Damaged

Damage by Josephine Hart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I found this book when I was still in high school.  It was a bad time for me.  At the time I was upset and confused.  Mostly, I was angry at males and the patriarchal society.  I didn't know how to relate as a trained under duress strong female who had suppressed submissive tendencies.



I also thought there was something wrong with me.  The title of this book caught my attention.  Damage.  How true.  I read this book and I was horrified at how a seemingly perfect life could go terribly wrong.  I could understand the desires and wants of the father.  Yet I couldn't understand how he could do this to his family.  His perfect family with the perfect son and daughter. 



Then the wife, what was wrong with her that she couldn't supply what her husband wanted?  It was so baffling for me and once again validated to my young self that relationships and specifically marriage was a bad bad thing.  There was a line in the book which meant a lot to me.  "Damaged people are dangerous.  They know they can survive."  I felt that to my soul.  I guess I've always felt I was damaged some how due to my perversions. 



When a movie based on this story came out, I saw it.  It was just as devastating for me as the book.  Then again, I'm a fan of Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche.  This is a book with no happily ever afters or happily for now.  Even 20 years later, I still remember this book vividly.