The Ninth Configuration [Paperback]

William Peter Blatty (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Harper (1978)
• ASIN: B000OE5BRY
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars AN UNUSUAL THRILLER..., August 5, 2001

By 

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Ninth Configuration (Paperback)

This is a well written and tightly crafted novel. The dialogue, while often full of angst, is witty and clever. The premise of the book is certainly unusual. A secret facility houses militairy officers, all brave men, who have, for reasons unknown, become mentally disturbed. Housed without hope, a militairy psychiatrist enters their lives in a most unexpected way. Yet, it appears that he has his own issues with which to contend, issues that lie at the heart of his seeming understanding of their problems. Things are not always what they seem. Be prepare for a shocking surprise. This book is definitely a thriller in every sense of the word.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and insightful, January 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ninth Configuration (Paperback)

I read this book after reading The Exorcist and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite The Exorcist's beautiful language (though disturbing context) the Ninth Configuration is eloquently written and thought-provoking. The underlying messages of faith and spiritual satisfaction loom everywhere in this great novel. It is witty and suspenseful, and never dragging or boring. Based on the first publication, Twinkle,Twinkle Killer Kane, the Ninth Configuration is "short and sweet" and a definte keeper. I really enjoyed reading it and I'm sure any fan of Blatty's would too.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Desperately Seeking Sanity, November 19, 2006

By 

R. Chaffey "beckahi" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The ninth configuration (Hardcover)

The experience of war has taken its toll on members of the military. They are offered a means of escape and therapy at a secret treatment center in the Pacific Northwest. All of these intelligent men have mental disorders that are inexplicable - are they real or are they faking in order to elude further combat? That is the question at the heart of "The Ninth Configuration" by William Peter Blatty, a short but overwhelmingly powerful book.

When the psychaitrist Hudson Kane arrives on the scene, the inmates, especially the leader Billy Cutshaw, immediately put him to the test. And through means of a radical new therapy, the men respond to Kane in promising ways and a cure seems within reach. Cutshaw is especially drawn to Kane, as both men search to prove that God exists in a world that constantly tries to destroy itself.

While short, "The Ninth Configuration" packs a powerful and profound punch. From the author of "The Exorcist", this novel also deals with spiritual principles that take center stage towards the novel's end. It will make readers laugh out loud, and sit back and contemplate the points the author raises.