Customer Reviews

Legion (Spanish Edition)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I think I need to state right off the bat that I am not a Christian. Never have been, despite the efforts of my more religiously inclined friends and family, and never will be. But, having said that, I am occasionally given a reason to question my beliefs. "Legion" is one of those occasions. My main beef with Christianity is the whole concept of a loving omnipotent god that is able to damn his imperfect creations to eternal suffering for committing sins that they might not even be aware of or understand. Yet, in "Legion," Blatty gives another take on that idea, and I have to admit that it makes me say, "Hhmm, I wonder..." I won't ruin it by explaining it here, so you'll have to read it.

Anyway, before I ramble on further, let me stop and say that I love "Legion." As has been stated before, if you are looking for a similar book to "The Exorcist" you'll need to look elsewhere. This is a sequel in story and in spirit (pardon the pun), but not on the same level of horror. "Legion" is more a metaphysical treatise than a horror novel, though there are a few horrific moments and descriptions. I tend to think of this as more of a "Thinking Man's" spooky book. It is certainly not for the weak minded. It challenges you on every turn, and every page is a revelation. I cannot recommend it enough. My only fault with the book is the ending. It seems way too rushed and tacked on for my tastes, as though Blatty was getting tired of it all and just said, "Screw it. I'm done." I wish he would have drawn it out just a bit more and made it more satisfying.

As for the movie that is based on this book, "Exorcist III." Much of the dialogue is lifted straight from the book, but as is usual there have been a veritable TON of changes made. Characters have been left out or combined, new characters created, and the ending totally changed. I hate to say it, but I like the ending in the movie better. It was more... visceral, more heart-pounding. I only wish that the movie could have touched on the spiritual explorations of the novel. But, be that as it may, the movie is far scarier than the book, and on that level should please many. A curious side note is that Blatty also directed and wrote the screenplay for the movie, and I have to wonder what he prefers when comparing them.

Eh, anyway, get this book if you want a more cerebral horror novel. It with give you the creeps on occasion, and more than that it will make you think. That's pretty good, if you ask me.

I read Legion about five years ago and continue to pick up the book at least twice a month. Blatty did a wonderful job tying up a few loose ends from The Exorcist and further developed the characters of Kinderman and Dyer, which have proved to be complex and entertaining.

This book should not be considered a simple sequel to the Exorcist--its main focus is a side character called the "Gemini Killer" who is out to settle the score for the previous exorcism, but is mainly there to test the faith of Kinderman and continue his "own work." The murders that occur are disturbing--but not as frightening as the manner in which they are carried out. Karras does indeed make an appearance but is not a major player in this book.

The conversations between Kinderman and whoever will give him the time of day are thought provoking and often beautiful--the religious theories that Blatty explores not only help in character development but also help to provide comedy in what otherwise would be a very dark book.

I recommend the novel to all who enjoyed The Exorcist--keep in mind, if you are looking for The Exorcist part deux..look elsewhere..this book is strong enough to stand on its own.

I've been trying to get this book even before reading the first one, because I knew, it would be hard to find. Well, the online bookstore had it. When I got it. I left the book I was reading and hit off with that. The book is powerful. Really, very strong. It's not the EXORCIST, but you could know that thy were written by the same man. Though the religious concepts were more than they were supposed to have been there, but all in all, you get gripped by it through it all. Even when the story ends, you just don't know how things have went and what they could have meant. The best parts of the book were the conversations, you just had to love the cliches and the style they were written in... Very realistic and human. LEGION mixed in elements of intrigue and religion to for a higher concept of things. Blatty assured a winner by that. I just can't understat why the book was not received well by the industry. It's been out of print forever, making you think that Simon and Schuster it was a mistake getting this movie out. I've ordered Blatty's other books. I've already read the EXORCIST and LEGION. The movie which was based on this book never cut it and was such a waste. It never was true to the book, but atleast, through it all, the book shined. LEGION, for we are many...

I was able to find the book on sale by pure luck. I had first checked the book out of the library and fell in love with it. In my humble opinion, it blows the Exorcist out of the water. Legion is thought provoking...a masterpiece. It continues the story through Kinderman's point of view. It questions the acts of god, but it's not a mear good vs. evil story. It has depth and beauty. A wonderful book. *but, maybe I just love it (and the Exorcist) so much because I'm from DC :) *

I thought this book was good and very thought provoking. But when you hear it is the sequel to THE EXORCIST, you brace yourself for a horrifying (but fun) experience. This book is not of the horror genre and will probably only scare the most weak-hearted readers. I saw the movie first, and admit it was pretty scary, but the movie is only based loosely on the book (which was very hard to find). You will be okay though, if you pick up the book, looking only for a good read.

Legion's Lieutenant Kinderman is one of the more enduring and fascinating characters I've had the pleasure to follow through a novel. While Legion does suffer from a lack of focus at times, Kinderman's pursuit of both the solution to the baffling murders and his own relationship to God are nicely entwined and carry the story along. This is as much a mystery as a horror novel, and the whodunnit aspects along with the spiritual quests make an entertaining melange. I too saw the film, but I was disappointed and felt George C. Scott was miscast. I always envisioned Kinderman as more of a Rod Steiger type. I completely disagree that the ending seems unfinished. The final scene in the restaurant ties the loose ends together and caps Kinderman's search for spiritual meaning. Legion isn't up there with the classics but it definitely is worth reading for fans of the genre.

What can I say about Legion? The Exorcist, it is not. WilliamPeter Blatty excels at writing deep, thought provoking, and utterlyriveting dialogue. However, dialogue alone cannot save this book. You get the impression early on that the author doesn't quite know where this book is going and by the end you realize that he is quite willing to admit it. Without revealing the ending.... it just ends. You get the feeling as you see the number of pages to the end rapidly decreasing, that the author can't possibly end the book at this point, there must be more. But there isn't. This is the rare gem of a story that actually was improved when it was made into a movie--if by the way, you feel I am being overly harsh about the book, I will now admit Exorcist III (which is based on Legion) is my favorite horror movie (I like it even better than the Exorcist). What makes the movie work is that the producer realized (albeit only after screening the movie to test audiences) that the ending just did not work. Do I recommend reading the book? Yes. But then rent the movie and see how William Peter Blatty could have made a sequel that truly adds a new dimension to the original.

This book is okay. But if you're looking for great horror read the Exorcist, don't waste your time with this book.