Product Description

Chance had ruled Marty Strauss' life for as long as he could remember. Now at last luck was turning his way. Parolled from prison, he becomes bodyguard to Joseph Whitehead, one of the richest men in Europe. But Whitehead has also played with chance - an ancient game which gave him vast power and wealth, in exchange for his immortal soul. Now the forces he played against are back to claim what's theirs. Terryifying forces, with the power to raise the dead; and Marty is trapped between his human masters and Hell itself, with just one last, desperate game left to play.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #154073 in Books
• Published on: 1988-01-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 532 pages

Review
'Touches of sheer brillance throughout' - James Herbert

The American publication of the first novel (of two to date) by the Britisher whom Stephen King calls "the future of the horror genre." That accolade sings the truth of Barker's two imaginative, soul-ripping American story collections, In the Flesh and The Inhuman Condition; but this unwieldy, overplayed novel indicates that Barker's forte may be the short story, after all. Barker has set horror fiction aflame with his liberal use of sex and gore - and this novel is no exception. In a surrealistic prologue to the main action, a gambler/thief wanders through war-ravaged 1945 Warsaw, encountering mutilations and sexual atrocities before he reaches his destination, a game of cards with a mysterious figure. Cut to present-day Britain: Marty Strauss, imprisoned thief, is granted conditional parole; he must serve as bodyguard for reclusive billionaire Joseph Whitehead. At the tycoon's rural estate, Marty witnesses a train of bizarre occurrences: Whitehead's mortal terror of intruders; attack dogs savaging a man who glows with unearthly energy; the subsequent massacre of the dogs, who come back to life as canine zombies; the erratic, drug-based behavior of Whitehead's daughter, Carys, with whom Marty has a sexy, graphically depicted affair. Meanwhile, through chapters set in London, Barker introduces Breer "the Razor-Eater" (he does, too) and his lord, Mamoulian, the mysterious cardplayer from Warsaw, a fantastic, demonesque figure who lives life vicariously and telepathically through Whitehead. Seems that Whitehead's success is due to Mamoulian's devilish blessing; now Whitehead has spurned his benefactor, and Mamoulian wants revenge. And revenge he takes, in a series of gruesome scenes involving tortures and slashings and sexual perversions, maggots and shuffling beasts and slimy things - the whole panoply of supernatural grand guignol. This frightening novel boasts Barker's usual scalpel-clean prose and wild inventiveness. But lacking the formal control dictated by the story form, here Barker appears as a naughty boy hidden in a giant candy store, stuffing himself on nasty, offensive sweets. This study in excess may win Barker new readers, but not a better reputation. (Kirkus Reviews)

Synopsis
Chance had ruled Marty Strauss' life for as long as he could remember. Now at last luck was turning his way. Parolled from prison, he becomes bodyguard to Joseph Whitehead, one of the richest men in Europe. But Whitehead has also played with chance - an ancient game which gave him vast power and wealth, in exchange for his immortal soul. Now the forces he played against are back to claim what's theirs. Terryifying forces, with the power to raise the dead; and Marty is trapped between his human masters and Hell itself, with just one last, desperate game left to play.

About the Author
Born in Liverpool in 1952, Clive Barker writes, directs and produces for the screen. His films include Hellraiser and Nightbreed.

Customer Reviews

Place your bets…
Clive Barker’s debut full length novel tells the story of a prison inmate paroled to act as a bodyguard to a millionaire who entered into a Faustian pact in his youth, and now finds himself under attack from demonic forces. Following on from his brilliant Books of Blood short stories Barker doesn’t quite master the transition to novelist with this first attempt, as while the novel boasts a fantastic climax it also contains a great deal of meandering build-up during the earlier stages. The theme of the addiction of gambling is interesting, though the relationship between millionaire Joseph Whitehead and his nemesis Mamoulian is too often vague and unclear, with both characters motivations seemingly wavering throughout the book. At it’s best The Damnation Game provides some exotic horrors and fantastic weirdness, with oddly it’s most successful character being a Frankenstein’s monster-like creature who, despite being a child killing zombie, manages to elicit the readers sympathy just by his dogged refusal to die. Perhaps inevitably as a first novel The Damnation Game is a little uneven, but this is still a very impressive debut.

Classic
Fifth Barker novel I read, so you can tell I am a fan of his work! BUT - The Damnation Game...well, its a tricky one. Like all of Barker's writing, it has you thinking about how he conjures up such images, ou really wonder how his mind works. One problem though: I found this book pretty hard to get into at first, obviously you get used to it but either way, it was difficult. Also, the story line is quite unusal. Unusual in the way that it isn't so much horror but more of a soap.
In conclusion, it could have been better but still, gve it a try!!!

the first chapter is great rest of its drab
The first part if the book which fills approximately 21 pages of pure stomach churning fiction and suspense made me read the book beggining end on end, but the book veers off line after it. The scenario is hands down mouth watering for the real black marketeers out there on the books first section. As I say the begining is the gospel to pure genuis, but it does not last long enough.