This room is Erik's library. His collection is vast; after all, so many are fascinated by his tale. You gaze up at the shelves, which nearly reach the ceiling.
Certain volumes seem to be the pride of Erik's collection. They stand apart, on a seperate shelf.
There is also a sort of bulletin board on one wall, with a sign that reads "Discussions."
There are lots of books, films, and other pieces of media in circulation that are devoted to Erik's tale. In my spare time, I've begun to track them down and devour them whole. I'm a great bookworm and film-lover, and combining these interests with my love of Phantom can cause me to stay in my room for hours on end, entranced in my lastest Phantom find.
Here I have posted brief summaries of those Phantoms that I have found and experienced firsthand. I've also added some notes about where to find them, since some are rare. Scroll to the bottom of the list for links to the suppliers I mention.
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Most bookstores and public libraries should have this one. It's not too difficult a find.
Phantom by Susan Kay
Again, most bookstores should carry this. The hardcover edition is out-of-print, but I managed to get it from Harvest.
Beauty and the Opera (or, the Opera Beast) by Suzy McKee Charnas
This novella hasn't been published on its own, and therefore was tough to get my hands on. It was originally published in the Asimov's Science Fiction magazine in July of 1996, but has since been included in an anthology titled Modern Classics of Fantasy, edited by Gardner Dozois.
The Complete Phantom of the Opera by George Perry
This book isn't a rare find - I found it in my college library and ordered my own copy from Borders.
Night Magic by Charlotte Vale Allen (summary coming soon)
This novel is out of print in the United States, but not in Great Britain. I got my hardcover edition from Amazon.co.uk, but I know that others have had success using Harvest or other out-of-print book search companies.
The Canary Trainer by Nicholas Meyer (summary coming soon)
This isn't a tough one to find. I ordered my copy online, but most bookstores should be able to get it for you.
Shadow Prince by Teri Lynn Wilhelm (summary coming soon)
Out-of-print; try Harvest.
The Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney
This is the classic Phantom film, silent and in black and white. It's available as part of the Hollywood Classics series, distributed by Madacy Entertainment Group, Inc.
The Phantom of the Opera (film starring Claude Rains) (summary coming soon)
I purchased this at Borders Books and Music.
Phantom (the 'other' musical; by Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit) (summary coming soon)
There is, sadly, no permanent production of this show. Recently it has been at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia; the soundtrack is available through stores like Borders.
The Phantom of the Opera (1990 tv miniseries starring Charles Dance) (summary coming soon)
This film is available only on DVD. Most stores could probably order it for you, or you can get it online.
Places that have helped me find Phantom books:
Borders Books and Music
Amazon
Amazon.co.uk
Harvest Booksearch
This is a new area; I'd like to post Phantom musings here. I'll begin with my own - but I'd love to have comments written by my visitors displayed here as well.
Issues in Adaptations of the "Phantom" Legend by Heather Sullivan
This is an academic thesis that I wrote for an Honors Literature 350 course I took at the College of New Jersey. It focuses on Webber's musical and Charnas's "Beauty and the Opera" as adaptations of the original Phantom novel. It is rather lengthy, including extended quotations, secondary sources and a "Works Cited"; however, I received an A on it, so it's worth a read if you're interested.
Heather's Musings #1: On Phantom Fictions and Reincarnations
This post by me explores what *I* personally think makes a good Phantom tale.
Heather's Musings #2: The Blind Woman Effect
Erik is NOT the Elephant Man!
On the Behavior of Susan Kay's Christine
Emma and I explore Kay's heroine and her true feelings for Erik.
Issues with Heather's Thesis Paper
Kara's insightful email brings up some interesting counterarguments to the points I made in my Phantom paper (posted above).
Heroic Journey, Archetypal Functions and Mythological Influences in "Phantom"
A second thesis I did on "Phantom" for a class at TCNJ: English 342, Mythology. In this paper I discuss mythic structure and archetyped characters in ALW's "Phantom" as well as similarities between the show and the Hades/Persephone myth. It's long and perhaps a bit convoluted, but I've prefaced it with a brief summary of the technical terms that should help you get the point I'm making. It was an interesting paper to write and hopefully interesting to read.
Reviews of the Broadway cast
October 1, 1999
December 4, 1999
January 6, 2000
April 26, 2000
I wrote these reviews for the Yahoo! Phantom of the Opera club, and have posted them here for your reading. They are full of my own opinions, mind you.
Post on "Discussions"!
Would you like to have your ideas posted here? Send me an email and, if I think your comments are appropriate, I'll put them up!
Check out what other Phans are saying!
Visit the Phantom of the Opera club on Yahoo! My friend Jennifer and I run this discussion area, and are always on the lookout for new members. Come see what we're about, and think about joining us!
Explore other areas of Erik's house