| Interview to Ladyghost by Jennifer C. Linforth |
In the hauntingly beautiful town of Zaragoza, Spain, where narrow
alleyways yield to the spires of magnificent cathedrals, where rivers flow
past streets that still echo the sound of Roman marches--a ghost was born.
A Ladyghost …
Not ghost of mist or legend, but Sandra Andrés Belenguer, a twenty-five
year old teacher of classic literature. Known across the world by her
famous website www.ladyghost.com, Sandra has spent countless hours
bringing to life the allure of a timeless novel: Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom
of the Opera.
What is it about this work that speaks to so many people? What passion
lies within the pages of Gaston Leroux’s book that transcends time? Sandra
answers many of those questions through her website, while at the same
time she does what Leroux did best: raise more questions…
Sandra studied at the School of Jesuits. Later she focused on Spanish and
international literature in the University of Zaragoza where she graduated
with honors at twenty-three. Enthralled by Leroux at fifteen, she wrote a
comparative analysis about Lloyd Webber’s Phantom musical and Gaston
Leroux’s novel. No easy task given the differences between the two. She
edited it on her own and sold it worldwide with good reviews. (Currently
she is preparing a Phantom based novel, but I am told the plot remains as a
secret…)
At present, Sandra is a literature teacher combining her love of books with
her passion for travel. Her beloved Paris is a second home. Of the city
Sandra says: ‘Curiously, everyday I fall more in love with Paris and when
I'm at the Opera Garnier I feel like I have traveled through time! I really
love that building. On one of these Paris trips, I was able to meet Leroux’s
great- granddaughter, who is a wonderful friend of mine. My other passion
is to go Her Majesty's Theatre in London and see the Phantom musical!
When I'm there I forget the entire world outside…’
In her years as Ladyghost, Sandra has interviewed many people connected
to the Phantom story from writers to actors and musicians. This writer felt
it was about time someone unlocked Sandra…
-What prompted you to start Ladyghost’s site?
In 2001 or 2002, I created two ‘geocities’ websites, one in Spanish and the
other in English.
But I wanted my own domain, more applications, better design, more
options and windows so the visitor could see more choices and
information. I decided to buy my own server and create a new wonderful
web where everyone could learn, not only about the movie or musical, but
the Phantom original legend and all the interesting facts which surround it.
-We can read on your site how you became involved with the Really Useful
Group. Networking is a delicate task, as you well know. You have a knack
for interviewing some amazing stage talent. How do you approach doing
this?
The Really Useful Group has nothing to do with my interviews. I'm very
grateful to them because they have helped me sometimes (they permitted
me to appear on stage at the Spanish performance of Phantom to give three
bouquets of flowers to the main actors), but the interviews are made with
hard work and effort. I'm a friend of some great actors, and they introduce
me to other Phantom actors who are delighted to grant me an interview.
They knew my work and my website even before I contacted them. Some
of them have told me they had learnt a lot through it!
-Who was your most memorable interview?
I consider all my interviews very important. They all deserve my complete
respect, no matter if the interview is to an actor, writer or composer. And I
have made wonderful friends thanks to these interviews, which is
something gorgeous! Anyway, I think the most important interview I would
love to do I won't be able to make… an interview with Erik.
-You have a degree in international literature. What do your focus on?
What grade levels are your students?
I love literature, that's why I always wanted to teach it. I teach Spanish and
international literature, together with Spanish grammar. I want my
students to understand, feel and enjoy literature. As Victor Hugo once said:
‘…meanwhile sadness, ignorance, misery, wars...a book will be always
necessary’. The grade level is different in Spain from other countries, but
my students are from fourteen to eighteen years old.
-What drew you to Gaston Leroux and Phantom of the Opera?
The famous Disney movie, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, was in cinemas
when I was thirteen. Before I saw the movie, I asked my parents what story
the story was about. They told me it was based on a book written by Victor
Hugo. All the books for children and teens bored me greatly. When I read
Hugo's novel, I discovered a new world in front of me: a new world of
wonderful passions and feelings. I wanted to read and know more, and
know more authors and gorgeous literature. I knew Alexandre Dumas, Paul
Feval, Pedro Salinas, Espronceda... One day (I remember it very well), in a
shopping mall, I saw one special book. It has a skull in its cover; a skull
with a black cape and golden eyes which looked at me the same way I
stared at them. I think it was a strange moment, as if the book itself was
talking to me. I knew that book was something special and I bought it.
