Tragic Tales: The Elephant Man

By Jennifer Linforth

As soon as I type his name readers will know the tragedy of this man. An image will pop into their heads and they will nod, but it was not his outward appearance that made him a tragic tale of the 19th Century, but the brilliant mind the world would never embrace.

Joseph Carey Merrick, the "Elephant Man."

As a child, Mr. Merrick's story was the first that fascinated me. Like all children I was drawn to the difference setting him apart. As I grew older I understood more about him and he was far more than a deformity and medical marvel.

He was a quiet, brilliant man--though many assumed otherwise.

His doctor, Frederick Treves, first met Merrick at a freak show. His descriptions of what he saw of Merrick are horrifying and fascinating. (This I had a particular interest in, for it is said Gaston Leroux may have been influenced by Merrick's sideshow years when he crafted The Phantom of the Opera.) But the tragedy lies here in what Treves writes of the man behind the monster:

I supposed that Merrick was an imbecile and he had been an imbecile from birth. The fact that his face was incapable of expression, that his speech was a mere spluttering, and his attitude that of one whose mind was void of all emotions and concerns gave ground for this belief.

From: The Joseph Carey Merrick Tribute Website

This is an easy thing to assume for times have not changed. The world is still judged by outward appearance (Does anyone recall Susan Boyle and the audience reaction when she first walked on stage and spoke?) Furthermore Treves shows us this:

It was not until I came to know that Merrick was highly intelligent, that he possessed an acute sensibility and--worse than all--a romantic imagination that I realized the overwhelming tragedy of his life.

From: The Joseph Carey Merrick Tribute Website

That part of Merrick's life echoed with me again while writing The Madrigals, for Gaston Leroux wrote of Erik, the horribly deformed but genius Phantom, "...all he wanted was to be loved for himself."

For a topic on tragic tales I could have gone into Merrick's life, what he looked like and how he lived. Most of the world knows this. Instead I went with how he made me feel. His story is just a brilliant tale--the tragedy lies in the assumptions left in its wake.

Guest Author: Jennifer Linforth

This week on Unusual Historicals, we're talking with contributor Jennifer Linforth as she celebrates the release of ABENDLIED. This is the second of her "Madrigals" series, which continues Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera. ABENDLIED is available for purchase from Highland Press and all of the major online bookstores. Here's the blurb:

Desiring normalcy is difficult enough with a price on his head, but when Erik is falsely accused of killing Philippe de Chagny, brother of his nemesis Raoul, he is launched toward madness.

Anna is an unlikely companion, sharing Erik's heart and the bounty on his head. As the manhunt heats, Erik's mysterious relationship with Philippe spurs the campaign against them and exposes her darkest secret: defending her honor ended in murder.

Plagued by his past as The Phantom of the Opera, Erik's memories enslave his heart to Raoul's wife Christine, whose shocking confession brings a ruthless bounty hunter into the fray and blackmail to the Chagny bloodline. Blackmail from a hunter who cares little about the Phantom or Philippe and everything about the one he has lusted for: Anna.

With the past weeping like an open wound, can love endure or will it take the memories of one unlikely man to heal them all?

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This book is the second in a series. Must MADRIGAL be read first to understand the plot of ABENDLIED?

It doesn't. Naturally reading MADRIGAL first will enhance the experience in following the plot of ABENDLIED, but enough back story is built into this book to help the reader follow the plot and pick up MADRIGAL after the fact.

ABENDLIED highlights an unusual character from Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera. Why did you choose Philippe de Chagny to play opposite Erik, the Phantom?

Philippe de Chagny is one of the most underexplored characters in classic literature. Leroux describes him as "a bit haughty toward men and overly kind toward women," yet a man with "irreproachable conscience and great heart." That line caught my attention. He was born and raised in the height of France's nobility and growing old in the days when titles were fossils. Extremely powerful and wealthy--his arrogance came with the territory. I liked that in his character. Yet he had scruples, that "irreproachable conscience" Leroux wrote about. Here was a character with a firm sense of right and wrong, which many readers of Leroux see as the "evil empire" for not permitting his younger brother to marry for love.

Empires were built on marriages of property and money. If you had 600 years of tradition to adhere to, you would marry for gain as well and keep a mistress on the side for emotional love. Philippe had his freedoms but what of his responsibilities? How does taking the reins of one of the most powerful families when barely a young man shape you and your view of what should and should not be done for the good of your name and title? When would you dare break tradition? In all the heartache he caused Raoul in the original novel, I don't think Philippe went charging into the vaults of the Garnier to do anything to prevent Raoul from marrying Christine as see in Leroux's original story.

