Book Review: The Exorcist (40th Anniversary Edition) by William Peter Blatty

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!

 
  Many readers love a book so much that a re-read is always in order. For me that includes Harry Potter, the Outsiders, and the Exorcist. Picking up a book that you have already enjoyed and diving in again can be a puzzle to some. Why on Earth would someone read a book again? For me I do this because of nostalgia and often I wish to see how a book holds up as I get older. With Autumn beginning in a few hours it is time to start my Halloween reading. And what better way to celebrate the spooky time of the year than with a scary read. 

   The Exorcist is written by William Peter Blatty, and it published by Harper Publishing. It 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 no 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 tutor and 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 is 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 when she turns twelve. The young girl begins to shout obscenities and exhibits 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 grows increasingly demonic. Soon Burke Dennings is found dead at the bottom of long flight of stairs outside of Regan's window. This sparks an investigation by the police. Lieutenant Willian Kinderman, an aging homicide detective, takes the Dennings case and is soon visiting Chris. 
  
   As Regan's condition proves untreatable by doctors, 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 puts his doubts reluctantly behind him and soon agrees an exorcism is needed. Regan's vital signs are waning and she may not survive much longer The church calls on Father Merrin, a man who has successfully exorcised demons before from people. But when he arrives at the MacNeil household, 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 its 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! Blatty describes the supernatural events in the book with a deliciously macabre narrative. But Blatty leaves Regan's appearance to our imagination rather than describe her too thoroughly. Kinderman was a favorite of mine as he huffed and puffed his way into the MacNeil's lives always distracted, always clever. His exchanges with the characters are at times hilarious, giving us a much-needed breather from the book's relentless display of terror.

  I read this in part with the audio book presentation read by William Peter Blatty and Eliana Shaskan. Blatty read the bulk of the novel, obviously having fun reliving his tale. Shaskan was utilized as Regan's voice later in the novel as contrast to what the girl sounded like before the possession. There is an point in the book where Blatty is narrating a scene where events unfold as Shaskan sings sweetly in the background as the demon allows Regan's voice to emerge. The combination was unsettling and added a third dimension to the scenes. 

     Part crime thriller part horror novel, the Exorcist plays perversely with faith. It toys with the reader, asking if what they believe can truly be solid enough to never be corrupted. With a strong theme of family and an even stronger theme of hope, the Exorcist is a novel that unravels the psyche. And when I was finished re-reading this novel, I once again came out of it with a different point of view. I gave the Exorcist four out of five stars. It is a spooky addition to any Autumn TBR. 

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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  Because there is always time to read,
   Xepherus3 



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