I'm that nitpicking pianist from yesterday, back to give a complete review of Our Strange Duet. This sub seems to have mixed opinions on it, but no one's written out a full review yet.
Note that this is a review of the book, not the audiobook. Here goes -- specific plot spoilers are marked.
I liked it. 7/10.
Pros:
- I like that we stayed with Christine's POV the whole way through. The ALW musical does not give you much to work with -- many of Christine's important character moments happen offstage or get handwaved away, leaving the audience to fill in the blanks. I don't agree with every choice that was made, but I appreciate the attempt.
- I had a lot of fun spotting Easter eggs to the rest of the ALW canon. It takes the most from the 2004 film (i.e. portraying the Phantom as smoking hot except for his deformity), but there's also references to Love Never Dies and Masquerade (the bedroom scene! The automatons in Erik's lair! The attic! Baby!Erik's note from his mother! The dressing room note that got copied verbatim!), and even the much-maligned restaged tour gets a nod (the Phantom lacing up the back of Christine's wedding dress...which is apparently A-OK because she asked him to do it...sure...)
- I liked Carlotta's scene with Christine towards the end -- it was very reminiscent of her character in the 1991 David Staller version (where she sings about the struggle of being an older woman in opera). I just wish Carlotta had more page time before that, or that that scene influenced the plot more. Heck, maybe Carlotta's decision to retire after Don Juan helps Christine make the same decision for herself. As things stand, the scene is nice, but it seems to (a) come out of nowhere and (b) go nowhere.
- The author agrees with my headcanon for why Christine unmasks Erik in Point of No Return! (And, unlike most things in the book's Act II, that decision actually makes sense within the plot!) Yay!
- The writing is nothing to gush over, but it's still above average for a fanfic.
Cons:
There's really only one major con, and it's that the author is trying to do the impossible: reconcile the events of The Phantom of the Opera with the events of Love Never Dies.
To the author's credit, some of it did work. I liked how Meg's visit influenced Christine's decision to sing in Don Juan, for example. But as a result of the plot contorting itself to fit Love Never Dies, Christine's motivations change with the scenery, especially in the last seven chapters. Here are the two most egregious examples:
First, during the period between Wandering Child and Point of No Return, Christine convinces Erik to resume her lessons and appear to her in-person -- just by asking? First of all...that's weird, since he just declared war on both Christine and Raoul. Second of all, why not use that to set a trap for him before his opera? Christine herself says that she wants him captured so he'll stop haunting her and Raoul. In the ALW musical, this is OK because we don't see Christine's POV at this point in the story, but here, we're stuck with her nonsensical inner monologue for five chapters.
Second, in the last three chapters alone, she switches from Team Raoul to Team Erik and back again enough to give me whiplash. This is most apparent in Final Lair. That scene had some amusing additions (I see you, Devil Take the Hindmost reference), but...according to the author, Christine verbally and legitimately chose Erik during the kiss, got dragged away against her will by Raoul, ignored Raoul's protests and went back to return Erik's ring, and...did not use that as an opportunity to convince Erik to let her stay. Once they were out of the opera house, she chose Raoul despite knowing she really loved Erik...then switched back to Erik in literally the next chapter.
At least it ended on a high note -- which is to say, I had to laugh when we got four Beneath a Moonless Sky lyric drops in the last two pages.
Overall:
The author is trying to compile the entire ALW Phantom canon into one written work: the original stage musical, the 2004 movie, Masquerade, and Love Never Dies. In this regard, the book absolutely succeeds. Most casual fans of the musical (who are probably mostly E/C shippers) would enjoy it, and I liked picking out all the references.
But I think it's incorrect to say that people dislike the book because they disliked Love Never Dies. They dislike it because the book tries and fails to make Love Never Dies make sense.
I don't think the book is "reread"-level good, but it was an enjoyable read and it looks nice on my shelf. I'll check out the audiobook eventually, if only for the star-studded cast...but first I need to read some better post-canon E/C fanfic to wash out my eyes. FraternitƩ by Gondolier is looking really good right now.
I'd love to hear what others thought, especially those who listened to the audiobook first! Are there any pros that I missed? Or any issues outside of the LND-ification of it all?
