The Damnation Game
by Clive Barker
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Book Summary Information
Author: Clive BarkerEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-11-05
ISBN: 0425188930
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Berkley
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780425188934
- Condition: USED - Very Good
- Notes: 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Damnation Game
Book Review: Clive Barker explores the idea that there are things worse than death
Summary: 5 Stars
Like many people I checked out Clive Barker because Stephen King had said "I have seen the future of the horror genre, and its is named Clive Barker." That was a good enough recommendation for me, and I picked up "The Damnation Game," which was Barker's first novel. Part One of the novel, "Terra Incognita," takes place in the ruined city of Warsaw during World War II where a thief dares to challenge Mamoulian the Cardplayer, the dark champion of life's darkest and most game. Apparently the game went well for the nameless thief, for when we jump to the "present" in Part Two, "Asylum," we meet millionaire Joseph Whitehead, one of the richest men in Europe, who is now locked up in the fortress he has built himself. Paroled from prison, Marty Strauss becomes Whitehead's bodyguard. Down on his luck for so long that he thinks things are finally breaking his way, but Marty has no idea what he has signed on for with this job. The final key member of the cast is Carys Whitehead, a heroin addict who cares about nothing but staying high and letting daddy foot the bill.
We understand that Whitehead is going to have to pay the piper for his wealth and power, and he has every reason to be terrified of what is going to happen to him when Mamoulian settles all accounts on behalf of his employer. Of course now we can see some foreshadowing of "Hellraiser" in the idea of playing a deadly game, but it would be a mistake to think we are talking about pro-Cenobites in "The Damnation Game." Besides, Marty has more going for him than simply the luck of being the narrative's hero, and that becomes part of the book's final equation. However, ultimately the plot of "The Damnation Game" is simply the framework for Barker to explore the darkest parts of his imagination and whip up memorable little vignettes to keep you up half the night. Your ability to stomach these scenes is going to be key to how much you appreciate this novel ("enjoy" would most definitely be the wrong word in this instance). Fortunately I read fast enough that I did not have a chance to wallow in the really dark parts, but when things get ugly in this book they get really ugly.
Beyond that there are a couple of distancing factors at work in Barker's writing, both of which are made clear in comparison to the works of Stephen King. First, Barker is a better writer in terms of the elegance of his prose, so there he dresses up his horror in much prettier language. Second, King's genius is that he puts his horrors in the every day world in which we live, while Barker has such a fertile imagination that he ended up writing novels that qualify more as fantasy than as horror. Actually, I can add a third point of contrast in that in that with King it is the idea of the story and with Barker it is more the execution of the tale, so to speak. That is why it is so much easier to describe a King novel (e.g., little girl can start fires and the government wants her as a super weapon, possessed car kills people) than a Barker novel (pick a book, any book). In the end I round up on this one because it made such a big impact on me and because it got me hooked on Barker. Given what follows there are few who would consider "The Damnation Game" to be a first-rate Barker novel, but the first descent into the lower depths of hell tends to stick with you. This one certainly did.
Summary of The Damnation Game
A reclusive millionaire makes a deal with the devil. Just another horror tale? Don't bet on it.It's from Clive Barker.
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