Rating: 
Summary: Clive Barker IS THE KING
Review: I'm only on page 28 of this book (chapter 6) and I am thoroughly enjoying every word of it. Clive Barker is one of the best writers of our time. I have never been one for novels but he has caught my eye and my attention. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of his works Books of Blood Vol. 1-3 as well as Hellbound Heart. Clive Barker is THE KING!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Slaps the reader with an unclean hand
Review: One thing is always true about Clive Barker's novels: He will disturb you."The Damnation Game" was my first experience with Barker, and is the first I've decided to read again. The surreal horrors conjured within these pages leaves me breathless. This novel delivers all the terror and stomach-turning prose that made Clive famous. The usual glurge from Stephen King about Barker being "the future of horror" adorns the cover, and King is right on the mark. However, be warned that Barker is NOT the future Stephen King; Barker is too unique to be sold as a contemporary author. This novel features four key characters, and a wide assortment of supporting cast members. We have Mamoulian, also known as the Last European, the central antagonist of this tale. Also enter Joseph Whitehead, the thief, whom we come to know as the wealthy gambler / businessman who acquired his fortune through his MISfortune of dealing with a devil, aka Mamoulian. Martin Strauss, a convict who is living out his parole status on the Whitehead estate, is the newly acquired bodyguard of Whitehead. He is the lead in this tale, and the most likeable character out of a cast of unlikables. Carys, Whitehead's daughter, also lives on the estate, supplied with a never ending stock of heroin to keep her "happy" in Whitehead's home. Mamoulian and Whitehead are old friends... or at least there is honor among these two thieves. Mamoulian is an ages-old gambler, and with a deal of the cards has ensnared Whitehead's soul. Whitehead has been enormously successful over the years since his deal with Mamoulian, but now it is time to settle old debts. Strauss is there for Whitehead's protection, but Strauss is revealed to be a gambler in his own right... Barker makes readers squirm. There is a point in horror where most authors would stop, letting the reader's imagination decide how graphic the terror might be. Barker does not stop. His descriptions of grotesqueries and revolting behavior are unmatched, even among the "new school" of gross-out horror writers. Clive is poetic in his dismembering of mind and body. Clive is capable of making the most innocent aside comment seem like it moves mountains of flesh. The hideous deeds of Mamoulian and his unnatural employee Breer leap off the page and slap the reader with an unclean hand. Barker knows fear and loathing better than most. "The Damnation Game" is very creepy to say the least. Many scenes are calculated for maximum emotional impact upon the reader, even those scenes which don't evoke any horror per se. Most people are brought up to refrain from speaking about certain things (taboos), yet Barker kicks that door aside so brutally and consistently that I can't help but be amazed. This novel is a bit flawed, but the "flaws" play a significant part in the enjoyable experience of this book. Barker, I am convinced, does not share the same realities as the rest of humanity. Barker seems to effortlessly rip away the fabric of reality (most notably in "The Great and Secret Show"), and can throw the reader into a spiral of the bizarre. In "The Damnation Game", Barker uses his slithering imagination to explain the origins of Mamoulian and his supernatural skill for human suffering, but his explanations miss the mark; we do not get a clear picture of what the ancient Mamoulian really is. Terror of the unknown is a long-accepted practice among horror novelists, but since Barker attempted an explanation, the "terror of the unknown" factor gets thrown out the window. What we are left with is an unsatisfactory origin of Mamoulian, forcing me to reduce my overall rating of this book. Barker's anti-reality tendencies come home to roost; since he seems unable to perceive reality as most do, internal cohesion within his stories sometimes suffers. That is the case here. Even without the origins of Mamoulian, I am left awestruck at the manner in which Barker verbally terrorized me. Some people have called Clive poetic in his debauchery; I am inclined to agree with them. This book is not for the faint of heart, but rewards your vigilance should you choose to continue your journey into darkness
Rating: 
Summary: Gore fest
Review: Not a bad story, btu seemed to carry on too long. Every chapter led to anotehr gore fest, which can be interesting, but sorta got redundant after a spell.
Rating: 
Summary: Strong beginning, but fizzles at the end
Review: This book has an excellent premise, but poor execution. There are some great moments, the prolouge and Marty's first encounter with the Last European are classic Barker, however the book waffles and comes to an end without fully explaining some major points in the book. The story's major weakness is it's ambiguity. While I do appreciate that aspect in most literary protagonists, it's simply too much here and the characters are ultimately unsympathetic. Nice effort, but Barker has handled better in other books. Also the reader comes away a descriptive defintion of coprophagia which, please forgive the pun, may not be to everyones taste. The Damnation Game is very good macabre. But the book is all technique and lacks the passion found in Thief of Always and Weaveworld.
Rating:
Summary: Genius...
