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Night Magic
"In "Night Magic", Charlotte Vale Allen rewrites "The Phantom of the Opera" and sets it in a Connecticut suburb".--"New York Post".
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
14 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Vale Allen
59 books40 followersCharlotte Vale-Allen was born in Toronto and lived in England from 1961 to 1964 where she worked as a television actress and singer. She returned to Toronto briefly, performing as a singer and in cabaret revues until she emigrated to the United States in 1966.
Shortly after her marriage to Walter Allen in 1970 she began writing and sold her first novel Love Life in 1974. Prior to this book's publication she contracted to do a series of paperback originals for Warner Books, with the result that in 1976 three of her books appeared in print.
Her autobiography, the acclaimed Daddy's Girl, was actually the first book she wrote but in 1971 it was deemed too controversial by the editors who read it. It wasn't until 1980, after she'd gained success as a novelist, that the groundbreaking book was finally published.
One of Canada's most successful novelists, with over seven million copies sold of her 30+ novels, Ms. Allen's books have been published in all English-speaking countries, in Braille, and have been translated into more than 20 languages.
In her writing she tries to deal with issues confronting women, being informative while at the same time offering a measure of optimism. "My strongest ability as a writer is to make women real, to take you inside their heads and let you know how they feel, and to make you care about them."
A film buff and an amateur photographer, Allen enjoys foreign travel. She finds cooking and needlework therapeutic, and is a compulsive player of computer Solitaire. The mother of an adult daughter, since 1970 she has made her home in Connecticut.
Shortly after her marriage to Walter Allen in 1970 she began writing and sold her first novel Love Life in 1974. Prior to this book's publication she contracted to do a series of paperback originals for Warner Books, with the result that in 1976 three of her books appeared in print.
Her autobiography, the acclaimed Daddy's Girl, was actually the first book she wrote but in 1971 it was deemed too controversial by the editors who read it. It wasn't until 1980, after she'd gained success as a novelist, that the groundbreaking book was finally published.
One of Canada's most successful novelists, with over seven million copies sold of her 30+ novels, Ms. Allen's books have been published in all English-speaking countries, in Braille, and have been translated into more than 20 languages.
In her writing she tries to deal with issues confronting women, being informative while at the same time offering a measure of optimism. "My strongest ability as a writer is to make women real, to take you inside their heads and let you know how they feel, and to make you care about them."
A film buff and an amateur photographer, Allen enjoys foreign travel. She finds cooking and needlework therapeutic, and is a compulsive player of computer Solitaire. The mother of an adult daughter, since 1970 she has made her home in Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
July 19, 2012
I don't remember what made me think of this book again, but I used to love it in middle school. Looking back on it as an adult, I realize that (a.) it's awful, (b.) it's creepy, and (c.) it encourages some terrible, terrible behavior vis-a-vis romantic relationships. Between this, V.C. Andrews, and Robert Heinlein, it's no wonder I had some seriously suspect ideas about relationship norms. Let's just that say I didn't see any freaking rainbows when I lost my virginity, but maybe it's because I wasn't with a man twice my age.
June 21, 2014
The author stated this book would reflect the Phantom of the Opera/Beauty and the Beast story that I hold so dear to my heart. The basic premise does include some Phantom-esque dynamics, but the story quickly fails to keep up with the heart of the original story. First of all, I bothered me to no end that she would keep the name of the main character, Erik, but change the name of his love interest to something other than Christine. It just felt wrong, the entire time. We first meet Marisa when she is 16, and the book develops some rather heavy Lolita references that carry through to the very end. The author including love scenes between a 16 year old and 30+ man just felt icky. The characters never really developed or matured through the novel. Marisa never seems to age much past 16. She and Erik are immature, selfish and contemplate suicide far too often for rational people. The book lacks a plot for the most part. The author will also jump years between paragraphs, which gets annoying after a while. The "climax" of the book is heavily reminiscent of Lolita as well. By the end, I was so disgusted with the characters that was glad the book was over and I didn't have to read about them anymore. A poor example of Phantom inspired fiction.
April 24, 2007
The quotes at the beginning of this book are from The Phantom of the Opera and
Beauty and the Beast
. Serving as the inspiration, the story follows a young woman (16-35 years old) as she falls in love with an older, disfigured, man.
The man was 7 when his parents were killed in a horrible accident. Even after years of surgeries and grafts, his face is still unpresentable. He grows up in boarding school, goes to college, and starts a career as an architect. He tries to operate with as little contact with the outside world as possible. He hires an engineer with a past to be his contact.