When I read it, I realized I didn't want it to end. It was so wonderful! At the
final chapter, I was crying like a little child. I thought once again that it
was not an ordinary book. Days later, I found myself re-reading again and
again. I put it in my bed-table, where it is right now.
-Leroux was, without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of his time. As a
teacher of literature, what do you feel was the biggest mystery in Leroux’s
Phantom?
It is very easy reading. But in some chapters you can find a double
language which you must know how to interpret. On occasion you have to
read it several times to understand the author’s meaning. Leroux tells us
the mystery of the Opera Ghost and, at the same time, he challenges us to
find and investigate more about the legend itself.
-Have you read any of this other works? If so what are your thoughts?
Yes, indeed. I've read almost all of his works: The Mystery of the Yellow
Room, The Perfume of the Lady in Black, Cheri-Bibi and Cecily, The
Bride of the Sun, The Haunted Chair, The Machine to Kill, The Bloody
Doll, Rouletabille in Russia, The Black Castle, etc.
Raouletabille's adventures are wonderful and I highly recommend them to
lovers of mystery and detective novels. Did you know this character is the
alter-ego of Leroux himself? And the famous cartoon comic character,
Tintin, is inspired by Rouletabille too! The Bride of the Sun is really
fantastic. In general, I adore all Leroux's works. But my favourites are The
Machine to Kill and its sequel, The Bloody Doll. Two novels with a
wonderful story, great style, gorgeous characters and a touching, final
moral.
-You had the opportunity to interview Leroux’s great-granddaughter. Can
you tell us what the experience was like? What curiosities did you learn?
It was a wonderful experience for me! We met in her restaurant in Paris: it
is completely dedicated to Gaston Leroux and his works. I saw portraits of
him in the walls, old editions of his books, articles, and even Phantom of
the Opera music boxes! She is a charming woman and a great cook. We
were talking for long time about her great-grandfather. She told me some
good anecdotes of him and mainly we talked about Phantom legend. She
thought Leroux's novel was based 50% reality and 50% literary freedom.
She told me a very nice thing about her great grand-father: to celebrate
finishing one of his books, he opened the windows and shot his gun in the
air a couple of times.
-When you toured the cellars of the Opera Garnier what went through your
mind?
I had dreamt with that moment for so long, that I thought maybe I was
dreaming again.
It was a gorgeous experience for me. I was without breath, trying to
remember everything of that place, every corner, every corridor, every
column! It sounds strange, but I had a double feeling: Firstly I felt Peace.
The silence (only the soft sound of the lake's water), the loneliness...
everything transmitted peace to me. But, there was a feeling of mystery
too. I can't explain it. Maybe it was the darkness, the shadows, the echo of
my own breathing... but the air was filled with a strange, almost electrical
feeling I'll never forget.
-If you could fall in love with one other work of classic literature outside of
Leroux, what book would it be and why?
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. It is a novel which touched me deeply when
I read it (long before I read the Phantom). Its characters are full of life and
through them you can understand all the human passions: love, charity,
spiritual beauty, but also hate, cruelty, misery and of course, the
forgiveness. I really love all the work done by Hugo: Notre Dame, The Man
Who Laughs, Bug-Jargal, 1793, Hans of Iceland, etc. But I also love
Alexandre Dumas, Paul Feval, Edgar A. Poe, Oscar Wilde, Baudelaire,
Stendhal, etc. And Spanish authors too! Becquer, Pedro Salinas, Machado,
Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Arturo Perez Reverte, Benito P. Galdos, Jose Cadalso,
Jose de Espronceda, etc.
-In this day and age so many young people are plugged into technology. Do
you encourage your students to explore writing? Outside of the books you
love, what book do you think is the biggest influence on children today?
The first thing I say to my students is they must read and understand what
they are reading. And, of course, the words they don't know, they must
look up in the dictionary. I think new technologies can also contribute by
helping students research the authors of the books they are reading.
Investigating their biographies, works and literary style, etc. is really
important in order for young people to be interested in literature (not
everything is television). If a student wants to write, the first thing they
have to do is read. That is my main ‘law’. Lately, cinema has influenced
positively in children, so when they see a movie, they want to read the
novel they have just seen on screen. And, of course, this is a way to start to
love literature. Some famous examples are: Harry Potter, The Narnia
Chronicles, Lord of the Rings, etc.
-Where do you see Ladyghost five years from now? Ten years?
