The Ghost of Manhattan (novel)

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<br><br>„The Ghost of Manhattan“ (English The Phantom of Manhattan) is a novel by the English writer Frederick Forsyth, published in 1999. It is a sequel to the musical „The Phantom of the Opera“ by the English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the novel by Gaston Leroux. Literary concept of the novel – Leroux described in detail what happened, but did not check eyewitness accounts for reliability.<br><br>The novel has not been published in Russian, but it is available on the Internet in a fan translation.<br><br>In March 2010, London premiered Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Love Never Dies, which is based in part on Forsythe’s novel.<br>Plot<br>The plot of the novel is based on and memories of individual characters.<br><br>In September 1906, on her deathbed, Antoinette Giry confesses to the priest that when she was at the fair with her six-year-old daughter Meg, she felt so sorry for a boy with a disfigured face named Eric, who was mistreated and kept in a cage that she returned to the fair at night and set him free. In her apartment, she hid the boy and took care of him until she fell in love as her own son. He revealed that he was sold to the circus by his abusive alcoholic father shortly after his mother fled with her lover. For security reasons, Antoinette Giry hid it in the catacombs of the Opera Garnier, in which she herself worked. After examining the Opera building, Eric began to steal books and other items for self-education. The disappearance of things without a trace eventually gave rise to rumors about the Phantom of the Opera. Growing up, Eric fell in love with the young chorus girl Christina Dae, but she did not reciprocate. Driven by rage, he kidnapped the girl and accidentally killed the tenor Pianji. His refuge was found, but apart from Christina and her lover, Viscount Raoul de Chagny, there was no one else there. With the help of Madame Giry, Eric managed to escape and he sailed to America on a ship. After confession, Madame Giry asks the notary Armand Dufour to find Eric in New York and give him a letter, which, according to her, contains vital information for him, and then dies.<br><br>The next chapter, on behalf of Eric, describes the events that took place after he fled to New York. For a time, Eric lived in the slums, where he met a Darius. With his help, he begins to move up the social ladder. After two years, they, through fraud, earn a decent fortune. Upon learning that a certain Paul Boyton wants to open a theme park in New York, Eric, together with Darius, develop amusement schemes for his park. In the wake of Boyton’s success, other businessmen commission Eric and Darius to develop similar attractions. Orders and in the stock market place Eric and Darius among the wealthiest businessmen in New York. They own the EM Tower skyscraper. But Eric’s passion for opera does not disappear anywhere and, after refusing to provide him with a personal box at the Metropolitan Opera, he, together with the novice entrepreneur Oscar Hammerstein I, embarks on a grandiose project – the creation of a competitor to the Metropolitan Opera. Fulfilling the last will of Madame Giry, the notary Armand Dufour arrives in New York and spends days in fruitless attempts to find Eric. Desperate, he plans to return to France, but luckily he meets the reporter Cholly Bloom in a cafe. Through a translator, Cholly learns about Armand’s mission and quickly realizes that this is a great chance to get a good storyline for an article, so he accompanies Armand to the EM Tower, where he demands an audience with Eric Mulheim. Darius refuses him, promising to personally deliver the letter. While waiting for an answer, Cholly notices a frightening masked face in one of the paintings, but after Darius returns, the face disappears. Cheered but bewildered, Cholly leaves EM Tower, contemplating that he may have just met the mysterious Ghost of Manhattan.<br><br>Darius, under the influence of drugs, enters a trance to communicate with Mammon. After receiving the letter from Paris, Eric becomes even more obsessed with opera, and Darius is worried about the risks of investing in such a huge project. After reading the letter, Eric sends his man to Paris with a large sum of money to invite two world-famous leading opera singers – Nelly Melba and Viscountess Cristina de Chagni to the opening of a new opera house. In addition, Eric begins to work with enthusiasm on the writing of his own opera. Mammon convinces Darius that he shouldn’t worry about this, but warns that any obstacles that stand in the way of Eric’s legacy will have to be removed. The following is a note from a newspaper column by opera critic Gaylord Spriggs. It celebrates the excitement of Nelly Melba and Cristina de Chagny coming to New York to perform at the new Manhattan Opera, speculating on the amount of money spent to persuade Nelly Melba to cross the and the reasons why prompting to do the same, uninterested in money, Christine de Chagny. In addition, there is an abrupt change from the first performance at the Manhattan Opera, Vincenzo Bellini’s Puritane, to a new opera written by an unknown author.<br><br>Meanwhile, Christina arrives in New York accompanied by her 12-year-old son Pierre and his mentor, Priest Joseph „Joe“ Kilfoyle. Upon arrival, they are greeted by a crowd of journalists and fans. As they made their way through the crowd, Port Chronicler Bernard Smith notices a man in a white mask looking closely at Cristina de Chagny from the roof of a warehouse opposite the docks. Unnoticed by anyone but Bernard, the man in the white mask disappears. Cholly Bloom, assisting Christina in boarding the crew, gets the chance to interview the world famous opera singer. When he arrives at her apartment, Pierre reveals that he received an interesting gift from someone – a music box in the shape of a monkey with cymbals. When the box starts playing „Masquerade“, Christina screams and whispers: „He must be here!