The fantastic elements of Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera In Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera fantastic literature is exhibited at its best. Originally published in 1911, this French writer produced one of the most famous novels in French history. Created into a play and musical produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, this story has touched millions of people. However, this transition from novel to stage play meant that much of the story was left out of the production. When viewed in its entirety, the novel has many fantastical elements. Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera satisfies all the requirements of fantasy literature. These characteristics do not broadly resemble those of Magical Realism. The novel has many realistic qualities that may mask the fantastical elements. The backdrop and setting are recognizable as a French opera house set in Paris. The characters use a familiar, if old-fashioned, dialect. The era in which the story is set, the end of the nineteenth century, is also very realistic. Horses and carriages are still used as transportation, the musical numbers sung in the novel are pieces that would have been sung in other works during that time period, and the style of clothing is what one would expect from the era. This basis of reality is common to both Magical Realism and Fantastic literature. The characters' attitudes are also very realistic. At the masquerade ball, Parisians participate wholeheartedly, accepting the idea of ​​disguising their identity as a normal ballroom activity. Nowadays, the idea of ​​dressing incognito is unusual. The characters do not accept the idea of ​​the "Phantom of the Opera" as a real ghost and many show disbelief, as if they were actually...... middle of paper......in a masterpiece that would be famous for nearly a hundred years after its date of publication. He also creates a false history of the tale, claiming that it can be found in any French document, if only one takes the time to look. Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera satisfies all the requirements of fantasy literature. By satisfying these needs of the fantastic, this work also extracts itself from the category of magical realism. Written in such an eerie tone and with horror found within its pages, it is no wonder that The Phantom of the Opera is included as a horror or mystery in addition to its position as a classic novel. Works Cited Leroux, Gaston. The Phantom of the Opera. New York: Signet Classic, 1987. Todorov, Tzvetan. The fantastic: a structural approach to a literary form. Cleveland: The Press of Case Weston Reserve University, 1973. pp 168-174.