Through Phantom Eyes Book 1 - A Child's Guidance by Theodora Bruns Part 2

Erik is only a young boy when he first discovers his great passion for music. Just before his third birthday, he listens to his mother playing the piano, and with excitement, he realizes his life will always be filled with music. Sadly though, along with that powerful and comforting emotion, there is also sorrow. Erik's mother fears him because of his facial deformity, and he is forever scarred by her rejection. His father loves and protects him and tries to guide his young son's rapidly growing genius mind and disturbed heart. Nevertheless, Erik's soul begins to fill with loathing for the world that shuns him, causing him to wage a fierce battle between murderous hatred and compassionate love. Erik's temper erupts violently at times, endangering the lives of those around him as well as his own. Ultimately, he is abandoned and left alone to battle not only a world destined to cause him harm but also his tortured heart.

Discover the astonishing life of Erik, and journey into the private world and intimate thoughts of the man known as the Phantom of the Opera. Be with him as he struggles to balance his brilliant mind and tormented soul.

(Image and Description from Goodreads.com)

Part 2...

Of course there would be some warped sense of religious thinking behind Anne's view of Erik. And you know what? I still don't feel sorry for her one little bit, in fact I just feel all the more impatient and angry with her.

If she had been raised to believe certain things she should have known how her mother would have reacted to her conceiving a child out of wedlock. So in my eyes that was her own thinking and problem that she had to deal with. Her inner conflict has nothing to do with Erik.

This once again makes me want to scream at her to act the adult. If she honestly believe - thanks to her own mother - that Erik's disfigurement is punishment for her indiscretion - or whatever you want to call it - then it is HER PROBLEM!! She should have showed some more control! Instead of punishing Erik!

OK, end of rant about Anne's moral standing. She makes me so angry!!

I loved how Erik's father reasoned with Erik on this point. Telling him that if he had truly been a punishment for their actions then there would be a lot more children that looked like him. I liked that. He didn't skim the facts, he told it as it was.

Still, back to the subject of Anne. She says that she is afraid of her son and that Erik becomes something 'evil'. Now, I am sorry, where she is concerned it is a never ending circle. He becomes angry and uncontrollable the way he does because she refuses to show him one little scrap of affection and so he responds in the only way his 'child like' side can think of. He hits out to hurt the one that is hurting him. I can understand that. But she is blind to this it would seem. Silly women!

And then there is the point where Erik, after finding out just how his mother has been 'suffering', starts to regret how he had treated her. Once again I will say. Children are in no way answerable for the sins (real or not) of their parents. It is their parents FULL responsibility to deal with the consequences! And it makes it all the more sadder because he is feeling remorse and yet she still thinks he is a monster and keeps a distance between them.

I could understand Erik's turning a deaf ear to the priest who came to visit and 'explain' things I suppose - but since he wasn't listening we don't know lol. He had seen what religious views had lead people to think about him and he turned himself off.

The beginnings of his need to be in control of people in also brought up, which is interesting as this will obviously be something that sticks with him throughout his life even when he becomes the Opera Ghost.

And I shall finish this post on a happy level.

Once again I am brought back to Erik's show if childishness. Erik's father takes him to his work site and once he got there...

"I began slowly twirling in circles, taking in everything I saw and smelled"

Just as I remember spinning around new places to get a look at everything when I was excited!

Wonderful!



This was first posted to my Phantom Novel Reviews Blog 10th April 2011