Damage

by Josephine Hart

Book Overview

"Hypnotic." THE BOSTON GLOBE He was a married M.P.with two grown children. On the surface, his life was what he wanted it to be. She was his son's fiancee, a shattered woman who had only known forbidden love. When they meet, their attraction is instantaneous, their obsession complete. And nothing, it seems, can tear them away from each other and their dangerous, damaging, illicit passion.... "Striking." THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679401350
• ISBN13: 9780679401353
• Release Date: March 1991
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
• Length: 195 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.2" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Captures the essence of erotic passion

Damage is a stunning work of fiction which captures the transformative, compelling power of passionate love. Few authors can portray that ellusive state of suspended animation which anticipates catastropic change. Stephen is completely unaware of the banality of existence that he finds himself in; a state neither alive nor dead. When he meets Anna, his perception undergoes a gestalt-type shift and he at once realizes that things can no longer be as they were. Anna's own warning to Stephen - beware damaged people, for they are the ones who survive - sums up the theme of this novel, in which passion is cast in terms of power and actions inevitablely lead to irreversible and tragic consequences. Reading this novel is analogous to watching a car accident: morbid facination prevents you from looking away, ever aware of the compulsion that it could be you at the wheel at that pivitol moment when the illusion of control is shattered.

Dark and Erotic

Ms. Hart knows how to spin a tale from everyday situations. There is the politician - well his settled with his picture perfect family until the arrival of a woman - the woman who his son loves..he falls for her and then begins the destruction...Quoting one of the lines in the book, "damaged people know how to survive". This is the thread of this richly deep poignant tale of love, lust and destruction. I read this book at a stage of depression so I really could not relate to it as it makes you feel all the more vulnerable and bare. This book tells things like it is. Well done Ms. Hart!!

Mirrors aren't the only things which reflect

This is probably my favorite modern novel. What I love and find most disturbing is the emotional struggle that the main character (Stephen Fleming) finds himself in. As a married man, with a beautiful wife who I love immensely, I can appreciate the honesty that Stephen's character portrays. Despite my obvious fortune, I too can see the power another woman can yield. The gamble in itself is intoxicating yet frightful in its consequences. Though I don't know if I would ever give in to the struggle, I can see why Stephen ultimately does. The love he has for his perfect life and family are no match for the obsession he has for Anna. This book is much more than a story of one man's betrayal. It's beauty and value lie in the detail the pages reveal of the struggle itself -- The constant back and forth which engages a mind trying to rationalize and convince itself that it can cheat betrayal's ultimate fate. Even in it's darkness, this is ultimately a love story. And despite it's tragic end, I believe that Stephen comes to find himself.

Gloomy, Erotic

"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.

Passion without restraint- and its consequences

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.