Customer Reviews

Night Magic

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Overall I had no problems getting through the book and I was never bored at any point in the story. Though since I am a huge Phantom of the Opera phan, this story just couldn't compare with the story written by Leroux and Susan Kay. I felt Marisa was a bit too whiny and practically near nervous break down the entire book, and Erik was a weak sap..he posessed none of the power and majesty a character like Erik should have.

I'm giving this one three stars because I feel that the story could have been done well with a few changes...
1. Marisa was too annoying, especially at first. The whole "I'm gonna starve myself over someone I barely know because he hasn't called" ordeal? Childish. And I may not feel as strongly as some about the sex between a sixteen year old and thirty-one year old, but I'd like to see both people mature enough to realize what's happening, and her behavior does NOT signify that to me.
2. Erik's revulsion at having a child is also fairly annoying. So he's able to accept (though with some difficulty) that this woman loves him heart and soul, regardless of his appearance, but a child they create wouldn't be able to get past his face?
3. Lastly, why does Marisa look beyond his appearance right away? I think it would be wonderful if we could all be so selfless and caring in the name of love, friendship and compassion, but let's be real. Most people, especially a teeange girl, are going to find it hard to simply "get past" something like that right away...UNLESS...(and this is what I personally would have liked to see most of all) the person has some specific reason for dismissing his features, i.e., she's disfigured herself. Maybe her face is pretty, but Erik could discover that underneath her nightgown she's deformed in some way, she's been horribly burned in a fire, she's got some handicap, whatever, just give me some reason as to why she didn't even flinch when she first saw him!
So, the worst book on earth it is not, but I think it needed a slight more "realism" added to the Magic.

Marisa, at the age of 16, falls in love with a brilliant older man in spite of his horrible scars and reclusive lifestyle. Erik was in a tragic auto accident at the age of 7 that killed both of his parents and left his face so hideously scarred that he chooses to live his life in the confinement of his home, from which he rarely ventures forth. He is a successful architect, and meets Marisa after completing a remodeling job on her father's home. His partner and housemate, Raskin, handles most of the public interface.

Marisa starts to sneak out of her house late at night to meet Erik, and initially their relationship is platonic. However, their passionate response to each other eventually leads to intimacy. Marisa told her father that Erik was giving her music lessons. Marisa's dad dies of a massive heart attack, and soon after she turns 18, she marries Erik.

Thus begins a cloistered life style lived in the seclusion of their dark home. Marisa and Erik have no social life outside their home, and they do not travel or even go out in the daylight because of Erik's fear of being ridiculed. Marisa wants to have children, but Erik is afraid to subject them to the shame and derision of having such a badly disfigured father. This eventually causes a rift between them that requires the help of friends and a chase across two continents to sort out.

The unrealistic setting and situation of these characters makes it difficult to develop any empathy toward them, since it is difficult to imagine living such a secluded, cloistered life. However, I did want both Marisa and Erik to eventually find happiness, which of course they did.

I actually enjoyed this take on Beauty and the Beast, enough to finish it in 3 hours straight. Like a previous reviewer stated however, it could have been much better if some parts had been written differently.

The writing style was great and kept me turning page after page and not skim, and the plot worked well until the end.

However, the annoyging parts to me were Erik's refusal to have a child because of his ugly experiences. I would have thought after being married 14 years with Rissa would have changed his mindset. The whole almost rape thing towards the end didn't seem to fit with the seamless plot of the book as a obstacle to waking up and changing personalities. That portion of the plot seemed a little contrived and a little off w/ the heroine. Why she would meet some stranger is just completely out of character for her, especially seeing someone suicide earlier. Other than that I would recommend this book. I enjoyed it but I don't plan on keeping or re-reading it. Be warned that the book is set from 1968-1987

Personally I did not enjoy reading this book. The story was in almost no way related to Phantom of the Opera, Erik did not show genius like qualities that I have seen in other Phantom books, and the couple didn't seem interested in each other as people they only seemed to want sex. I really don't reccomend this book to Phantom Phans looking for a differnt version of the classic story.

This book could best be described as a melding of Beauty and the Beast with Phantom of the Opera. Marissa (Risa) Crane is sixteen when her father asks an architect colleague to redesign their house, and she meets the mysterious Erik D'Anton for the first time. Erik is a recluse whose face was destroyed in the accident which killed his parents when he was a child. Risa becomes fascinated with Erik and,as time passes, draws him out of his solitude. Their shared love of music and increasing love for each other leads to marriage when Risa's father dies after her 18th birthday. Although her love for Erik is deep, Marissa's single-minded need and pushing for a child almost succeeds in pushing Erik, who fears the reaction of a child to his disfigurement, away. This is light romantic novel with strong erotic elements that draws you into it quickly. This is a book that will lead to re-reads for Beauty & the Beast/Phantom of the Opera fans. This edition is well-formatted for reading on the Kindle.

Rough outline of the plot: Night Magic is - loosely - the Phantom of the Opera story, modernized and not set in an opera house. Sixteen-year-old Marisa (Christine) meets the facially deformed thirty one year old Erik (The Phantom) through her father and swiftly the pair fall in love, sing together, marry and move in with each other. Rainbows, flowers and sunshine galore.

