I used to have a really nice illustrated copy of Phantom but it disappeared one night when I was babysitting a young boy who was obsessed with the pictures. The copies I find in bookstores are all sans illustrations. If you were to pick an (affordable!) illustrated version, which one would you buy?
Hi Anon! Thank you for your question. It’s a great one! Here are some of my favorite illustrated editions of The Phantom of the Opera.
One of my favorite illustrated editions of Phantom is Greg Hildebrandt’s illustrated POTO. It features gorgeous, and mostly Leroux-accurate, artwork. Oldschoolphantoms has recently posted the illustrations from Hildebrandt’s Phantom on their blog, so you can get a sense of what his artwork looks like. Hildebrandt’s edition is out of print, but you can usually find reasonably priced copies on eBay. Be prepared to spend between about USD $15 and $30 for a good used copy of this book. Here are some current eBay listings for Hildebrandt’s Phantom:
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Another favorite of mine is the Barnes & Noble Classics edition of Phantom. Here are some images that I posted from this edition. It features highly Leroux-accurate, black-and-white artwork by artist Rachel Perkins. Perkins is one of the only illustrators that I am aware of who correctly identified that when Christine is first abducted by Erik following the chandelier crash, she doesn’t have time to change out of her Siébel costume, and thus is dressed as a man. Perkins also picks up on other Lerouxian details, such as Erik’s black mask and his rowboat (the light-colored mask and the gondola were introduced in the 1925 silent film). You can purchase the Barnes & Noble edition of Phantom for around USD $7 new, or for under $1 used:
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Another of my favorites is the illustrated Korean edition of Phantom. The illustrations are lovely, and even though they are not always Leroux-accurate, they convey the fantastical, dreamlike experience that you get when you read Leroux’s novel. You can usually find copies of this book on eBay for between USD $20 and $40. Here are a few current eBay listings:
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Finally, one of my all-time favorite illustrated POTOs (that is sadly unaffordable) is the one featuring Anne Bachelier’s artwork. Her paintings are utterly gorgeous, and beautifully capture the metaphorical, dreamlike nature of Leroux’s novel. Her book is out of print and limited edition, so it is hard to find and very expensive. If you find a copy for under USD $200, consider yourself lucky.