When a man he would consider a friend/mentor asks him to redesign his house, he meets the 16 year old daughter of his mentor. Instead of being disgusted, she falls in love. He's obsessed, as well. He tries to forget her, but can't.
A relationship develops between the two. Not as bad as one might think, considering the man, even though he's almost twice the girl's age, has had little contact with the world. They're both innocents, really.
The mentor dies. On the girl's 18th birthday, they marry. The man and his engineer friend teach her how to be a draftsman and she takes over the public face of the business.
She never really grows up, however, protected in their little world. She struggles with wanting a child. The man doesn't want to bring someone into the world to face what he has. He's also terrified that the child will be afraid of him.
It's not until the girl, now a woman, witnesses a suicide, ends up in a compromising position, and runs away from home that the man realizes what he's jeopardized all these years by rejecting a family of his own.
Touching story. Okay, maybe a bit emotional, but I like that now and then.
The man was 7 when his parents were killed in a horrible accident. Even after years of surgeries and grafts, his face is still unpresentable. He grows up in boarding school, goes to college, and starts a career as an architect. He tries to operate with as little contact with the outside world as possible. He hires an engineer with a past to be his contact.
When a man he would consider a friend/mentor asks him to redesign his house, he meets the 16 year old daughter of his mentor. Instead of being disgusted, she falls in love. He's obsessed, as well. He tries to forget her, but can't.
A relationship develops between the two. Not as bad as one might think, considering the man, even though he's almost twice the girl's age, has had little contact with the world. They're both innocents, really.
The mentor dies. On the girl's 18th birthday, they marry. The man and his engineer friend teach her how to be a draftsman and she takes over the public face of the business.
She never really grows up, however, protected in their little world. She struggles with wanting a child. The man doesn't want to bring someone into the world to face what he has. He's also terrified that the child will be afraid of him.
It's not until the girl, now a woman, witnesses a suicide, ends up in a compromising position, and runs away from home that the man realizes what he's jeopardized all these years by rejecting a family of his own.
Touching story. Okay, maybe a bit emotional, but I like that now and then.
August 24, 2013
I fell in love with this book when I was in high school; the phantom-vibe of it totally won me over, and I count it as one of my favorite books of ALL TIME. However, the book definitely has some major flaws and sticking plot points that make for a terrible read.
Once the hero and heroine are together, there seems to be no driving catalyst to keep the story going. They're together, they're wealthy, they have great friends--the end. Or, at least, it should have been... Valiantly though, Vale Allen trudges on...like 200 pages on...and the reader is treated to the problems bored socialites have when they have too much money and not enough sense. Oh, and randomly enough,we are also informed of various methods of birth control and their horrid, strange side effects... Trust me, by the end of the novel, you will be rooting for sterility for both the hero and the heroine.
They should NOT reproduce!
But ultimately, if you're looking for a modern retelling of PoTO, Night Magic may suit the bill...but honestly, there is much better FanFiction out there you can get your hands on for free ;D
xxkattiaxx
Once the hero and heroine are together, there seems to be no driving catalyst to keep the story going. They're together, they're wealthy, they have great friends--the end. Or, at least, it should have been... Valiantly though, Vale Allen trudges on...like 200 pages on...and the reader is treated to the problems bored socialites have when they have too much money and not enough sense. Oh, and randomly enough,we are also informed of various methods of birth control and their horrid, strange side effects... Trust me, by the end of the novel, you will be rooting for sterility for both the hero and the heroine.
They should NOT reproduce!
But ultimately, if you're looking for a modern retelling of PoTO, Night Magic may suit the bill...but honestly, there is much better FanFiction out there you can get your hands on for free ;D
xxkattiaxx
April 28, 2009
I first read this book back in 1990, back when I first got into the story of the Phantom of the Opera. It's a modern retelling of the story that features Erik D'Anton a brilliant architect and musician who was disfigured in a horrible car accident at the age of 7 and Marisa, the young woman who falls in love with him. Both have to fight their own demons throughout the book in order to make everything work out between them. It's a well-written book with some interesting twists and turns. I definitely recommend it!
August 14, 2007
Horrible dribble. Only to be read when you're feeling brain dead. oh I rhymed!
July 30, 2011
Not as good as many of her books. A take-off on Phantom of the Opera. Main character is arrested developmentally due to event in early childhood. A bit too clingy for my liking.
