were to be married. Even though she is intelligent and capable, because of the way the law is written, her cousin has been given complete control over her estate, unless and until she marries, leaving her with no possessions and little spending money. She gently tends and performs with the horses at the opera house, a job that embodies her passion… until someone tries to murder her and make it look like an accident.
My first impression: If 90% of everything is crap, then this definitely falls within the remaining 10%. And in the end, I retained that impression, even though along the way, I had a number of complaints:
- For those of us (like me) who had never read the original Phantom of the Opera, I would have appreciated just enough background to understand Erik’s predicament.
- Just under half through the story, the story really slowed down, so much so that I felt no reason to read on.
- The plot structure turned out to be a series of tales strung together by boring bits, reminiscent of (my worst memories of) The Pickwick Papers.
- I never understood why Claire feared Erik might possibly, could ever conceivably, leave her. Either I missed that part, or else it simply wasn’t there.
- I didn’t like the ending. In fact, I skipped the epilogue after reading its first sentence, preferring instead to imagine my own ending.
Yet for all those complaints, I still ended up rating it 5 stars. Yes, I teetered on the edge between 4 and 5, but I finally came down on the higher side. Why?
If you think it’s because Sharon gave me a free copy of her e-book, think again: she didn’t. I actually paid for this one out of my own, limited funds. Actually, I got it at a discount during read-an-e-book week, as did I hope many other readers.
So then, you might think that my rating is because I’ve had Sharon for an interview over on my personal blog, and since then, we’ve kept in touch. All buddy-buddy, eh? At least that explanation is plausible. But Sharon has promised to love me no matter what I say here, “Pickwickian references aside.” (Grin.) And frankly, I’m glad about that, because it gives me the emotional freedom to say what I really think, as I want to, as I feel obligated to you to, as I did above.
After all that, I ended up giving In the Eye of the Beholder 5 stars, simply because if the next book I read has all the characteristics of this one, that would make me very happy, because of all the things this story did right. The characters captivated me. I ended up thinking of Claire as an actual person, inconsistencies and all. The story dealt with a real issue, and one close to my heart, the human need to love and be loved. A theme that (whether Sharon intended it or not) strikes more deeply than the title implies: Not just that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That everyone needs some sympathy with others, in order to survive.
At one point in the story, Claire and Erik even get to meet Joseph Merrick, a delightful surprise that made my day. I usually don’t get worked up over gimmicks, but that was très kewl.
-TimK
|
In the Eye of the Beholder: A Novel of the Phantom of the Opera |
Available in… |
… from… |
Kazino bonuslari 2025 Az?rbaycan: Slot oyunlari Pinco-da – Slot oyunlari Pinco-da
jollibet casino: 1winphili – Jollibet online sabong
Jackpot togel hari ini: Situs togel online terpercaya – Abutogel login
https://betawinindo.top/# Login Beta138
Bandar togel resmi Indonesia Link alternatif Abutogel Abutogel
Link alternatif Abutogel: Abutogel login – Abutogel
world pharmacy india: Indian Meds One – Indian Meds One
Indian Meds One: Indian Meds One – Indian Meds One
Indian Meds One: Indian Meds One – Indian Meds One
finasteride mexico pharmacy Mexican Pharmacy Hub legit mexican pharmacy for hair loss pills
indian pharmacy online: indian pharmacy online – Indian Meds One
https://indianmedsone.shop/# mail order pharmacy india
MediDirect USA: pharmacy symbol rx – MediDirect USA
buy viagra from mexican pharmacy: buy neurontin in mexico – order kamagra from mexican pharmacy
Indian Meds One: buy prescription drugs from india – Indian Meds One
what pharmacy sells viagra us pharmacy no prescription MediDirect USA
indian pharmacies safe: online pharmacy india – Indian Meds One
Indian Meds One: cheapest online pharmacy india – Indian Meds One
MediDirect USA: MediDirect USA – MediDirect USA
Indian Meds One: Indian Meds One – Indian Meds One
https://mexicanpharmacyhub.com/# buying from online mexican pharmacy
Indian Meds One: Indian Meds One – Indian Meds One
MediDirect USA accutane online pharmacy uk omeprazole uk pharmacy
online pharmacy no prescription augmentin: ed pills online – MediDirect USA
Mexican Pharmacy Hub: Mexican Pharmacy Hub – Mexican Pharmacy Hub
Indian Meds One: top 10 pharmacies in india – Indian Meds One
Mexican Pharmacy Hub accutane mexico buy online Mexican Pharmacy Hub
indian pharmacy paypal: buy medicines online in india – Indian Meds One
kroger online pharmacy: pharmacy classes online – india pharmacy percocet
https://mexicanpharmacyhub.shop/# Mexican Pharmacy Hub
ca board of pharmacy: MediDirect USA – MediDirect USA
Indian Meds One: Indian Meds One – Indian Meds One
Mexican Pharmacy Hub: isotretinoin from mexico – low cost mexico pharmacy online
contrave online pharmacy caremark online pharmacy MediDirect USA
best prices on finasteride in mexico: safe mexican online pharmacy – buy modafinil from mexico no rx
mexican drugstore online: mexican rx online – Mexican Pharmacy Hub
top 10 pharmacies in india: reputable indian pharmacies – india pharmacy mail order
best mexican pharmacy online Mexican Pharmacy Hub Mexican Pharmacy Hub
Indian Meds One: pharmacy website india – cheapest online pharmacy india
http://mexicanpharmacyhub.com/# Mexican Pharmacy Hub
MediDirect USA: MediDirect USA – online pharmacy cialis review
Indian Meds One: Indian Meds One – best india pharmacy
pharmacy bachelor degree online: Dulcolax – methylphenidate online pharmacy
Mexican Pharmacy Hub Mexican Pharmacy Hub Mexican Pharmacy Hub
MediDirect USA: MediDirect USA – viagra cancun pharmacy
Indian Meds One: Indian Meds One – buy medicines online in india
Mexican Pharmacy Hub: Mexican Pharmacy Hub – Mexican Pharmacy Hub
https://medidirectusa.shop/# cialis in indian pharmacy
best online pharmacy india: Indian Meds One – Indian Meds One
Indian Meds One: Indian Meds One – indian pharmacy online