In sleep he sang to me...

A couple of years ago I suddenly developed this very strange obsession for the Phantom of the Opera. I watched the film on tv during Christmas and I fell in love. Mainly with Gerard Butler because he was super sexy even with a deformed face. The accent...oh the accent...*swoon*.

Anyways, I never really got why I loved it so much. I wasn't into that gothic/alternative scene in which the Phantom was insanely cool. I read the book, the original one by Gaston Leroux, and I fell in love with the story even more. Aside from the fact that Christine is a total bitch for picking Raoul even though the Phantom is in reality kinda creepy (Edward Cullen, eat your heart out!), I was still amazed by the character. The novel is so much different from the musical version and even though I love the musical, I think the novel is insanely powerful and provides such a great understanding of what the character really is about. The phantom actually has a name. Erik. Also, Leroux insisted that the story is real. It really happened. Even though that is questionable, it does add to the myth.

There are a couple of quotes from the novel I really liked:

“If I am the phantom, it is because man's hatred has made me so. If I am to be saved it is because your love redeems me.”   

“Erik: Are you very tired?
Christine: Oh, tonight I gave you my soul, and I am dead.
Erik: Your soul is a beautiful thing, child. No emperor received so fair a gift. The angels wept to-night.”   

“He had a heart that could have held the entire empire of the world; and, in the end, he had to content himself with a cellar.”  

If you can, make sure to read the book. The storyline is much better than that of the musical. However, Gerard can always sing to me in his Scottish accent...

Unfortunately, as with all good things, some people felt the need to ruin it a little. Some dude decided to write a sequel called The Phantom of Manhattan. The author of that book says Leroux got his facts wrong (err...he wrote the original story...) and set his story in New York. If you want to know what this story is about and I can't imagine you do, check Wikipedia.
Andrew Loyd Webber also decided a sequel was a great idea, but it did not receive the expected success.

For me the Phantom is still who he is supposed to be no matter how many sequels and prequels are out there. A tortured soul who is desperate for love. The story is dark and haunting and beautiful and I find that after all this time I still love it very much. Plus, who could possibly resist Gerard Butler? But that is another story hehe.

The first Phantom on film. Somehow he doesn't wet my panties...