The Damnation Game by Clive Barker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


World War II has cast its long shadow of destruction across Europe. In the aftermath of the conflict Warsaw, Poland is little more than a ruin. Death and despair are all that remain here, even for the victors. Yet, while it seems that no one can escape this inevitability, one man defies the odds, doing quite well for himself not so much in spite of the odds, but because of them. Here, our nameless thief plies his trade, profiting from the confusion and despair proliferated by the war. But what can Warsaw offer him now? He knows he should leave, but rumors of a card player have reached his ears; a card player who never loses. Unable to resist the temptation the thief decides to seek out this man, and put his luck to the test.

Jumping ahead to the present we meet the character of Joseph Whitehead, an eccentric millionaire sequestered in his estate, fearful of some phantom threat that he believes to be coming for him. It seems that in spite of his wealth and the seemingly supernatural luck which has brought it to him, there is a certain debt that must be paid -- a debt from which there is no escape.

It's no surprise that a game or a puzzle would open the door to some strange new world in one of Barker's works. In The Damnation Game we are led to believe that a card game, of which the stakes are of the highest order, is the catalyst which has propelled its winner through a life of success and prosperity, but it is not until much later in the novel that we truly begin to understand what has happened. Who is the mysterious card player who now haunts Joseph's steps, seeking his due? Is he a man, or is he the Devil himself? Barker does not seek to hide the Faustian influence here, but instead leads us with it, coloring our conceptions by playing with common knowledge before ultimately revealing his hand and showing us something of his own.

The Damnation Game is expertly written, well paced, and full of intrigue. None of our main characters are innocent, each flawed in their own way; some endearingly so, others to the tune of something more horrific. Yet, even the true horrors at times reveal their humanity, their complexity ultimately making them all the more interesting. There is no shortage of horrors upon the stage these characters inhabit, either. From nightmarish visions to the living dead; existential dread, and the looming concept of damnation itself; there is much to appreciate, and while I did not always find myself afraid, there was no denying the gruesomeness of it.

It should go without saying that this is not light reading material. The Damnation Game is a novel that requires the reader to think. While the plot does become clear by the end, the theme and motivation of its characters do at times require some thought to understand. That said, I think it is an excellent novel, and definitely worth reading for those who can appreciate Barker's particular brand of horror.



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