The writing isn't half bad, very detailed and generally very imaginative (very angst-y though, so if that's your poison, stay away). Just a few bones to pick, in that the author seems to have dialogue and description down very well, but lacks in narrative. Years pass in a matter of paragraphs, leaving the reading wondering what happened to the last decade. Other than that, it's very fulfilling and satisfying writing.

Surprisingly, I wasn't too undone by the age difference between the two main characters - it was off set by the age difference in their two close friends which balanced the book. And the Marisa was past the age of consent (17) when she and Erik first had sex, so there's nothing illegal, just a little off putting at first. Oh, and honestly, have they never heard of condoms? In this sense, as in others (no cell phones, internet, cable) it's very dated, but also the few references to current events and politics makes it timeless. (Side note: How many parents would give their blessing for their teenager daughters to date men in their thirties? Not many, I think. Suspension of disbelief is needed for reading).

Some of the other reviewers have commented on the lack of depth the book actually contained and I guess I have to give them that: Night Magic isn't a really serious book, with over arching themes and analysis. It's a simple love story that involves two people perfect (maybe a little too perfect) for one another that find simply no fault in the other. Marisa is beautiful, overly understanding, eager and helpful, while Erik is sensitive, caring and intelligent. The only time this perfection gets nauseating is when they fight and immediately blame themselves instead of influences (i.e. Society, prejudices, the guy who tried to assault Marisa).

It's a little annoying, however, that the two main characters seem to have very few hobbies (maybe it's just that the author fails to elaborate properly). They like to listen to music and sing. Okay...that's maybe a few hours of one day. What do they do for the other 21 hours? Other than have sex, which is described occasionally in great detail (primarily when they both lose their virginity; slightly cringe-worthy), other times just implied. It seems like the pair just eat extravagant meals and buy each other nice presents. All day long.

All in all, it's a very book. Not quite trashy enough for a summer read, but not close enough to the Phantom of the Opera story we all known and love to really take too seriously. But, it's light hearted and sometimes dark, a good blend. But, most importantly, it allows fans (phans) to a world where Erik and Christine get to, finally, live happily ever after. None of that Raoul business.

I've read this novel at least 6 times. How can one not fall head over heels in love with dear, anguished, brilliant, reclusive Erik--surely one of the most compelling protagonists in romantic fiction? How can one not share the joy and happiness that he finds with Marisa?

Interestingly, there is a secondary plotline, another romance, that is also touching and satisfying. Another wounded man,another loving and nurturing woman (older this time).

This is an update of Phantom of the Opera--for all those Beauty/Beast-Phantom/Christine aficionados--and it works beautifully.

Erik proves that beauty is something that goes far beyond the superficial. Marisa shows that true love sees beyond the exterior.

Do yourself a favor: Read this novel. : )

*Mir*

"Night Magic" is a modern Phantom-like tale set in Connecticut during the years of 1968-1987. In this story, Erik D'Anton is a wealthy, talented architect and musician who lives in seclusion due to a severe facial disfigurement. Rather than a birth defect, Erik's deformity was caused by a tragic traffic accident which robbed him of both of his parents and any chance of having a normal life. Erik is now 31 years old, but very childlike in his vulnerability and loneliness. His life changes completely when 16 year-old Marisa Crane, the daughter of a business client, enters his life.

I really liked this sweet, romantic book. Other reviewers have commented negatively on the age difference between Erik and Marisa, saying that he took advantage of her. It seems to me, that because of Erik's fragile emotional state and insecurity, in many ways, Marisa was much more mature than he. She was headstrong, independent, and determined to have him. She pursued him until he finally let down his guard and allowed her into his world, always fearing that she would ultimately reject him. This quotation from "Night Magic" describes Erik's emotional fragility quite well: "And there was never anyone who deserved less to be hurt...never anyone less equipped to handle the pain."

This is another one of those books I read in one sitting, and then immediately re-read. It is an interesting take on "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Phantom of the Opera" (which in my opinion is a BATB variation). Seventeen-year old Marisa is instantly attracted to Erik D'Anton, an older reclusive genius. Their mutual attraction quickly evolves into love. Erik's personality has been shaped by the trauma of his past. As a child, Erik survived the automobile accident that killed both of his parents, leaving his face terribly scarred. He has suffered through many surgeries, most notably a series of skin grafts on his face which resulted in a patch-work of varying textures and hues, and without much of his nose. Because of this, he wears a mask, talks in a whisper and prefers the dark or shadows in an attempt avoid drawing the attention of a cruel world. The aunt that ended up raising him was a cold unfeeling woman, who thoughtlessly kept him away from the only person who seemed to care for him, the family chauffer, and sends him off to boarding school where he is tormented by his school-mates. Marisa sees beyond his deformities and feels that although she is 15 years his junior, she can make him happy, if she can get past his defenses. "Night Magic" takes us from their first encounter in 1967 up thru 1987, the first 20 years of their relationship (the book has a 1989 copyright).

Erik and Marisa, along with Kitty (Marisa's best friend and surrogate step-mother) and Raskin (Erik's personal assistant/business associate) are likeable characters, although all 4 of them are "damaged" in some way. Raskin is a Vietnam War vet with a criminal record who has had encounters with numerous women, but never with the same one twice. Kitty, as well as Marisa, has to deal with the shock and repercussions of the untimely death of Marisa's father. In spite of their problems, I liked them, wanted to know them, and grew to care about what happened to them. I truly enjoyed this book, and would have liked a few more chapters, although the story has a very satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance, POTO or BATB.