The pathetic gambler is damned as the book begins and his attempts to evade his fate only serve to amplify his already retched existence. Seeming fitting when you consider Whitehead is known as the Thief. Whitehead, his employer, manages to steal the show through much of the novel. Marty Strauss is a captivating character in his own right, but Mr.

That said, the production value of this audiobook is remarkable, and does a great service to one of the best debut novels in the history of the horror genre. I have a ratty, old paperback sitting on my shelf that I read passages from as I listened to this Audible edition, and I got sucked into it well through that experience. The book, of course, resonates right off the page even to this day. It would really boil down to a personal preference for the listener/reader. Would you consider the audio edition of The Damnation Game to be better than the print version? New cover art by: Christian Francis/Awesome Monkey UK

With hope still left to save Carys, Marty Strauss, although reluctant to get involved in the old man Whiteheads deserved punishment, decides to get involved and attempt to save the innocent gifted addict from being another victim to the damnation game. Eventually Whitehead decides to escape his fate after a few encounters with Mamoulian and having his wife, former bodyguard, and now his daughter Carys taken away from him. The job proves more complicated and dangerous than he thought, however, as Marty soon gets caught up in a series of supernatural events involving Whitehead, his daughter (who is a heroin addict), and a devilish man named Mamoulian, with whom Whitehead made a Faustian bargain many years earlier, during World War II.Īs time passes, Mamoulian haunts Whitehead using his supernatural powers (such as the ability to raise the dead), urging him to complete his pact with him. Marty Strauss, a gambling addict recently released from prison, is hired to be the personal bodyguard of Joseph Whitehead, one of the wealthiest men in the world.

The damnation game by clive barker