I've been Ladyghost for ten years and I hope I'll continue being the same for
a long time; with the same passion and dedication as I have now. I hope I'll
continue with my investigations towards the Phantom of the Opera, trying
to fill all the blank spaces which still exist in this story: middle legend,
middle reality. There is still so much mystery to discover...
-Can you sum up Erik in one sentence?
His love for music and beauty raised him into a legend.
-Give the fans the flip side. What are your thoughts on Raoul and Christine?
I think Raoul is the typical archetype character who is in love from his
childhood with the main heroine. He doesn't doubt running risks for love,
trying to defend his beloved till the end, even exposing himself in danger.
Christine is the axis of the story, everything turns around her. She can be a
misunderstood character sometimes, in the novel as well as in the musical.
Her love for music brings her to Erik; her human love brings her to Raoul.
This is her dilemma and the main conflict in this story. At the end she
chose the easier way. We'll never know if she ever regretted that choice.
-What do you most like to see in Phantom literature?
I have read almost every Phantom novel which has been made after
Leroux's. I have been able to prove that there is bad and good Phantom
literature, good and bad stories and good and bad writers. In a book, I'm
always looking for a logical and credible plot; but also, respect for the
characters. These are not original characters created by each author: they
are characters who have their own literary life and the author who uses
them to write his or her own fiction, must feel for them certain respect. All
this is related to Phantom modern novels. But I've also read essays about
this subject. With some of them I've learned a lot, even for my own
research. With others, I've felt the authors have never read the original
book. Maybe they had seen one of the movies, but movies are not the
reference point to make a good essay.
‘It is no ordinary skeleton.’ Clearly that final sentence has impacted
seasoned and aspiring authors worldwide. It has seeped into the lives of
teachers, musicians and lovers of classic literature. Many thanks to Sandra
for permitting this interview and for the efforts she has put into ladyghost.
com. I found after reading Leroux’s original novel similar feelings to
Sandra; that there were many more questions than answers on a most
extraordinary and passionate character. I hope Ladyghost will remain as
timeless as the classic it is inspired by, just as ardently as I hope to see
Leroux’s original vision pass from one generation to the next.
--Jennifer C. Linforth, Author Historical Fiction and Romance
Romance Writers of America
MADRIGAL: continuing Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera
Forthcoming, Highland Press
http://www.jenniferlinforth.com
http://www.highlandpress.org
alleyways yield to the spires of magnificent cathedrals, where rivers flow
past streets that still echo the sound of Roman marches--a ghost was born.
A Ladyghost …
Not ghost of mist or legend, but Sandra Andrés Belenguer, a twenty-five
year old teacher of classic literature. Known across the world by her
famous website www.ladyghost.com, Sandra has spent countless hours
bringing to life the allure of a timeless novel: Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom
of the Opera.
What is it about this work that speaks to so many people? What passion
lies within the pages of Gaston Leroux’s book that transcends time? Sandra
answers many of those questions through her website, while at the same
time she does what Leroux did best: raise more questions…
Sandra studied at the School of Jesuits. Later she focused on Spanish and
international literature in the University of Zaragoza where she graduated
with honors at twenty-three. Enthralled by Leroux at fifteen, she wrote a
comparative analysis about Lloyd Webber’s Phantom musical and Gaston
Leroux’s novel. No easy task given the differences between the two. She
edited it on her own and sold it worldwide with good reviews. (Currently
she is preparing a Phantom based novel, but I am told the plot remains as a
secret…)
At present, Sandra is a literature teacher combining her love of books with
her passion for travel. Her beloved Paris is a second home. Of the city
Sandra says: ‘Curiously, everyday I fall more in love with Paris and when
I'm at the Opera Garnier I feel like I have traveled through time! I really
love that building. On one of these Paris trips, I was able to meet Leroux’s
great- granddaughter, who is a wonderful friend of mine. My other passion
is to go Her Majesty's Theatre in London and see the Phantom musical!
When I'm there I forget the entire world outside…’
In her years as Ladyghost, Sandra has interviewed many people connected
to the Phantom story from writers to actors and musicians. This writer felt
it was about time someone unlocked Sandra…
-What prompted you to start Ladyghost’s site?
In 2001 or 2002, I created two ‘geocities’ websites, one in Spanish and the
other in English.
But I wanted my own domain, more applications, better design, more
options and windows so the visitor could see more choices and
information. I decided to buy my own server and create a new wonderful
web where everyone could learn, not only about the movie or musical, but
the Phantom original legend and all the interesting facts which surround it.
