LeRoux, Gaston: - Gaston Leroux, born on May 6, 1868, in Paris, France, was a prominent French novelist, journalist, and playwright, best known for his classic novel The Phantom of the Opera. Raised in a wealthy family, Leroux initially studied law and became a lawyer in 1889. However, a passion for storytelling and a penchant for gambling, which quickly depleted his inheritance, led him to abandon his legal career in favor of journalism. He joined the newspaper L'Écho de Paris as a courtroom reporter and theater critic, where he honed his skills in narrative construction and developed an interest in mysteries and thrillers.Leroux's experiences as a journalist significantly influenced his later writing. He traveled extensively, covering events like the Russian Revolution of 1905 and reporting on trials and dramatic incidents, which deepened his understanding of human nature and the complexities of crime. Inspired by writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Leroux ventured into detective fiction, creating one of his most acclaimed works, The Mystery of the Yellow Room (1907). This novel introduced his famous detective character, Joseph Rouletabille, and established Leroux as a talented mystery writer. In 1910, Leroux published Le Fantôme de l'Opéra (The Phantom of the Opera), a novel set in the Paris Opera House, blending gothic elements, romance, and suspense to tell the haunting story of a mysterious masked man.Despite initially modest success, The Phantom of the Opera gained popularity over time, becoming a literary classic and inspiring countless adaptations in film, theater, and music. Leroux continued to write novels, plays, and short stories throughout his life, creating a substantial body of work that spanned genres, including horror, mystery, and adventure. He passed away on April 15, 1927, in Nice, France, leaving behind a legacy as one of France's most imaginative and influential writers, particularly in the realms of gothic and detective fiction.