Book Review: The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

  

 
Hello, and welcome fellow book worms!

For #22 (A book your mom loved) of my 2015/2016 Reading Challenge I decided to read The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. 

 In 1973 my mother delivered a one year old me to my grandmother as she and my father went to the local Palace Theater to watch a movie. That movie was the Exorcist directed by William Friedkin. It was based on my mother's favorite book at that time, and she was anxious to see how Hollywood had treated it. The buzz for this film had dubbed it "the most terrifying film ever made". There were lines around the corner to see this movie, with many people camping out all day to see what the buzz was about. Security guards tamed the crowds, while ambulances removed people from theaters who either became ill or passed out during the film. This excited my mother, a huge fan of the horror genre. She could not stop talking about it for weeks, and saw it twice.

  When I was in high school I found a battered copy for fifty cents at a thrift shop. I remember reading it, and loving it. After which I saw the film, and I thought was a faithful adaptation of the source material. Twenty five tears later it's time for me to re-read this book, and see how I interpret this novel as an adult. But this time I read the expanded and revised fortieth anniversary edition.



   The Exorcist tells the story of young Regan MacNeil, an eleven year old girl seemingly as ordinary as any girl her age. Artistic, cheerful, and still sleeping with stuffed animals, Regan (or Rags, as her mother Chris calls her) looks as if she could do know harm to anyone. Her mother is a movie star filming her latest picture on location in Georgetown in Washington, D.C., where they now live. Chris' alcoholic director, Burke Dennings, is always at her door due to loneliness. Her live-in housekeepers Willie and Karl keep a spotless house. Regan's babysitter/ Chris' secretary, Sharon, keeps an eye on both their lives. And down the street at the church Father Damien Karras wrestles with doubt and guilt, as he decides whether or not to stay with the church.

 All is quiet, until Chris is introduced to Captain Howdy one evening.

  Using a Quija board in the basement of their home, Regan has contacted an entity that is simply called Captain Howdy. Regan swears he's real, even asking him questions in front of her mother. Chris is not too alarmed at first. But soon strange things begin to happen, and Regan undergoes a chilling transformation. The young girl begins to shout obscenities, have trouble with her temper, and exhibit supernatural behavior. Chris is beside herself with grief as she sees her little girl slowly be taken over by something sinister.

  After many trips to the doctor, Regan gets down-right creepy. One of the most creepy moments happens after Chris' director is found dead at the bottom of a steep stairwell with his head turned completely around. We are introduced to the famous spider-walk, and it's even more creepier in the book than it was in the film.  In fact the over-all tone begins to get as chilly as Regan's bedroom during possession! 



  One of the highlights of this book is the Lieutenant Kinderman, an aging homicide detective. He huffs and puffs his way into the MacNeil's lives always distracted, always clever. His exchanges with the book's characters are at times hilarious, giving us a much-needed breather from the book's relentless display of horror. He is there to investigate the death of Burke Dennings, which he believes may have been homicide. 

   Page after page of terrifying events begins to unfold, and we are introduced to the demon that possesses Regan. Father Karras is called in to assess the girl's behavior by Chris MacNeil. He is convinced that her illness is psychological, but what he finds is anything but. A cold and calculating entity has taken up residence in Regan, and is intent on not leaving, even if it has to kill her first. Karras knows that an exorcism must be performed if she is to survive. The church calls out to Father Merrin, a man who has successfully exorcised demons before from people. But when he arrives, he and the demon are seemingly reunited from a previous exorcism. Regan's life hangs in the balance, as the malevolent being plays a game of cat and mouse that can only end in death!

  This updated version of the original is a bit meatier than it's predecessor. I found that parts of the books were cleaned up and fleshed out better than I had remembered. It is a three hundred- plus page-turner that grabs you by your emotions and shakes them apart! I loved the way that Blatty describes the events in the book, but surprisingly he leaves Regan's appearance more to our imagination rather than describe her more thoroughly. But that was fine. I had Linda Blair's creepy Regan makeup in my head the entire time.



     I recommend this book with five stars out of five! I looked forward to reading it everyday. And even took time out of my night to set up a nook to delve into this thriller. Of course near the end of the book, I found out that I was reading more than sleeping. In my eyes that is the sign of an excellent book. This is a classic horror novel that will have you from the first chapter. It never lets up until it's horrifying conclusion. I cannot wait to read Legion, the book's sequel.

This is one read you will never forget! 

  Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are reading.

 

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