The Phantom of the Opera

Leroux's original 1910 novel, is set in late 19th century Paris at the Opera Garnier (The Paris Opera aka The National Academy of Music), which was built between 1857 and 1874. During building, it became necessary to pump underground water from the foundation pit of the building, creating a huge subterranean lake. The employees claim that the opera house is haunted by a mysterious ghost who wreaks chaos and destruction when displeased. Erik, a horribly disfigured musical genius known as the "Phantom of the Opera" (Opera Ghost in the Mattos and Bair translation), uses this facade to send the managers of the Opera Garnier repeated threats of catastrophe should they not pay him a monthly salary of 20,000 francs and perpetually reserve Box Five for him at every show. This arrangement, unbroken during the many years of the manager's tenure, is abruptly terminated when two new proprietors, Armand Moncharmin and Firmin Richard, take over the opera house and refuse to give in to what they view as the empty threats, thinking that it is a practical joke by former managers.

Meanwhile, Erik has taken on a protégée, Christine Daaé. He explains to her that he is the "Angel of Music," a heavenly spirit sent by her dead father to help her, and proceeds to give her regular voice lessons through the wall of her remote dressing room. Under the tutelage of her new teacher, Christine makes rapid progress in her vocal studies and mysteriously achieves sudden prominence on stage when she is selected to replace the current prima donna Carlotta, whose act is sabotaged by the Phantom. Christine out-sings Carlotta in her featured debut and immediately wins the hearts of the audience, including that of her childhood sweetheart, Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny.

Erik becomes envious of Christine's relationship with Raoul and finally appears to her in person, wearing a mask to hide his features. He takes her to his dark world beneath the opera house. Christine quickly finds that there is nothing angelic about Erik; she learns with disappointment that he is "neither an angel nor a genius," only that he and the ghost are one and the same (and comes to know him as malicious, volatile, dangerous and somewhat bitter, yet also brilliant and pitiful). She is infuriated at having been deceived, and demands to be set free. Erik promises to release her after five days. After some awkward moments (dining by herself while he watches, being shown his room which looks like a death chamber, his bed a coffin...) Erik and Christine eventually begin a duet from Othello, and Christine rips off his mask, dying of curiosity. "If I live to be one hundred, I should always hear that superhuman cry of grief and rage which he uttered before that terrible sight reached my eyes," Christine later tells Raoul. The Phantom is furious at having his deformity exposed to someone who he thought could love him. He threatens to keep her in his lair forever, but later changes his mind. Christine is released, but only after promising to return by her own will and swearing never to give her love to anyone else. Christine does return out of pity and fear.

But Erik isn't the only one who is envious. After Christine's debut performance, Raoul overhears her succumbing to a tyrannical, disembodied voice in her dressing room (Erik). He becomes suspicious that another man is taking advantage of her innocent belief in an "Angel of Music" in order to seduce her. He starts spying on her in an attempt to find the mysterious seducer. Christine suddenly becomes aware of this and is very angry, but after Erik reveals himself to be the Ghost (and after Raoul's threat of suicide), she decides to tell Raoul, on the roof of the Opera Garnier, everything that has happened between her and Erik. The two of them plan to run away from Paris and the "horror of Erik".

Erik eavesdrops on their conversation, and comes up with another one of his ingenious plans of action. He abducts Christine from the stage during her final performance at the Opera Garnier as Margarita in Gounod's Faust, at the point where Christine, as Margarita, is appealing to the angels to carry her soul to heaven (the aria is best known as "Anges purs, anges radieux"). Raoul follows them down into the depths of the cavern beneath the opera house, and is guided to Erik's house by a character known as the Persian. Unfortunately for both of them, the route they take to Erik's house leads instead to a torture chamber (a catoptric cistula), where they are captured by Erik. Raoul and the Persian listen helplessly as Erik rages at Christine, accusing her of lying to him and betraying him. He threatens that should Christine not marry him, he will explode the Opera Garnier. Christine, already on the brink of suicide, sadly accepts his proposal at 11pm the next night, Erik's "deadline."

Eventually, Christine shows Erik genuine sympathy and displays her love for him by crying with him, not running away when he takes off his mask, and even kisses him on the forehead. This granted Erik a happiness he never thought possible. In despair, Erik releases Raoul and Christine and gives them his blessings to marry. He asks only that Christine come back after his death, and bury him with the ring he gave her. Erik dies three weeks after he lets Christine and Raoul go.

Right before his death, Erik delivers a dramatic monologue expressing his grief, in which he describes how Christine was the only woman to let him kiss her, his brief euphoria when she kissed him, his despair at having the love of his life betrothed to another, and his gratitude to the Persian Daroga Nadir, who once saved his life. This is the only part of the novel written in Erik's perspective. He dedicates his death to his beloved Christine Daaé.