The Exorcist (40th Anniversary Edition) by William Peter Blatty
A horror story for all midnights. — The Boston Globe Inspired by the shockingly true story of a child's demonic possession in the 1940s, William Peter Blatty's iconic novel focuses on Regan, the eleven-year-old daughter of a movie actress residing in Washington, D. C. When sweet Regan's behavior turns sinister, a small group of overwhelmed yet determined individuals take it upon themselves to rescue the poor girl from her unspeakable fate. Timeless and terrifying, The Exorcist is a story that has gripped the public zeitgeist for more than half a century. Originally published in 1971, it remains one of the most controversial novels ever written. A literary phenomenon soon after its release, it spent fifty-seven weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, seventeen consecutively at number one. It also became a wildly popular motion picture, garnering ten Academy Award nominations. On the opening day of the film, lines of fans stretched around city blocks. In Chicago, frustrated moviegoers used a battering ram to gain entry through the double side doors of a theater. In Kansas City, police used tear gas to disperse an impatient crowd who tried to force their way into a cinema. The three major television networks carried footage of these events, and CBS's Walter Cronkite devoted almost ten minutes to the story.
- Suggested age range- Adult
- Format- Paperback
- Product dimensions- 5.31" W x 8" H x 0.9" D
- Genre- Horror
- Publisher- HarperCollins Publishers, Publication date- 10-04-2011
- Page count- 400
- ISBN- 9780062094360
Web ID: 12620669
Dark, disturbing, incredible
A note: I read the 2011 anniversary edition, which does differ from the OG 1971 first edition. There is an additional scene, a new character, and thorough revising and editing. According to an NPR interview in 2011, he wrote the original in nine months, receiving the screenplay offer just before finishing the first draft. As such, he never had a chance to revise the original, so it was published as is. Even Blatty has said of the 2011 version… “This is the version I would like to be remembered for.” The novel was truly revolutionary in its time, in large part because of the themes and how those themes were handled in the story, as well as in how it shaped the horror genre. It is an incredibly dark and graphic story, not at all smoothed and softened or in any way made more palatable. It’s a novel that holds up to time, a marker that it is one of the best horror novels ever written. The story is very complex, with very few characters that dwell outside the gray areas. Most of them are flawed, some more deeply than others, with their own thoughts and guilt and issues that affect them. The descriptions in this novel are also incredible, if very graphic. It is definitely not a book for the faint of heart, with scenes that range from vaguely eerie to terrifying to the most disturbing. “Atmospheric” doesn’t seem like a big enough word to characterize this book. This is one of those books that’s hard to qualify as a loved read, because the content makes “loved” seem like a cringey feeling for a book such as this. Not to mention the possible perception it might give of me as a person. So I will just go with… it’s a solid 5-star read.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Perfection.
This book is the answer to "Why do you love horror?" Horror fans owe it to themselves to read through this at least once in their lives. Thank you Mr. Blatty.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Beautifully written. Creepy and disturbing.
Been saving this book to read in October. Got through it fairly quickly because I just couldn’t put it down. What surprised me was how similar the movie was to this book. I enjoyed that the book included a lot of extra details that the movie may not have had. Amazing story. If you enjoyed the movie, you’ll really enjoy the book the movie was based on. If you haven’t seen the movie, you will still love the book.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Pretty good!
I loved the movie! When I FINALLY found the book, I immediately bought it. It was a little slow, and at times even boring (mainly during the character building and because I am impatient and wanted the gory stuff immediately), but it is so worth it! I was surprised to find out that the movie is pretty close to the book! I also really like how they shift views (it’s third person). I also LOVED. THE. GORE/HORROR.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Wow...!!!!
This book gave me the worst nightmares of my life even when I read it in the daytime. It is beyond terrifying and Blatty gives you unbelievable descriptions of things that happen that just stick in your mind. You honestly can't stop thinking about it. It is such a well written book that is almost impossible to put down. Super scary but well worth it. It's way better than the film.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com