So why did he go down there to begin with and lose his life in the process? I explored this and my views of Philippe as a philanthropic character throughout "The Madrigals." Though he is mentioned only briefly in book one, book two cracks into his story and explains him as man and mystery. Monsieur le Comte de Chagny is my favorite character of all classic literature. Barely seen in Leroux he is used as "wallpaper." I wanted to bring him to life.

What is harder to write, your characters or Leroux's?

Leroux's hands down, with the exception of Philippe. He rolled off my fingers. The Phantom of the Opera has an enormous fan base. Each "fandom" is devoted to the storyline they follow be it Leroux's or Webber's ideas. A writer can't please every reader with the characters we craft and that goes double when dealing with expanding classic literature. That being said, a writer expanding classic literature must also respect the original author's ideas. A great deal of research went into following Leroux's vision for his characters, but I added enough of a personal twist to them to appeal to my story and in turn my readers.

Erik is a character many find easy to sympathize with, but he is still the 'villain' of Leroux's novel. How did you adjust to this in your series?

I didn't adjust to it--I worked with it. I stand behind my belief that Erik was a madman. In Leroux he was a murderously vengeful personality while concurrently being a repressed and ardent gentleman. He is still that way in "The Madrigals." He had issues with maternal longings just as Christine had issues with paternal needs. While a highly sensual being, he was not a sexual object as many popular versions make him to be. Leroux penned him as a monster for a reason and I did my best to adhere to his original ideas for the story.

The nature of Erik past births sympathy in a reader, he is the deformed and misunderstood genius that everyone passes by in their rush to fend for themselves. I strove to build sympathy for Erik in ABENDLIED via his unique connection to Philippe, but sought to never lose sight of his history. Too often I find if you strip away the unattainable parts of Leroux, you are left with a story that loses many of the original themes and theories. The Phantom of the Opera is not, in my opinion, a strict romance as it is often thought of.

Your villain is an absinthe addict. Why did you choose this route for your historical?

The history surrounding absinthe in the 19th century just screamed to be explored in Loup. I wanted him to have an unforgettable edge that matched Erik's madness, and absinthe, labeled as dangerously addictive with psychotropic elements, was the appropriate vice. Absinthism was the condition coined for addicts of the "green fairy," and by the late 19th century absinthe was considered the worst alcoholic drink ever known to man. Today the psychotropic elements could be argued as being no worse than that of severe alcoholism.

It was rumored that absinthe gave the drinker clarity of thought, which is why many writers and artists favored it. I loved this element and used it to rock Loup between moments of crystal clear sanity and madness. I wanted the reader to always wonder what side of the fence he was truly on, and wanted a quirk to highlight his twisted mindset. Not to mention sipping it while writing proved to be delightfully tasty research!

Can you elaborate on the twist at the end of ABENDLIED with Philippe de Chagny?

I can... but I won't! The major twist in ABENDLIED comes directly from Leroux's original novel...

What's next for you?

We are on to book three in "The Madrigals," current working title of ELEGY. It picks up seven years after the events in ABENDLIED. In it, four characters seen in ABENDLIED are brought to life to bring the manhunt for Erik full circle. Lovers of The Phantom of the Opera will meet the Persian in full force in book three, (I am having a wonderful time rounding him out) and be introduced in depth to the last player seen in ABENDLIED. I am thrilled that I have already have had requests e-mailed to me to tell the story of this one unique character...

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Night Owl Romance 5/5 Reviewer Top Pick: "Jennifer Linforth's latest work is sweet and tender, dark and decadent, a treat to be reached for again and again. For anyone who read Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera and wanted more, this is the book for you!"

Paranormal Romance Reviews: 5/5 Top Pick: "Ms. Linforth has written another noteworthy tale about the Phantom!"

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Thanks so much for stopping by, Jennifer! Readers, if you're interested in winning a copy of ABENDLIED, please leave a comment or question for Jennifer. I'll draw a name at random next Sunday. If you're not a regular reader of UH, please leave your email address so we can find you! Void where prohibited. Best of luck!

Excerpt Thursday: Jennifer Linforth

This week on Excerpt Thursday, we're welcoming contributor Jennifer Linforth as she celebrates the release of ABENDLIED, the second in her Madrigals series, which continues Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera. ABENDLIED is available for purchase from Highland Press and all of the major online bookstores. Join us Sunday when Jennifer will be here to answer questions and give away a signed copy.

Desiring normalcy is difficult enough with a price on his head, but when Erik is falsely accused of killing Philippe de Chagny, brother of his nemesis Raoul, he is launched toward madness.