-We can read on your site how you became involved with the Really Useful
Group. Networking is a delicate task, as you well know. You have a knack
for interviewing some amazing stage talent. How do you approach doing
this?
The Really Useful Group has nothing to do with my interviews. I'm very
grateful to them because they have helped me sometimes (they permitted
me to appear on stage at the Spanish performance of Phantom to give three
bouquets of flowers to the main actors), but the interviews are made with
hard work and effort. I'm a friend of some great actors, and they introduce
me to other Phantom actors who are delighted to grant me an interview.
They knew my work and my website even before I contacted them. Some
of them have told me they had learnt a lot through it!
-Who was your most memorable interview?
I consider all my interviews very important. They all deserve my complete
respect, no matter if the interview is to an actor, writer or composer. And I
have made wonderful friends thanks to these interviews, which is
something gorgeous! Anyway, I think the most important interview I would
love to do I won't be able to make… an interview with Erik.
-You have a degree in international literature. What do your focus on?
What grade levels are your students?
I love literature, that's why I always wanted to teach it. I teach Spanish and
international literature, together with Spanish grammar. I want my
students to understand, feel and enjoy literature. As Victor Hugo once said:
‘…meanwhile sadness, ignorance, misery, wars...a book will be always
necessary’. The grade level is different in Spain from other countries, but
my students are from fourteen to eighteen years old.
-What drew you to Gaston Leroux and Phantom of the Opera?
The famous Disney movie, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, was in cinemas
when I was thirteen. Before I saw the movie, I asked my parents what story
the story was about. They told me it was based on a book written by Victor
Hugo. All the books for children and teens bored me greatly. When I read
Hugo's novel, I discovered a new world in front of me: a new world of
wonderful passions and feelings. I wanted to read and know more, and
know more authors and gorgeous literature. I knew Alexandre Dumas, Paul
Feval, Pedro Salinas, Espronceda... One day (I remember it very well), in a
shopping mall, I saw one special book. It has a skull in its cover; a skull
with a black cape and golden eyes which looked at me the same way I
stared at them. I think it was a strange moment, as if the book itself was
talking to me. I knew that book was something special and I bought it.
When I read it, I realized I didn't want it to end. It was so wonderful! At the
final chapter, I was crying like a little child. I thought once again that it
was not an ordinary book. Days later, I found myself re-reading again and
again. I put it in my bed-table, where it is right now.
-Leroux was, without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of his time. As a
teacher of literature, what do you feel was the biggest mystery in Leroux’s
Phantom?
It is very easy reading. But in some chapters you can find a double
language which you must know how to interpret. On occasion you have to
read it several times to understand the author’s meaning. Leroux tells us
the mystery of the Opera Ghost and, at the same time, he challenges us to
find and investigate more about the legend itself.
-Have you read any of this other works? If so what are your thoughts?
Yes, indeed. I've read almost all of his works: The Mystery of the Yellow
Room, The Perfume of the Lady in Black, Cheri-Bibi and Cecily, The
Bride of the Sun, The Haunted Chair, The Machine to Kill, The Bloody
Doll, Rouletabille in Russia, The Black Castle, etc.
Raouletabille's adventures are wonderful and I highly recommend them to
lovers of mystery and detective novels. Did you know this character is the
alter-ego of Leroux himself? And the famous cartoon comic character,
Tintin, is inspired by Rouletabille too! The Bride of the Sun is really
fantastic. In general, I adore all Leroux's works. But my favourites are The
Machine to Kill and its sequel, The Bloody Doll. Two novels with a
wonderful story, great style, gorgeous characters and a touching, final
moral.
-You had the opportunity to interview Leroux’s great-granddaughter. Can
you tell us what the experience was like? What curiosities did you learn?
It was a wonderful experience for me! We met in her restaurant in Paris: it
is completely dedicated to Gaston Leroux and his works. I saw portraits of
him in the walls, old editions of his books, articles, and even Phantom of
the Opera music boxes! She is a charming woman and a great cook. We
were talking for long time about her great-grandfather. She told me some
good anecdotes of him and mainly we talked about Phantom legend. She
thought Leroux's novel was based 50% reality and 50% literary freedom.
She told me a very nice thing about her great grand-father: to celebrate
finishing one of his books, he opened the windows and shot his gun in the
air a couple of times.
-When you toured the cellars of the Opera Garnier what went through your
mind?
I had dreamt with that moment for so long, that I thought maybe I was
dreaming again.