August 18, 2016
The quintessential 1980s vanity story. Especially when you see the 'postcards' to send to the author at the end of the book saying how much you liked it. I have never seen such an ego-trip in a book since.
It reads more like a high school writing project than any sort of better-written novel. The two main characters are written in a way that is very shallow considering that a publisher approved this book to print. Erik and Marisa are not very given to maturing in this book. It might be loosely-based on 'The Phantom of the Opera' and, boy, is it LOOSE. Marisa is baldly childish at every stage of life the author writes her at. It was hard to believe that she did not 'grow up' in the course of her marriage to her disfigured, child-raping husband, Erik. I say that because of his willingly having sex with an underage girl and we are supposed to like that fact. Even when he 'gallantly' marries his child-bride at 18 while he is in his 30s. Her petulant episodes continue as she 'grows' into womanhood. She, ultimately, emerges as a rich and entitled wife/spoiled brat with a wavering conscience about her actions and her effect on others. Erik, in the meantime, is so one-note in personality that it is hard to have sympathy for him past the first third of the novel. The story delves into the predictable angst of wanting a baby, looking at other people, and the second-string affair between Erik's male go-fer and Marisa's matronly caretaker. This is very well-trod ground that Danielle Steele and Erica Jong have written far better [and more enduringly].
I read this book back when it was first printed and my recollection of it was hazy. Now I see- once again- why that was. 'Night Magic' is meant to be forgotten.
It reads more like a high school writing project than any sort of better-written novel. The two main characters are written in a way that is very shallow considering that a publisher approved this book to print. Erik and Marisa are not very given to maturing in this book. It might be loosely-based on 'The Phantom of the Opera' and, boy, is it LOOSE. Marisa is baldly childish at every stage of life the author writes her at. It was hard to believe that she did not 'grow up' in the course of her marriage to her disfigured, child-raping husband, Erik. I say that because of his willingly having sex with an underage girl and we are supposed to like that fact. Even when he 'gallantly' marries his child-bride at 18 while he is in his 30s. Her petulant episodes continue as she 'grows' into womanhood. She, ultimately, emerges as a rich and entitled wife/spoiled brat with a wavering conscience about her actions and her effect on others. Erik, in the meantime, is so one-note in personality that it is hard to have sympathy for him past the first third of the novel. The story delves into the predictable angst of wanting a baby, looking at other people, and the second-string affair between Erik's male go-fer and Marisa's matronly caretaker. This is very well-trod ground that Danielle Steele and Erica Jong have written far better [and more enduringly].
I read this book back when it was first printed and my recollection of it was hazy. Now I see- once again- why that was. 'Night Magic' is meant to be forgotten.
July 25, 2018
This was such a wonderful, beautifully written beauty and the beast story. It's about a beautiful girl and a horribly scarred older man. Marissa is 16, Erik is 31. While on its face this age difference does not sit well with people, as the story progresses, it becomes clearer about the dynamics between these two people. Marissa is strong-willed young lady who knows her own mind. Erik, because of the tragedies that left him scarred at a young age, he is a socially inept recluse and mentally crippled by the tragic circumstances that shaped his life. This story has some very heart-wrenching chapters in it, not only for Erik, but for his only friend/employee, Rastan. I give it 5++++++++ stars. It is really worth reading and, I want to read it again and again. One of the best beauty and the beast stories I've ever read.
February 10, 2010
Right, so at first one I had finished this book I HATED it. I mean, it seemed so unrealistic and far-fetched and some of the stuff was just plain stupid (and it still is). But after thinking about it, all in all it was an OK read, despite the wacky story-line.
It follows the life of Marisa (who is pretty much Christine) from when she first meets Erik when she is 17 to when she is around 35.
It follows the ups and downs of their life both before and after they are married.
I love The Phantom of the Opera and this is the first modern re-telling I have read so I suppose it is alright.
The one major thing is that music doesn't really play a huge part in the story.
It didn't take me long to read though, so that is a bonus.
It follows the life of Marisa (who is pretty much Christine) from when she first meets Erik when she is 17 to when she is around 35.
It follows the ups and downs of their life both before and after they are married.
I love The Phantom of the Opera and this is the first modern re-telling I have read so I suppose it is alright.
The one major thing is that music doesn't really play a huge part in the story.
It didn't take me long to read though, so that is a bonus.
December 12, 2008
Very sweet, perhaps not something I would like to reread, but the characters are both very flawed (I very much disliked the heroine, but still enjoyed reading). It is nice to read a romance novel that deals with an actual marriage and life and compromises.