Anna is an unlikely companion, sharing Erik's heart and the bounty on his head. As the manhunt heats, Erik's mysterious relationship with Philippe spurs the campaign against them and exposes her darkest secret: defending her honor ended in murder.

Plagued by his past as The Phantom of the Opera, Erik's memories enslave his heart to Raoul's wife Christine, whose shocking confession brings a ruthless bounty hunter into the fray and blackmail to the Chagny bloodline. Blackmail from a hunter who cares little about the Phantom or Philippe and everything about the one he has lusted for: Anna.

With the past weeping like an open wound, can love endure or will it take the memories of one unlikely man to heal them all?

***

He thought to lean to one side and be done with it. The exhaustion over fighting his desires for Christine, the constant tug of war with madness coupled with fearing he would destroy the one woman who made him feel alive, was unbearable punishment.

"I never believed in Your sincerity of bringing Anna to me. Shocked are we? Surprised for a brief moment I believed?" Erik rolled his head toward the side and pressed his cheek to the stone. His accusatory eyes could have shattered the pinpricks of light across the heavens. "Congratulations, Oh Merciful God, You failed again. Anna can have You and Your Son." He yanked himself upright, his body going rigid with his anger. "I am pleased Philippe is dead!"

Spittle flew from sob soaked lips. His mouth spread upward. He may be alone for now, but not forever. There was to be an heir to his kingdom, a child with his mind and his madness. Erik spoke to the shattered stone below with an unblinking stare.

"I will have my child, in all his hideous imperfections. I will need no one but him and my music. I will need only his love. As for Christine?" Erik leapt to his feet. The wind flapped his cloak behind him. He leaned into the gust and taunted the streets below like a great yellow-eyed bird ready to swoop on unsuspecting prey. "Our character becomes our destiny. Music, like life, is inexpressible silence without its instrument. Am I not its master? I hold the baton. I will conduct what I want. I will have what I want. What is Erik without Christine?"

Leaping back to the roof he retrieved his mask and turned to the opera house, his boots drumming a cadence so the ferryman could dutifully follow. A haunting whisper carried his sadness forward on the wind.

"What is Erik without the Phantom?"

Humor: Too Many Ideas Spoil The Book

By Jennifer Linforth

A great many of writers work around distractions...mainly in the family form. These well meaning loved ones support us--and drive us nuts. Come, I challenge any author to claim this to be untrue. We've all had humorous encounters of the family kind while writing our books. In my household it comes in the form ideas for my series that expands The Phantom of the Opera, in particular. Keep in mind the Phantom is a very famous character and my husband...not so famous.

Below are some of his suggestions when I have had cases of writer's block.

When perplexed as to how to turn a scene around during the performance of an opera, he suggested the Phantom come out on stage carrying a violin case with a hidden machine gun inside so he could cause a distraction, a la The Godfather.

Trying to figure out a way for the hero and heroine to escape Paris unknown, he reminded me of Kansas and hot air balloons. No one looks up you know, and if it was good for Dorothy...

I needed to up my conflict. The solution? A fig famine! A huge fig famine across Europe is discovered when the Phantom slipped on a banana peel. It was even suggested to me that this event happened in 1848...

I asked for some insight on ABENDLIED's ARCs. My husband suggested showing off Erik's jewels when the ARC reviews came out. Can you imagine the look on my face with that double entendre? The Phantom with big...*ahems*. He clarified, and thought it would be cool if Erik's father and grandfather had hidden jewels that he inherited...big ones...

Now the author herself is not without her mistakes that make her do double takes. My husband is not the only one giving me whiplash. Take for instance my brain envisioning Raoul drinking scotch on the rocks, but writing it as iced burgundy. Yes...ice in red wine. Or the time I wrote about Erik's stomachs, seeing as he is a cow and has multiple stomachs to begin with! Or the amount of times I wrote grand duck instead of grand duke...

Care to share? I know you are out there and many of you have stories just like this. What are your most famous typos that made you spew latte on your computer screen? Post away!

Literature & Education: Gaston Leroux, Man Behind The Mask

By Jennifer Linforth

The ear splitting crack of gunfire shattered the morning fog like a rock to a mirror. Those within earshot stopped in their tracks, their hearts pounding against their ribcages. What pitiful soul was on the wrong end of the lead? Worthy question, but those in the house knew the only scent that would waft down from the floors above would be of spent powder and not pooling blood.

To most a gun shot was an ominous sound, but to the family of Gaston Leroux it was reason for celebration. Gunfire meant a novel was completed and a new legacy born. Every novel he wrote ended with a single shot fired out the bedroom window. It was classic Gaston Leroux: flamboyant, creative, quizzical and a bit...morose.

