Damage: INSPIRATION FOR THE NETFLIX SERIES OBSESSION (Virago Modern Classics)

I had seen the film, and something about it lingered. The situation of the story, the acting, all conveyed with incredible depth that I wondered if it was based on a novel, which, to my delight, I found it was, thus immediately placed an order for the book, along with several other available novels, "Sin," and "The Stillest Day," by the author, Josephine Hart. Hart's writing is smart, sharp, and focused, which I appreciate. There's a keen sense the author wished to examine this type of situation in a novel, whether sparked by some personal experience, or through an alternate source of inspiration, and that is accomplished. The prose is poetic as only what matters to tell this story is on the page. A fine read, conveying a kind of understanding of how rare it really is to cross paths with someone who ignites, and how common it really is to simply settle, thinking that "this must be all there is." But, this is, and is not, a love story. For the unnamed narrator, one reader might see erotic obsession, while another, including the narrator, sees the meeting of the woman who will undo his life, as he knows it, as becoming alive. To him, it is an awakening from the sleep that has been his life, until the spark comes. And what **is** erotic obsession, anyhow? Is there such a thing as "star-crossed lovers?" No matter. The writing style and story conveyed impressed me and I'm not easily impressed. It's a keeper for my library shelf, and I plan to use sections in lessons in my fiction workshop classes.

Em 1990, Josephine Hart , uma irlandesa, lançou o livro Damage ( no Brasil se chamaria Perdas e Danos) mas somente um ano depois ele seria distribuído em todas as livrarias do país e vendido para outros locais , sendo traduzido para 26 idiomas. A moça irlandesa que ao se mudar para Londres passou a a participar de grupos de escritores e ser editora de uma grande empresa, agora despontava como uma imensa revelação. Um ano mais tarde seu livro viraria filme com um elenco de rostos do momento: Jeremy Irons e Juliette Binoche estavam entre eles. O livro tão polêmico quanto o filme contava a história de um renomado médico que estava entrando para carreira política mas se via envolvido com a futura esposa de seu filho mais velho.O filme ficou semanas ( até meses) em cartaz no mundo todo e tinha cenas bem animadas da traição na história.A autora faleceu em 2011, deixando mais 5 obras publicadas.Recentemente a Netflix lançou a série Desejo Obsessivo.Sou completamente apaixonada por essa história de desejo proibido.

The author herself seemed to consider this a love story, but it's a heartbreakingly stark and lean one at that.With an unapologetically detached, yet strikingly honest narrator, the reader is drawn into the tragic story of a man obsessed with a life he's destined never to have, all the while obliterating the very life that he's dispassionately built.In many ways, reading Damage was like driving past an undeniably fatal car accident and nevertheless having to look on in horror. Perhaps I will come back and read this novel again and view it through a different lens. Perhaps not.

Posh tory boy for no apparent reason gets totally consumed by his posh boring son's posh boring girlfriend. Posh tory boy enjoys lots and lots of sex with his new Slave, the kinky sort he is unable to have with his unbearably beautiful English rose wife. Inevitably it all leads to tragedy. Posh tory boy's life unravels. The End.I failed to see the point of this book. Maybe it's just me, maybe I don't have the right kind of education to appreciate this level of highbrow writing.I've given it 2 stars as to be fair it didn't drag and mercifully it was a relatively quick read. I have read far worse.

This story is awful, but also the most human novel I’ve ever read. Life is ugly and imperfect and riddle with bad decisions. Even seemingly good decisions can, in hindsight, become less than desirable. Wow, I sound cynical.Anyhow, this book is a depiction of selfish, bad life choices. It’s like a dateline story—minus the murder. Just selfish people, making selfish decisions that effect everyone within a stones throw.The writing was spectacular, so original. I loved the brevity of it, straight to the point. I find that I skim a lot of books, because so much of what is written is not necessary. Anyhow, loved this book, but hated the story, because how could I feel any other way about it? Which feels entirely appropriate.