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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t know how I feel about an author editing their work after publication. I read the 40th anniversary edition where a chapter was added and dialogue changed. I don’t feel as if I’ve read the original and that bothers me! That petty argument aside, Blatty knows how to write and it shows. At points it felt like a masterclass in writing suspense, tension and horror. However, I just couldn’t understand the dialogue choices. Maybe it’s because I’m Scottish born and bred and not from the country it’s set in, but I couldn’t stand the majority of it. Still, overall, a must read for horror lovers!
"We mourn the blossoms of May because they are to wither; but we know that May is one day to have its revenge upon November, by the revolution of that solemn circle which never stops - which teaches us in our height of hope, ever to be sober, and in our depth of desolation, never to despair."
I didn't anticipate how much I would love Blatty's writing. I didn't expect the ending to have the impact it did because I've seen the movie many times. Still, I found myself tearing up.
Truly love the movie and now I love the book too.
So many quotable lines. The last line? Chef's kiss.
"In forgetting, they were trying to remember."
I'll definitely be checking out more of his work.
I didn't anticipate how much I would love Blatty's writing. I didn't expect the ending to have the impact it did because I've seen the movie many times. Still, I found myself tearing up.
Truly love the movie and now I love the book too.
So many quotable lines. The last line? Chef's kiss.
"In forgetting, they were trying to remember."
I'll definitely be checking out more of his work.
Read this review and hundreds more at The Quill To Live.
Until I started reading The Exorcist, my knowledge of possession was strictly limited to the “Ghost Realtor” segment from Comedy Central’s Nathan For You. Now, I have a much better handle on the concept thanks to William Peter Blatty’s seminal book, which the front cover dubs “the most terrifying novel ever written.”A bold claim, and categorically untrue in my opinion. A tad scary, sure, and a fine read overall.
Actress Chris MacNeil lives a luxurious life. She lives in a rented house in Washington D.C. for her current project. She drives a Jaguar. She has two kind housekeepers and a tutor for her daughter, Regan. Chris’s life takes a nasty turn when Regan begins to show symptoms of a strange mental and physical illness. Bewildered doctors lob possible diagnoses at Chris, but nothing seems to help Regan, who descends into fits of rage and acts of violence to the point where she has to be sedated and strapped to her bed. Damien Karras, a priest and psychiatrist working at nearby Georgetown University, eventually catches wind of Regan’s ailment and begins to think it’s something much more sinister than a disease or mental condition.
The Exorcist’s plot is focused and intentional. Blatty moves things along at a brisk pace for the most part. The early stages of the novel feel slow and steady. They function as stage-setting of sorts, painting a picture of Chris’s life, relationships, and desires. Her relationship with Regan is strong, but it’s troubled by a difficult divorce and an absent ex-husband who rarely makes time for their daughter. Readers who yearn for a page-turner brimming with suspense will find it, but only in the back half of the novel. This plays into Blatty’s hand well; the later events hit harder when you have a clearer picture of the backdrop.
I appreciate the narrow focus of the book, particularly on the characters. The Exorcist’s cast consists of seven-ish key players, each with a distinct identity, and background. Blatty deftly sidesteps overcrowding, instead opting for a tight narrative fuelled by the motivations of his main characters.
The dialogue occasionally helps characterize the cast, but more often than not it feels stiff and jilted. Characters speak in ways that don’t feel natural, or the conversations bleed together without distinguished voices. Regan’s lines sound like a childless 70-year-old man’s idea of how kids speak.
The Exorcist finds its fundamental theme in doubt and diminishing faith. Damien Karras struggles to find peace in his religion, and his fellow parishioners notice his dwindling dedication. Chris loses her faith in doctors and medicine—which was already low due to certain trauma—as professionals scramble to identify Regan’s condition. Detective Kinderman, whose involvement I won’t spoil, wavers in his commitment to his career as he waffles between what’s right and what’s wrong.