Gaston Leroux came into the world like any other boy on May 6, 1868. He was born out of wedlock at number 66 on the Rue Faubourg Saint Martin in Paris. His parents married a month later in Rouen and Gaston was eventually joined by his brothers, Joseph and Henri and their youngest sibling, Helene. His father, Dominique Alfred Leroux, was a contractor and his mother was Marie Bidault.

Gaston was schooled in Eu before heading off to study law in Caen. (Ironically meeting a young man there by the name of Philippe--a highly influential French noble whom would later bear the name of a character in one of his most famous novels.) There he graduated with honors at the age of eighteen. Following the death of his mother, Gaston was called upon to aide his father in the rearing of the younger siblings and hence became head of the Leroux family--much to his chagrin. He studied law to appease his family, but loathed every moment of it. Thankfully fate stepped in the way. When asked to be legal correspondent for the paper Paris, Leroux jumped at the chance. After covering a very high profile case he was approached by the editor of Le Matin and invited to be a regular reporter.

For thirteen years Leroux used cunning, wit and his highly tuned skills as an observer to secure one fantastic story after another. He traveled at a frenzied pace living off the excitement of chasing a story. Gaston Leroux had a knack for journalistic coups, securing one coveted interview after another. While enjoying the high and exciting life, Leroux met and married Marie LeFranc. But he did not find the same comfort in marriage that he did in journalism. The union did not last long, and the parting was less than ideal. Marie LeFranc refused a divorce.

Undeterred, he continued in his travels meeting the love of his life, Jeanne Cayatte, in 1902. Despite Leroux's reputation for being a notorious gambler and playboy, Jeanne Cayette was smitten. Gaston found a partner matching him in cunning and wit. It would not be until 1917 that he and Jeanne married, thanks in part to Marie's death.

Leroux turned away from journalism in 1907, perhaps bored with it or just ticked off at the constant demands placed on him. Having returned to France after dodging lava during the eruption of Vesuvius, his much needed vacation was cut short with orders from his editor. Annoyed, Leroux greeted the bearer of these orders with some of his most famous words in reference to his current employer: "Shit. Go tell Bunau-Varilla, shit!"

Thus ended his journalism career and began his life writing popular fiction.

Thirty-three novels, screenplays and short-stories galore, not to mention countless rounds of ammunition, Leroux devoted his life to writing. When funds for his family ran short (due to a rather fine taste for the fast life and drink) he was known to shrug off the debt.

"I will just write another novel!" he would declare.

And so he would.

While The Phantom of the Opera is probably one of his most famous works, it is more popular with western culture. In France, it was the adventures of detective Joseph Rouletibille that were the most important of his writings. These works launched Leroux as a master of crime fiction. The Mystery of the Yellow Room has been acclaimed as the standard all locked room mysteries try to achieve. The Rouletibille novels were steeped in logic and twists and turns. It was not until the very end that the criminal was reveled and it always stunned the reader to discover it was the one person they least expected--classic Gaston Leroux.

None of these detective novels held his more famous signature--the love of the macabre. That would season his later works in particular, The Phantom of the Opera, notorious for its murderously vengeful and hideously deformed anti-hero, Erik. But Erik was not the only criminally insane and repulsive character Leroux cooked up. Balaoo was an oddly formed cross between man and ape, while Cheri Bibi was master criminal, not terribly attractive, but with a large heart nonetheless. And finally, one would be remiss not to mention Benedict Masson, a bookbinder in love with a beautiful woman. This woman, because of Masson's visage cannot or will not, return his love. In the course of this novel Masson does suddenly find himself a handsome man, but at the price of lacking the ability to make love and give love. Oh, the irony!

Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera is a masterful piece of fiction, fitting in with the genre of gothic horror while at the same time to today's reader, historical romance. It has all the elements of a monster novel with the tragic and bittersweet under tones of unrequited love. Leroux pulled together his love of symbolism and used all his tricks of misleading the reader to create this timeless tale.

He died of uriemic poisoning on April 27, 1927 and was laid to rest in Nice. When he died he took the secrets of his Phantom tale to the grave. Written in his classic journalistic style, Leroux opens the book by saying: "The Opera Ghost really existed." Shortly before his death he was quoted as saying during a speech in Nice: "However fantastical my imagination it as always been anchored in something real. Perhaps that is why so much indulgence has been shown to my work, a work which has no pretences except to distract the reader without overstepping the boundaries of propriety."

Does that mean Erik was real? Does that indicate that all Leroux's fiction was based on fact? The reader is challenge to be the judge. What it does mean is that what you read is not always what you should believe.

And that is classic Gaston Leroux.