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Title: Damage by Josephine Hart ISBN: 0-449-91188-8 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 01 September, 1996 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.19 (32 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Passion without restraint- and its consequences
Comment: Hart manages to do what few authors can-- make a central character capable of drawing disgust and sympathy from the audience at the same time. _Damage_ is reminiscent to me of _Lolita_ and the middle-aged MP is quite similar to Nabokov's Humbert Humbert (small wonder that Jeremy Irons was selected to play both men on film).
The plot is something like this: Stephen Fleming is a bored, stuffed-shirt politician. He is smart and successful with a loving family but he is slowly smothering from his life of routine. When Anna Barton comes along, he is drawn in by how different she is. Anna and Stephen begin a passionate affair quickly and it escalates with even more rapidity. They take more and more risks until finally, Martyn, Anna's fiance and Stephen's son, catches them. Obviously, the game is over and the characters disperse. Anna returns to the only person who can truly comfort her in times of crisis and Stephen loses the outwardly perfect life he once had.
For the most part, this novel kept my undivided attention. I was able to finish it quickly and have read it several times since. Though other novels that deal with forbidden love have been recommended to me, I have not found any that I enjoy quite as much as _Damage_. True, the prose is sparse though not "joined-up" as one reviewer quipped. I am not put off by minimalism in literature or art so I found the unencumbered text to be refreshing. Others will disagree and wish Hart had provided more, but I think all of the necessary details are included with style.
Rating: 5
Summary: Gloomy, Erotic
Comment: "Damage" was another book I bought on a whim because it was on sale. I didn't have a clue about the plot since there wasn't a synopsis on the back and most of the reviews inside were pretty vague.
To begin with, "Damage" is a pretty small book (218 pages) with short chapters and spare writing. Most people will be able to read it in one day if you have nothing else to do.
The book is told in the first person by Stephen Fleming who is a middle-aged politician in British parliament. He leads a very safe, boring life with his beautiful wife Ingrid and two adult children, Martyn and Sally. Everything changes though when he meets his son's new girlfriend, Anna Barton, at a party. His attraction to her is immediate and overpowering. Their affair begins after a few family get-togethers when Anna calls out of the blue and they make arrangements to meet at her place.
From the beginning, you know the relationship won't go any further than the bedroom (if they make it that far), but you get swept away anyways in Stephen's loss of control and growing obsession. Anna seems to remain a mystery, however, even after she confesses the strange death of her brother, who had killed himself years ago because he couldn't have her.
The ending, of course, is tragic and depressing when Stephen and Anna's affair is discovered. The darkness of the book might be a little too much for some, but if you like gloomy, erotic novels, I highly recommend you read "Damage".
Obviously, there are some sex scenes in the book, but they're not raunchy or overly descriptive. The movie scenes, however, are much more graphic than the book's, especially if you see the unrated version of "Damage". So, if you're highly offended by incest and adultery, you probably should just skip this one.
"Damage" was made into a movie in 1992 (aka "Fatale"), starring Jeremy Irons as Stephen Fleming (who I thought was perfect for the part, especially if you've seen him in "Lolita") and Juliette Binoche as Anna Barton. Although the movie follows the same structure of the book, I still didn't think the movie was that good, despite the several other great actors and actresses (Rupert Graves, Miranda Richardson). I can't pinpoint what I didn't like about it; I just didn't care for it. I certainly wouldn't recommend the movie unless you're really into the book or a fan of one of the above actors or actresses. Stick to the book instead.
Rating: 5
Summary: An unfogettable tale of love and lusty obcession
Comment: Impossible to put down at times and truly unforgettable! A definate must read!
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Title: The Stillest Day by Josephine Hart ISBN: 0879517271 Publisher: Overlook Press Pub. Date: 01 April, 2000 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Reconstructionist by Josephine Hart ISBN: 1585673226 Publisher: Overlook Press Pub. Date: 26 November, 2002 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Oblivion by Josephine Hart ISBN: 0670866121 Publisher: Penguin USA Pub. Date: 01 September, 1995 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title:Damage ASIN: 630516195X Publisher: New Line Home Entertainment Pub. Date: 17 November, 1998 List Price(USD): $24.98 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $22.48 |
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Title: Making Love: A Romance by Lucretia Stewart ISBN: 0299199207 Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press Pub. Date: 15 April, 2004 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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