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… |
SildenaPeak cheap generic viagra 100mg canada SildenaPeak
150 mg sildenafil: SildenaPeak – buy generic viagra online in usa
tadalafil cialis: Tadalify – Tadalify
buy viagra without a script: SildenaPeak – SildenaPeak
KamaMeds Sildenafil oral jelly fast absorption effect Compare Kamagra with branded alternatives
Non-prescription ED tablets discreetly shipped: Safe access to generic ED medication – Online sources for Kamagra in the United States
http://tadalify.com/# Tadalify
Tadalify: cialis tadalafil 20mg kaufen – Tadalify
Tadalify: is tadalafil available at cvs – cialis instructions
discount viagra online canada: generic viagra in the usa – price of real viagra
Fast-acting ED solution with discreet packaging Non-prescription ED tablets discreetly shipped Affordable sildenafil citrate tablets for men
25mg viagra generic: sildenafil 50 mg price – SildenaPeak
order viagra online without script: cheap generic viagra online canada – SildenaPeak
SildenaPeak: SildenaPeak – SildenaPeak
https://kamameds.com/# Kamagra oral jelly USA availability
SildenaPeak SildenaPeak SildenaPeak
sildenafil 100mg tablets in india: viagra 120 mg – SildenaPeak
Compare Kamagra with branded alternatives: Kamagra oral jelly USA availability – Fast-acting ED solution with discreet packaging
SildenaPeak: SildenaPeak – SildenaPeak
Tadalify: Tadalify – tadalafil from nootropic review
Tadalify sildenafil vs tadalafil which is better tadalafil ingredients
Tadalify: Tadalify – cialis cheap
Affordable sildenafil citrate tablets for men: Compare Kamagra with branded alternatives – ED treatment without doctor visits
https://sildenapeak.shop/# order viagra online no prescription
Sildenafil oral jelly fast absorption effect: Compare Kamagra with branded alternatives – Sildenafil oral jelly fast absorption effect
Tadalify cheap cialis 20mg what are the side effects of cialis
Online sources for Kamagra in the United States: ED treatment without doctor visits – Men’s sexual health solutions online
Men’s sexual health solutions online: Non-prescription ED tablets discreetly shipped – Affordable sildenafil citrate tablets for men
viagra 20 mg online: us pharmacy viagra prices – SildenaPeak
SildenaPeak: SildenaPeak – SildenaPeak
SildenaPeak: SildenaPeak – buy viagra 50mg
SildenaPeak SildenaPeak buy viagra cheap online
https://sildenapeak.com/# sildenafil tablets from india 100mg tablets
ED treatment without doctor visits: Safe access to generic ED medication – Non-prescription ED tablets discreetly shipped
Tadalify: Tadalify – Tadalify
Kamagra oral jelly USA availability: KamaMeds – Sildenafil oral jelly fast absorption effect
Tadalify Tadalify online cialis prescription
SildenaPeak: viagra medicine price in india – SildenaPeak
Tadalify: Tadalify – Tadalify
when will teva’s generic tadalafil be available in pharmacies: Tadalify – cialis generic best price
https://tadalify.com/# cialis canada price
Tadalify Tadalify pictures of cialis
cialis for daily use dosage: tadalafil (tadalis-ajanta) – Tadalify
Tadalify: Tadalify – Tadalify
buy viagra free shipping: SildenaPeak – SildenaPeak
Kamagra reviews from US customers: ED treatment without doctor visits – Non-prescription ED tablets discreetly shipped
Kamagra reviews from US customers Men’s sexual health solutions online Sildenafil oral jelly fast absorption effect
Tadalify: cialis website – centurion laboratories tadalafil review
http://kamameds.com/# Kamagra reviews from US customers
Kamagra oral jelly USA availability: Sildenafil oral jelly fast absorption effect – Men’s sexual health solutions online