The book is reportedly based on a true story, but Blatty takes many liberties. The inspiration was a 1949 exorcism in Maryland and, more loosely, a handful of exorcisms in 1634 France. Your buy-in to the real-world tethers may vary. I read The Exorcist as pure fiction. This felt necessary because any verisimilitude is lost on me, an atheist, when true life connections require a certain commitment to faith. What I’m saying here is simple: your reaction to The Exorcist will significantly depend on your choice to take it as semi-truthful or a work of fiction. In reading it as the latter, I felt neutral about the book overall. While I enjoyed aspects of The Exorcist, I turned the final page feeling indifferent. It will undoubtedly strike different readers in different ways, and I encourage you to read it if you’re a fan of horror, the occult, or demonic possession tropes.
Until I started reading The Exorcist, my knowledge of possession was strictly limited to the “Ghost Realtor” segment from Comedy Central’s Nathan For You. Now, I have a much better handle on the concept thanks to William Peter Blatty’s seminal book, which the front cover dubs “the most terrifying novel ever written.”A bold claim, and categorically untrue in my opinion. A tad scary, sure, and a fine read overall.
Actress Chris MacNeil lives a luxurious life. She lives in a rented house in Washington D.C. for her current project. She drives a Jaguar. She has two kind housekeepers and a tutor for her daughter, Regan. Chris’s life takes a nasty turn when Regan begins to show symptoms of a strange mental and physical illness. Bewildered doctors lob possible diagnoses at Chris, but nothing seems to help Regan, who descends into fits of rage and acts of violence to the point where she has to be sedated and strapped to her bed. Damien Karras, a priest and psychiatrist working at nearby Georgetown University, eventually catches wind of Regan’s ailment and begins to think it’s something much more sinister than a disease or mental condition.
The Exorcist’s plot is focused and intentional. Blatty moves things along at a brisk pace for the most part. The early stages of the novel feel slow and steady. They function as stage-setting of sorts, painting a picture of Chris’s life, relationships, and desires. Her relationship with Regan is strong, but it’s troubled by a difficult divorce and an absent ex-husband who rarely makes time for their daughter. Readers who yearn for a page-turner brimming with suspense will find it, but only in the back half of the novel. This plays into Blatty’s hand well; the later events hit harder when you have a clearer picture of the backdrop.
I appreciate the narrow focus of the book, particularly on the characters. The Exorcist’s cast consists of seven-ish key players, each with a distinct identity, and background. Blatty deftly sidesteps overcrowding, instead opting for a tight narrative fuelled by the motivations of his main characters.
The dialogue occasionally helps characterize the cast, but more often than not it feels stiff and jilted. Characters speak in ways that don’t feel natural, or the conversations bleed together without distinguished voices. Regan’s lines sound like a childless 70-year-old man’s idea of how kids speak.
The Exorcist finds its fundamental theme in doubt and diminishing faith. Damien Karras struggles to find peace in his religion, and his fellow parishioners notice his dwindling dedication. Chris loses her faith in doctors and medicine—which was already low due to certain trauma—as professionals scramble to identify Regan’s condition. Detective Kinderman, whose involvement I won’t spoil, wavers in his commitment to his career as he waffles between what’s right and what’s wrong.
The book is reportedly based on a true story, but Blatty takes many liberties. The inspiration was a 1949 exorcism in Maryland and, more loosely, a handful of exorcisms in 1634 France. Your buy-in to the real-world tethers may vary. I read The Exorcist as pure fiction. This felt necessary because any verisimilitude is lost on me, an atheist, when true life connections require a certain commitment to faith. What I’m saying here is simple: your reaction to The Exorcist will significantly depend on your choice to take it as semi-truthful or a work of fiction. In reading it as the latter, I felt neutral about the book overall. While I enjoyed aspects of The Exorcist, I turned the final page feeling indifferent. It will undoubtedly strike different readers in different ways, and I encourage you to read it if you’re a fan of horror, the occult, or demonic possession tropes.
Yes it’s scary but it’s also just really well written. Surprised I didn’t know this was a book until I read it.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
tense
medium-paced
dark
tense
medium-paced