November 26, 2019
It's weird, y'all.
My favorite part was when Christine and Erik argued about birth control!
Wait, is that a spoiler?
Whatever
My favorite part was when Christine and Erik argued about birth control!
Wait, is that a spoiler?
Whatever
September 15, 2022
It lost me when neither her housekeeper nor her father had an issues with a grown 31 year old man, shtupping a sixteen year old. I could go along with Erik himself not seeing it because of his trauma and keeping himself out of the world because of his disfigurement so I could buy his emotional stunting. But the other adults around Marisa being totally okay with it because 'You know your own mind' etc etc. Um. No. There should have been an uproar, the father should have kept them apart and then when Marisa was AN ADULT, the love story should have started then. A missed opportunity for a perfect book because it really was beautifully written.
September 9, 2024
I liked this book and the characters in it. This is an insta love story but with a relevant amount of angst in it. I found the story to be more character driven than plot, and whilst the middle did sag, I enjoyed the time leaps; it made me feel like I’d been watching them grow through the times they’ve first met, fallen in love and navigating through life’s highs and lows. The love between these two were beautiful. This book is a lovely, nostalgic read for me. 10 years later it still tugs at my heartstring and takes me back to the rainy day in my bedroom, with the rain pouring outside and my nose buried in the story, all those years back.
May 28, 2019
Night Magic
It's very well written book astounding really. You get drawn into the mystical world of Eric D'Anton. Thoroughly well written. I enjoyed every minute of it.
It's very well written book astounding really. You get drawn into the mystical world of Eric D'Anton. Thoroughly well written. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Read
March 16, 2021Oh this was bad.
July 25, 2017
What a disappointment! The book I had been looking forward to since last summer turned out to be a horrible joke of a novel. At first, I was astounded as to why it was so hard to find a copy of this book. I now know why, it is awful.
Night Magic reads like a poorly constructed fanfiction of The Phantom of the Opera. I do enjoy a good piece of fanfiction now and again, however, I do not believe that fanfiction should be on the same wavelength as a published novel. Night Magic was also supposed to include elements of Beauty and the Beast. After finishing the book, the only thing that remotely resembles Beauty and the Beast in this novel is Erik’s deformity.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t stand the main characters. Erik is a whiny insecure man, who is so overcome with loathing for his own face that he refuses to believe that anyone loves him or cares about him. Meanwhile, Marisa is a selfish womanchild who refuses to grow up. Most of the book is dedicated to her tantrums. If there is one thing that I dislike when reading a novel it is unlikeable characters. Throughout the book, Erik and Marisa neither evolve nor come to some sort of understanding about themselves or the world. Really, it was a waste of time. Night Magic sucks all the magic out of the story which it is loosely based on.
Erik and Marisa’s relationship throughout the book was, in a word, creepy. Marisa, at the start of the novel is sixteen years old. Meanwhile, Erik is thirty-two. Their relationship quickly progresses from friendship to a romantic relationship. The age difference was just too strange to be taken seriously. I ended up skimming over most of the romantic scenes between Erik and Marisa which are in abundance at the beginning of the book.
After Marisa and Erik begin to develop their relationship, it feels as if the author ran out of steam. It was as if she were bored with the characters she developed. She then turns to the secondary characters in the novel and explores their romantic tension. The subsequent time lapses also made the book feel very rushed and haphazardly sewn together. Even the conclusion felt as if it lacked lustre. I couldn’t wait for this book to end.
I wish I could be more positive about this book, but I was thoroughly disappointed with it. My only positive criticism about this novel is Charlotte Vale Allen’s writing. She is a decent writer in spite of her subject matter. Perhaps I would have abandoned this book completely if it weren’t for her writing skills.
Night Magic reads like a poorly constructed fanfiction of The Phantom of the Opera. I do enjoy a good piece of fanfiction now and again, however, I do not believe that fanfiction should be on the same wavelength as a published novel. Night Magic was also supposed to include elements of Beauty and the Beast. After finishing the book, the only thing that remotely resembles Beauty and the Beast in this novel is Erik’s deformity.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t stand the main characters. Erik is a whiny insecure man, who is so overcome with loathing for his own face that he refuses to believe that anyone loves him or cares about him. Meanwhile, Marisa is a selfish womanchild who refuses to grow up. Most of the book is dedicated to her tantrums. If there is one thing that I dislike when reading a novel it is unlikeable characters. Throughout the book, Erik and Marisa neither evolve nor come to some sort of understanding about themselves or the world. Really, it was a waste of time. Night Magic sucks all the magic out of the story which it is loosely based on.