“… Cholly explains to Christine that the music box came from Coney Island Amusement Park. An agitated Christina asks Cholly to escort her and Pierre to the park. Overjoyed at the chance to get an exclusive, Cholly happily agrees. Meanwhile, shocked by Christina’s arrival, Eric realizes that his love for her will forever remain unrequited, but Madame Giry’s letter gives him some hope. In a letter, Madame Giry said that Christine has a son and that Eric is his biological father, since the Viscount Raoul de Chagny cannot have children due to an accident. Eric decides to meet with Christina the next day, alerting her to his whereabouts in New York with the help of a music box. That evening, Christina’s maid, Meg Giry, describes in her diary the incident with the music box. Trying to calm Christine, Meg recalls the events at the Opera Garnier.<br><br>The next chapter is an excerpt from the diary of Amusement Park animator Taffy Jones. After receiving a letter from the employer with instructions to meet guests in the park closed for the winter, Teffi opens a toy store and the Labyrinth of Mirrors for Christine and Pierre. Mirrors in the Labyrinth suddenly begin to move of their own accord and hide from Teffi the person who met Christina in the Labyrinth. Jones overhears their conversation, in which a stranger says that he still loves Christina and tries to convince her to go with him, but she refuses. After a short pause, he asks Christina to leave him at least their son. Christina, shocked that he knows her secret, promises to tell Pierre the truth when he becomes an adult, and to give her consent for Pierre to choose with whom to stay. The stranger does not like this proposal and he takes an oath that his son will stay with him no matter what. After these words, Tuffy notices another pale-faced figure who, having overheard the whole conversation, disappeared from the Labyrinth of Mirrors. Pierre’s mentor, Joseph Kilfoyle, speaks to God in prayer. God answers him and tells him about Eric’s past, that he is not a bad person, but a confused and tortured soul that can still be saved. As for his partner, Darius, his soul can no longer be saved, because he sold it to Mamonna. The new Manhattan Opera is hosting the premiere of the first production monitored by Gaylord Spriggs. During the last act, the leading tenor is replaced by an unknown, severely disfigured performer, whose voice is not inferior to the leading tenor in strength and clarity. After the premiere, the mysterious stunt double disappears. Later, Cholly Bloom notices how he whispers something to Pierre and gives him a note.<br><br>In the final chapter, the story is told on behalf of the aged Cholly Bloom, who became a professor at the university. He tells students about the importance of the profession of a reporter and shares an event from his life, about which he has never published, that happened on the last day of Cristina de Chagny’s visit. Viscount Raoul de Chagny arrives some time after his wife’s arrival and meets Cholly Bloom. While waiting for Christina at breakfast, Cholly let him know that Christina is going to meet a man named Eric at the Amusement Park. Shocked by this news, Raoul runs out and Cholly follows him. He finds a piece of paper with the handwriting of Darius, who intends to kill Pierre, considering him the only obstacle to Eric’s inheritance. Fearing for Pierre’s life, Cholly rushes to the Park to warn Christine. There he hides behind the bushes, watching the meeting of the mysterious Ghost and Christina, while Darius loads the pistol. Raoul with his son and Joe’s father arrive in the Park. Pierre, jumping out of the carriage, hugs his mother. At this moment, Darius, aiming at Pierre, shoots, but mortally wounds Christina. Eric immediately shoots back and kills Darius. Before her death, Christine reveals the truth to Pierre. Eric is crushed. Raoul takes Christina’s body in his arms and tells Pierre that he must make a choice. Pierre removes the mask from the Phantom and decides to stay with him. Raoul returns to France to bury his beloved wife.<br><br>The epilogue describes the further fate of the characters. Raoul never married again. Pierre and Eric stayed in New York and changed their surname after the outbreak of the First World War. Pierre assisted his father in running the corporation, which became very famous for its philanthropic activities, founding several medical institutions for the correction of physical disabilities, as well as establishing many charitable foundations. Joe’s father stayed in New York and organized a shelter and school for the poor and poor, as well as for abandoned children from the Lower East Side. The Manhattan Opera eventually closed. Eric retired in the early twenties to live on a secluded estate in Connecticut. He was looked after by two veterans who were both horribly disfigured during the war. From that day on, he no longer wore a mask. Pierre got married, had four children, and died in 1969.<br>Characters (edit)Eric Mulheim „Ghost“ – Former Phantom of the Paris Opera who fled to New York. He goes through all the hardships of life in poverty, gradually makes his way up, becomes a millionaire and a famous impresario. From Madame Giry, he learns a secret that will change his whole life.Christine, Viscountess de Chagny – Eric’s beloved and opera diva. After the events at the Opera, Garnier married Raoul and became a mother. She comes to New York for her American debut, not knowing that Eric had invited her.Raoul, Viscount de Chagny – Christina’s husband and Pierre’s stepfather.Antoinette Giry Is a former choreographer who saved Eric from the circus when he was a child. Helped Eric escape to America. Confessed to a priest on his deathbed. Before his death, he gives a message to Eric together with the notary.Darius – Eric’s business partner. Believing that he will be the heir to his entire fortune, he becomes obsessed and ready to destroy anyone who gets in his way.Pierre de Chagny – the little son of Christina and Eric. Admires his mentor – father „Joe“.Charles „Cholly“ Bloom Is a reporter from New York. Revealed the secret of the Phantom and his relationship with Christina.Father Joseph „Joe“ Kilfoyle – Priest and mentor Pierre, Irish. Knows about Christina’s secret.Mag Giry – the daughter of Madame Giry. She was a ballerina at the Paris Opera until she was injured. Christina’s friend and maid.Armand Dufour – the notary who delivered the letter from Madame Giry to Eric in New York.Teffy Jones – an animator from Coney Island who accidentally overheard a frank conversation between Eric and Christina.

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