It was a gorgeous experience for me. I was without breath, trying to
remember everything of that place, every corner, every corridor, every
column! It sounds strange, but I had a double feeling: Firstly I felt Peace.
The silence (only the soft sound of the lake's water), the loneliness...
everything transmitted peace to me. But, there was a feeling of mystery
too. I can't explain it. Maybe it was the darkness, the shadows, the echo of
my own breathing... but the air was filled with a strange, almost electrical
feeling I'll never forget.
-If you could fall in love with one other work of classic literature outside of
Leroux, what book would it be and why?
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. It is a novel which touched me deeply when
I read it (long before I read the Phantom). Its characters are full of life and
through them you can understand all the human passions: love, charity,
spiritual beauty, but also hate, cruelty, misery and of course, the
forgiveness. I really love all the work done by Hugo: Notre Dame, The Man
Who Laughs, Bug-Jargal, 1793, Hans of Iceland, etc. But I also love
Alexandre Dumas, Paul Feval, Edgar A. Poe, Oscar Wilde, Baudelaire,
Stendhal, etc. And Spanish authors too! Becquer, Pedro Salinas, Machado,
Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Arturo Perez Reverte, Benito P. Galdos, Jose Cadalso,
Jose de Espronceda, etc.
-In this day and age so many young people are plugged into technology. Do
you encourage your students to explore writing? Outside of the books you
love, what book do you think is the biggest influence on children today?
The first thing I say to my students is they must read and understand what
they are reading. And, of course, the words they don't know, they must
look up in the dictionary. I think new technologies can also contribute by
helping students research the authors of the books they are reading.
Investigating their biographies, works and literary style, etc. is really
important in order for young people to be interested in literature (not
everything is television). If a student wants to write, the first thing they
have to do is read. That is my main ‘law’. Lately, cinema has influenced
positively in children, so when they see a movie, they want to read the
novel they have just seen on screen. And, of course, this is a way to start to
love literature. Some famous examples are: Harry Potter, The Narnia
Chronicles, Lord of the Rings, etc.
-Where do you see Ladyghost five years from now? Ten years?
I've been Ladyghost for ten years and I hope I'll continue being the same for
a long time; with the same passion and dedication as I have now. I hope I'll
continue with my investigations towards the Phantom of the Opera, trying
to fill all the blank spaces which still exist in this story: middle legend,
middle reality. There is still so much mystery to discover...
-Can you sum up Erik in one sentence?
His love for music and beauty raised him into a legend.
-Give the fans the flip side. What are your thoughts on Raoul and Christine?
I think Raoul is the typical archetype character who is in love from his
childhood with the main heroine. He doesn't doubt running risks for love,
trying to defend his beloved till the end, even exposing himself in danger.
Christine is the axis of the story, everything turns around her. She can be a
misunderstood character sometimes, in the novel as well as in the musical.
Her love for music brings her to Erik; her human love brings her to Raoul.
This is her dilemma and the main conflict in this story. At the end she
chose the easier way. We'll never know if she ever regretted that choice.
-What do you most like to see in Phantom literature?
I have read almost every Phantom novel which has been made after
Leroux's. I have been able to prove that there is bad and good Phantom
literature, good and bad stories and good and bad writers. In a book, I'm
always looking for a logical and credible plot; but also, respect for the
characters. These are not original characters created by each author: they
are characters who have their own literary life and the author who uses
them to write his or her own fiction, must feel for them certain respect. All
this is related to Phantom modern novels. But I've also read essays about
this subject. With some of them I've learned a lot, even for my own
research. With others, I've felt the authors have never read the original
book. Maybe they had seen one of the movies, but movies are not the
reference point to make a good essay.
‘It is no ordinary skeleton.’ Clearly that final sentence has impacted
seasoned and aspiring authors worldwide. It has seeped into the lives of
teachers, musicians and lovers of classic literature. Many thanks to Sandra
for permitting this interview and for the efforts she has put into ladyghost.
com. I found after reading Leroux’s original novel similar feelings to
Sandra; that there were many more questions than answers on a most
extraordinary and passionate character. I hope Ladyghost will remain as
timeless as the classic it is inspired by, just as ardently as I hope to see
Leroux’s original vision pass from one generation to the next.
--Jennifer C. Linforth, Author Historical Fiction and Romance
Romance Writers of America
MADRIGAL: continuing Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera
Forthcoming, Highland Press
http://www.jenniferlinforth.com
http://www.highlandpress.org