Erik and Marisa’s relationship throughout the book was, in a word, creepy. Marisa, at the start of the novel is sixteen years old. Meanwhile, Erik is thirty-two. Their relationship quickly progresses from friendship to a romantic relationship. The age difference was just too strange to be taken seriously. I ended up skimming over most of the romantic scenes between Erik and Marisa which are in abundance at the beginning of the book.
After Marisa and Erik begin to develop their relationship, it feels as if the author ran out of steam. It was as if she were bored with the characters she developed. She then turns to the secondary characters in the novel and explores their romantic tension. The subsequent time lapses also made the book feel very rushed and haphazardly sewn together. Even the conclusion felt as if it lacked lustre. I couldn’t wait for this book to end.
I wish I could be more positive about this book, but I was thoroughly disappointed with it. My only positive criticism about this novel is Charlotte Vale Allen’s writing. She is a decent writer in spite of her subject matter. Perhaps I would have abandoned this book completely if it weren’t for her writing skills.
January 14, 2013
NO SPOILERS: A REVIEW SHOULD NOT TELL THE STORY! THAT'S WHY YOU READ THE BOOK. A "modern" version of Phantom of the Opera (set in the 80's, a time of records, cassette tape decks, and no cell phones). Better than I expected. LOVED the characters, especially "The Phantom." Bravo to Charlotte Vale Allen; he is graphically, grotesquely disfigured, yet I was instantly in love/lust with him. Pretty steamy with minimal tacky or ridiculous descriptions (for the most part). If you're looking for more Phantom romance, this novel delivers. You have to just get through the first few tedious pages before the story starts. Also, cigarettes and ashtrays are frequently mentioned.
August 22, 2013
I've had this book for over 10 years. I read it once a year. I love it for the nostalgia of it, but it does have some troublesome topics and the vernacular used makes it a little creepy. This book speaks to a very dark deep part of me that revels in taboo topics. It's not the best, and it doesn't age well because of the topics at hand, but it's a book I read because I love the characters and the overall story.
June 27, 2007
A rather well done modern Phantom of the Opera related novel. It was probably the third one that I managed to hunt down. Very much in the romance catagory which I normally don't like but I have to admit, the idea of Erik can draw me in to almost anything.
May 12, 2008
I love this author's books. Great read.
Back Cover Blurb:
The story of a sensitive young girl who falls in love with a brilliant older man who is scarred both physically and emotionally. It really is an engrossing, touching novel.
Back Cover Blurb:
The story of a sensitive young girl who falls in love with a brilliant older man who is scarred both physically and emotionally. It really is an engrossing, touching novel.
January 7, 2010
Phantom of the Operaesque, in a more modern setting. Although a bit silly and unrealistic, this book is nevertheless engrossing and enchanting. It is one of the very few books that I have read more than once.
October 15, 2010
Ich hätte die ersten Seite nicht einfach überfliegen sollen. Dann hätte ich nämlich mitbekommen, dass Marisa in den folgenden Kapiteln nicht 13, sondern 16 Jahre alt ist. So hatte ich aber meine Probleme mit dem Beginn der Liebesgeschichte. Später war der erste Eindruck schwer abzuschütteln.
March 18, 2010
I read this probably 15 years ago and I need to read it again. Since my favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast....I loved this book which is a retelling of the fairy tale mixed with a Phantom of the Opera kind of twist too....I remember just LOVING this book....
July 20, 2010
This was a hard book to get through as I kept not liking where the story was headed. So I would stop reading it for a while and read a different book. When I finally managed to get to the end I was a bit disappointed at the abrupt ending, wanted more.
August 25, 2011
POTO-like story set in the 1960s-1980s. Which makes the 32 year old man sneaking off to have sex with the 16/17 year old really really creepy. And then they get married when she's 18 and then...nothing happens for the rest of the book. What??
October 30, 2016
I stumbled upon this in teh plugs on my GoodReads page, and remembered I'd read this book years ago. It's a phantom of the Opera tribute, and while the story isn't life-changing here, I still remember it with affection.
March 30, 2008
LOVED this book! LOVED IT!
February 1, 2009
Love this story
August 25, 2009
I love this book. It reminds me, in a way, of Phantom of the Opera. I've read it several timesm and it's always good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews