Customer Reviews

Legion

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

After I finished reading William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist," I immediately picked up and read "Legion." I don't know if sequel is quite the right word for this book. Bill Kinderman, a detective from "The Exorcist," is the protagonist of this novel, but the plot doesn't quite pick up where the plot of the "The Exorcist" left off, not really. Nonetheless, certain plot elements in the first book are relevant to "Legion." I suspect that Blatty wrote this book as a sort of denunciation of the film "Exorcist II," hardly unheard of in the literary film (see, e.g., Robert Bloch's "Psycho II" in comparison with the film, or Larry McMurtry's "Streets of Laredo" in comparison with the telepic "Return to Lonesome Dove.") Ironically enough, "Legion" itself was turned into a film, directed by Blatty, but studio interference made it "Exorcist III."

The plot is simple (in fact, in 2004 it's almost cliched): Kinderman investigates a series of particularly gruesome torture murders occurring around Georgetown that are connected somehow to another series in San Francisco a decade before committed by the "Gemini" (obvious nod to the real "Zodiac.") The problem is, Gemini is dead. So who's doing this new series, and what does the psychiatric ward of hospital have to do with them? Through all this, Kinderman is battling with his faith, trying to reconcile his ideas of an omniscient, omnipotent, compassionate God with the horror of what goes on in the world on a daily basis.

The book is quite chilling throughout. A deeper analysis is called for, perhaps, but that would undercut some of the power of this book as it would give away far too much. Suffice it to say, Kinderman finds himself battling a creature he is coming to believe is not really quite human.

One glaring flaw of the book is Kinderman's soliloquies on the nature of good and evil as he goes forth to fight monsters. These are frequent, and more often than not interrupt the flow of the book. While I realize that Blatty's primary purpose was probably dealing with these issues, a less obtrusive way would have made for a better book.

Another problem is the denouement, which only clarifies so much, but leaves other plot lines untouched. Consequently, a subplot involving a doctor who may or may not be the killer, while at times spooky, ultimately winds up being only vaguely consequential (the film simply drops it, making for a stronger story). Also, the ending is abrupt, and feels somewhat unsatisfying (again, the film built up some of these threads, but that ending isn't wholly satisfying either).

These flaws having been acknowledged, the novel is mostly a success. When not rambling, Kinderman is a thoroughly engaging hero. His interactions with his family, colleagues, and friends (particularly Father Joseph Dyer, another survivor of "The Exorcist"), are crisp, smart, touching, and believable.

"Legion" is a must for horror fans looking to be engaged at multiple levels. While not perfect, it succeeds where it needs to, and makes a good read.

This is a tough review for me to write because I'm so torn by this book. On the one hand, the dialogue between detective Kinderman and Tommy Sunlight (killer/mental patient) is among the best and most chilling I have read. Then the book will drag on for long, boring stretches.

"Legion" is both blessed and cursed. The description of the gruesome, supernatural nature of the murders is sure to send a chill up your spine. The descriptions of the catatonics is also effective. The story will then skew off on philosophical tangents that take the reader off the path of the story and soon he doesn't know why he is in a place that is seemingly unrelated to the plot.

The bottom line is this: In order to read the most brilliant parts of this book (and yes, there really are some brilliant parts here) you are also going to have to trudge through the superflous and boring passages as well. "Legion" is a good book with great parts, but perhaps with better editing, it could have been a great book, end of discussion.

A final note: In my opinion, the movie was better than the book. George C. Scott plays Kinderman and Brad Dourif plays Tommy Sunlight. Dourif's performance is especially noteworthy. The great dialogue is kept, almost verbatim, from the book. The boring parts are omitted and there are scenes that are not in the book.

Not sure how i found my way here to an out of print book but here i am. I read this book years ago after finding it in a used book sale. I was quite young, hadn't seen or read The Exorcist but liked the cover of the eyes and candle and the blurb "call me legion for we are many." Well i read it, didn't really understand what was going on and forgot about it. I came back to it years later after reading the first book and this time it just blew me away. It has something special in a horror novel in that it is actually very thought provoking. Kinderman's conversations are wonderful. But there is also a real scary atmosphere to this book. I defy anyone to read the section on the tape recording of coma patients and not feel a chill when voices can be heard in empty rooms. This book is a classic and doesn't deserve to be out of print. Maybe when Exorcist 4 comes out it will get a new lease of life.
The film based on this book "Exorcist 3" doesn't have the depth of the book and misses out entirely the tape recordings and the life story of James Vennamun but is quite a good film. It includes that famous one view corridor scene that builds and builds into one of the great horror moments ever.

How does a ground breaking novelist follow up on his original pop-culture phenomenon? If he's smart, he doesn't; he uses his reserve inspiration to underscore it. Thus we arrive at Legion, a needlessly maligned novel with plenty of creepy merit.

"Resurrect him, Karras!" shouts the demon after Father Merrin's death in the end of the original story. And we know how that story ends. In Legion, the demon(s) facilitates an unholy "resurrection" of Father Karras using the spirit of a despicable serial killer.

Most of the supernatural conflict in Legion is implied rather than spelled out. If one expects the overt nature of the original, one should revise one's expectations. I agree with the other reviewers' descriptions of this novel as a supernatural detective story. And really in the end, that's what we would rather have, if we can pause just long enough to bestow some thought upon the matter. Who wants a pale imitation of a story that can't be duplicated? Harper Lee wisely never penned To Kill a Mockingbird II.

There is one flaw in this novel for which I will deduct a star. The story line of the widowed doctor and his obsession with contacting his dead wife doesn't seem to connect in a very meaningful way to the main story. It's married happily to the themes of the story, but not to the plot itself. Still, that part of the novel is written very well in its own right, and it is interesting albeit inhomogeneous.

This is a great read for lovers of the esoteric or just plain creepiness. Read it during the night in your favorite chair, and have a really good time.

I re-read The Exorcist just before reading it's "sequel" Legion. It really is not a sequel by any means, but rather a book that shares characters with the former mentioned novel. This is a fantastic read with an eloquent writing style and deep philosophical discussions. The story is engrossing and captivating as is the main character. I disagree with what one reviewer intimated here; the philosophical digressions are in no way distractions and are in fact what makes this novel great. Mr. Blatty is a fantastic and unique writer whose wisdom and experience bleed through every page. This novel made me question long standing beliefs, things for which I thought I stood on firm ground. I truly and thoroughly enjoyed this read.

I can't recomend this book enough. It is a murder mystery, which I am usually not that into, but what makes this book truely amazing is the religious philosofical content. Its about the us as a whole, where we came from, what are we doing here, what makes the world tick and a bit about the afterlife. It isn't a preachy book by far. If you are easily offended by different religious ideas it might not be for you. It is definitely outside the box.

While it would be hard for the Lightning of Brilliance to strike twice to our Mr. Blatty, it seems to have, for while this book doesn't quite match the popularity and brilliance of the original story of a priest questioning his faith while facing the ultimate challenge and sacrifice, this story tackles something more global -- the Problem of Evil. Taking such concepts and creating/reviving/revisiting characters we all know from the original is quite a task, and yet Blatty does it to create a satisfying and moving sequel that has lessons for all of us. It's too bad it's out of print on Amazon (shame on you!) and that the American Public was "over" the big E by the time this came out, for it deserves more credit. The movie was OK (my good friend Sherrie Wills, a beautiful young actress, plays daughter Julie Kinderman) but just like the original Big E, the brilliance of the book surpasses the film adaptation.

I highly recommend this book since it is a great sequel to The Exorcist, which I also own, this book makes you think and questions the whole issue between free will and what makes a person bad or good. Also after reading this book, one theological or spiritual question arises. Can a soul from a person infuse life to another human body with the help of a demon? Peace and keep reading, because reading is great!!! Enough said.

As many people have already stated this book isn't exactly a sequel to the exorcist, although many of the same characters are presented in it. The plot of this story is different and more philosophical than the exorcist's. I am a fan of Blatty's more thought-provoking work (such as the Ninth Configuration-or as Blatty himself considers it the true sequel to the exorcist) and therefore fully enjoyed this novel. If you are reading it for "a good scare" than this is not the book for you.

How did this guy Blatty get pushed out of the water by Stephen King? Not many people know about him unless you've watched or read (insert Clarance Thomas joke here) The Exorcist. This is numero three in the Exorcist series and what a way to end it. This book has a multi-dimentional character about it that Stephen King could only dream of attempting in one of his stories. There's a great story in this book(horror and detective), believable characters, actual places, etc. I love the author picture on the back too. It's so late 70's Burt Reynoldesque. If you want a good read for this Halloween season or really just anytime, check it out!