Review: This is the first book I've read by Barker and definently won't be the last. This was a brilliant modernization and retelling of the timeless Faustian tragedy. Barker's language in much of the novel is extremly hypnotic. Lulling one into an almost headtrip type state. Near the prose of dare I say even Poe. The language is purely amazing; poetic in places and the story is an adrenaline packed rush through much of the book. Barker your a genius and one of my new favorite writers! I strive for your perfection in my poetry. "...and bloody darkness poured from her eyes and mouth..."
Rating: 
Summary: What's really scarey
Review: What's really scarey about this book is that it has generated so many 5-star reviews. The Damnation Game is essentially a lesson in and/or celebration of evil. If your tastes run to the mutilation of humans (especially children) and animals, this book is for you. If you just want gore for gore's sake, you've found what you need. If, perchance, you're not quite that twisted, pass on this one. Call me crazy but I had a hard time feeling any empathy towards the man who feeds heroin to his daughter in order to keep her close. Less still for The Last European who sends his missives to do horrible things to innocent people, revenge in the name of some never explained holy evil. If there had been some kind of actual plot to hang all this together I might have enjoyed this romp in some perverse way, but the book is only a mish-mash of gruesome scenes strung together on cobwebs. It made no sense and in the end all I was left with was a bad taste in my mouth, images of unspeakable cruelty in my head and frustration that I'd wasted precious time reading this excreta.
Rating:
Summary: It Didn't Wow Me, But....
Review: The Damnation Game has sat in my bookcase for a few years, waiting to be read. I picked it up now; having just read Coldheart Canyon, and being really wowed by that, as I was a few years ago with Great and Secret Show. But this work didn't really wow me. The story is good, very good, about a gambler on the run from evil. But it lacks in certain elements to make it a 'thriller' or even more thrilling to read. Joseph Whitehead made his fortune after being touched by evil. His empire is vast, his admirers many, his friends few and far between. Seeking out a new bodyguard, Whitehead employs Martin Strauss, a convict serving the latter half of his sentence. Strauss is only too willing to leave the prison walls for Whitehead's vast estate, on a 'work release program' but soon finds a lot more than he bargained for. Whitehead, a bit of a recluse, has turned his estate into a sort of fortress, hiding from more than just gold-diggers and nosey reporters. Whitehead's assistant, Bill Toy, and daughter, Carys, befriend Strauss, helping him adjust to life on the outside, and life with Joseph Whitehead. Carys, a heroin addict, and willing 'prisoner' of the estate, in order to secure her fixes, becomes a sort of 'love interest' for Marty, as well as a confidante. But before long, Strauss is chasing strange intruders who mysteriously penetrate the outer security fences with no real explanation, and burying horribly murdered guard dogs in the woods. Strange sensations creep into his mind, and his dreams become fevered with dark visions. Is Carys really an innocent victim of a sad addiction? Are the intruding strangers really strangers? And is Whitehead a victim, or merely a debtor trying to avoid his obligation when his creditor has come to collect? Damnation Game is entertaining, full of Barker's twisted imaginings and horrors. But again, it didn't wow me. Marty is a lackluster hero for the story, and Carys an anti-heroine love interest. I never found myself really rooting for either or the two of them as a pair to emerge victorious in their struggles. The debtor that comes to call on Whitehead is justified in his claim, therefore Whitehead is hard to sympathize with as well. Empathy, surely, can be felt for the man, but sympathy is hard earned by the character. The ending of the story, as well, left me a little unsatisfied, and wanting a bit more, or a bit better. For the build-up of malevolence in the 'debtor,' his resolution is a bit weak. While not as much a page-turner as other Clive Barker books, Damnation Game is an entertaining read, especially for Barker fans, as one of his earlier, lesser known works.
Rating:
Summary: one of the best!!!
Review: Truly great. Although I love King, Barker is far superior in nearly everything. The Damnation Game, one of his best, is the story of marty strauss, convict and ex-boxer, hired randomly as the bodygaurd for a very private millionare/ gambler, Joseph Whitehead, who owes a mysterious and frightening debt to a man known only as Mamoulian. Athough he doesn't know it, Marty is hired to protect Whitehead from this Mamoulian, an undefeated gambler. Read this flawless book to find out what happens.
Rating:
Summary: The Horror THE HORROR!!!
Review: great story, stunning audio craftsmanship, chilling 3-D sound effects. Don't listen to this with the lights out! For fans of extreame, psychological and gore horror, this is a must have item!
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT!
Review: This is one of the best barker books around it's got all the great Barker stuff like demonic card games and guys that eat razors blades and a great story that really flows. The Damnation Game IS literally one of the scariest books I've ever read and it kept me up many MANY nights after I read it (well ok I read it when I was 8 years old). I highly reccomend this over any other Barker, at this point. As far as horror writers go Barker is substantially above par. King is a hack, Koontz is a joke, Barker is Awsome.
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