The Exorcist (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "THE BLAZE OF SUN WRUNG POPS OF SWEAT from the old man's brow, yet he cupped his hands around the glass of hot sweet tea..." (more)
Key Phrases: altar card, restraining straps, Father Karras, Burke Dennings, Black Mass (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

When originally published in 1971, The Exorcist became not only a bestselling literary phenomenon, but one of the most frightening and controversial novels ever written. (When the author adapted his book to the screen two years later, it then became one of the most terrifying movies ever made.) Blatty fictionalized the true story of a child's demonic possession in the 1940s. The deceptively simple story focuses on Regan, the 11-year-old daughter of a movie actress residing in Washington, D.C.; the child apparently is possessed by an ancient demon. It's up to a small group of overwhelmed yet determined humans to somehow rescue Regan from this unspeakable fate. Purposefully raw and profane, this novel still has the extraordinary ability to literally shock us into forgetting that it is "just a story." The Exorcist remains a truly unforgettable reading experience. Blatty published a sequel, Legion, in 1983. --Stanley Wiater

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"Read the book! It's an experience you will never forget." -- --St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Wonderfully exciting." -- --Newsweek

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: HarperTorch (February 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061007226
• ISBN-13: 978-0061007224
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (211 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,274 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unforgettable read with profound implications, August 9, 2003

By	Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

William Peter Blatty's seminal novel of demonic possession took the nation and much of the world by storm when it was published in 1971, and the movie adaptation of The Exorcist ranks as one of the most famous horror movies of all time. Many, many readers over the years have described it as a quite unsettling if not frightening read; I envy these people because I didn't find the book at all shocking or scary. I was actually more affected by the inner turmoil of Father Karras than anything else. His doubts over his own faith, the horrible guilt he feels for having left his aged mother alone when he became a Jesuit priest, and some of his scattered sad childhood memories make of him a philosophical, sentimental character who serves as the main liaison between the reader and the events of the novel. What we see through Father Karras' eyes is a complex, troubling vision of life and death, a conduit of our own philosophical and religious struggles.

The plot of the The Exorcist is well-known to just about everyone. Chris MacNeil and her daughter are living in Georgetown while Chris is filming a new movie. The energetic and happy child, Regan, suddenly begins to change. Strange things begin to happen in the house - rustling noises are heard at night, objects seem to disappear and reappear in strange places, and Regan begins to complain about her bed shaking at night. When Regan's state of mind begins to deteriorate, Chris seeks medical help for her daughter, but the doctors, after a series of complete, agonizing tests, can find no evidence to support their theories of a condition brought about by a lesion in the temporal lobe of the brain. Regan continues to worsen, making wild animal noises, struggling with her caretakers with superhuman strength, cursing like a drunk pirate, speaking with several different voices, projectile vomiting a nasty green substance, claiming to be the devil himself, and - in what is probably the most shocking image of all - hideously violating herself with a religious icon. She eventually has to be strapped into bed for the protection of her as well as those around her. Desperately, the nonreligious Chris turns to the Jesuit priesthood for help, asking for an exorcism to be performed on her daughter. Father Karras studies the case, attempting to find a medical explanation for Regan's behavior even after he witnesses some extraordinary things in Regan's room and converses with the demon claiming to reside within her. In the end, Father Merrin, whom we met in a highly symbolic scene at the beginning of the book, comes to perform an exorcism, engaging once again in battle a demon he had defeated years earlier. The book concludes in a particularly strong, dramatic, and satisfying way.

The descriptions of Regan's behavior and increasingly disturbing actions are laid out in quite open and impacting ways here, but I think this aspect of the story is expressed much more effectively in the movie. It's one thing to read about projectile vomiting, a head spinning completely around, and the other physical manifestations of Regan's condition, but it's something else to actually watch it presented visually onscreen. The book's main strength, in my opinion, comes in the form of the character of Father Karras. The novel provides much deeper access into the mind and soul of this tragically troubled character, and herein is to be found the true heart of the book. The exorcism itself does not take center stage the way it does in the film. Despite all of its religious and demonic attributes, I believe Peter William Blatty's novel is a deep look inside the heart of man as he attempts to make sense and keep the faith in the face of the sometimes revolting human condition.

Those who have seen the movie will benefit greatly from a reading of Blatty's novel. There are a number of sub-plots covered only in these pages, and much of the symbolic and quite subtle aspects of the harrowing drama are not captured in the film at all (or are awkwardly included in the form of symbology that the casual viewer may not notice or recognize). It is interesting for me to ponder why so many find The Exorcist a truly frightening reading experience while I really do not. Perhaps those who are not religious have never really examined pure evil as straightforwardly as they are forced to in the form of this possessed child. In any event, I believe the horror many feel at this undeniably gripping and disturbing story comes not from a vision of the events so vividly described herein, but rather from a consciousness of the changes and perhaps fears wrought upon their own heart and soul by the implications of the experience.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The scariest book of all time., February 3, 2006

By	Squash 'N' Squeak "The Silencing Machine" (The Darkest Regions of Outer Space) - See all my reviews

I love the book and the movie but the book of The Exocist even more. I won't bore you with explaining the plot of the book..but...but I don't know how to finish that sentence. Anyway, just as I said in my review for the directors cut, my favorite part is when Ragaen is spider crwling down the stairs and follows her Chris's secretary around almost mechanically. Whenever I read that it gives me the chills. The part of the book that makes me uncomfortable is when reading the part where Ragaen is(uncontrolably)jabbing herself with a crucifix in her genitalia(I find it hard to read even though I'm of the oppostie sex). And it's even more uncomfortable watching it in the movie(but I can't resist). Another scary part is reading where Ragaen is running away in terror from Captain Howdy, and saying that he was beating her, mouthing obcenities, and threatening to kill her, and therefore hiding under her mother's chair. Then she get's spun around in mid-air and looks at everyone with an evil sneer. Anyway, this is a great book, and make sure you read it with all the lights on, and the T.V. and radio on. Otherwise, you'll have nightmares for weeks. In conclusion, kudos to William Peter Blatty for writing The Exorcist, the scariest book of all time.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More substance and subtlety than the movie, September 4, 2000

By	keviny01 - See all my reviews

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Compared to the 1973 movie version, the book spends a great deal more effort in keeping it a mystery as to whether a genuine possession is taking place or whether it is simply a case of mental hyperactivity that can be explained scientifically. In trying to keep the reader guessing as to the authenticity of the possession, the more suspenseful the story becomes and the more unsettling and disquieting the result is.

The book frequently posits logical explanations whenever a seemingly paranormal event takes place. For instance, Regan's imaginary friend "Captain Howdy", who is first believed to be the source of the possession, may simply indicate a guilt complex caused by the absence of her father, who is named Howard; and prior to her acting out certain occultist rituals, she may have read a book on witchcraft that a party guest had given to her mother. These and many other details in the book are all but ignored in the movie. The movie also differs greatly regarding the exorcism ritual itself; while the movie is pretty clear on how it ends, the book still entertains the thought that the guilt-striken Jesuit priest simply suffers a mental breakdown...

Also not adequately explained in the movie is that why the Jesuit priest, who has been so skeptical of the alleged possession, should have a change of heart and agree to perform an exorcism. The book explains this. Although he doesn't believe a possession has occurred, he believes the ritual of exorcism would actually serve some form of psychiatric treatment that no known scientific method can.

The book mentions many scientific theories on paranormal activities; while I'm no scientific expert and cannot tell how factual they are, they help to maintain an "investigative" style of storytelling that serves to heighten the drama.

The book will enhance your appreciation of the story even if you read it after having seen the movie.