Gaston Leroux

Novelist

Birthday May 6, 1868

Birth Sign Taurus

Birthplace Paris, France

DEATH DATE Apr 15, 1927 (58)

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About

French mystery author who wrote The Phantom of the Opera (1910), which was later adapted into several stage and film productions. His other works include The Mystery of the Yellow Room (1907) and the Cheri Bibi series (1913-1926).

Before Fame

When he was a young man, he inherited a million francs and lived wildly. Eventually, however, he declared bankruptcy and was forced to work as a court reporter and theater critic.

Trivia

He is often considered to be to French detective fiction what Doyle was to British detective fiction.

Family Life

He was born in Paris and lived for a time in Normandy before returning to his birth city to study law. He married Jeanne Cayatte in 1917 and he had a daughter named Madeleine.

Associated With

He wrote The Phantom of the Opera, which was later turned into a popular musical by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.