A review by alexandr1ne
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
5.0
Almost DNFed this at about 50% (after the infamous crucifix scene) but I stuck it out, giving myself the grace to skip/skim sections as needed. This novel feels very overlooked in favour of its film counterpart despite its indisputable status as a classic of the horror genre, although I would seriously advise anyone with specific (and especially sexual) triggers to take those into account before reading.
Thematically, The Exorcist is just excellent (I was surprised at its depth and pleased with how well it developed its characters; horror in general I find is more susceptible a lack of character development, with a focus on 'the scare' above all other narrative elements) and truly, truly frightening. A book I’m glad to have read, but cannot imagine myself willingly revisiting
Thematically, The Exorcist is just excellent (I was surprised at its depth and pleased with how well it developed its characters; horror in general I find is more susceptible a lack of character development, with a focus on 'the scare' above all other narrative elements) and truly, truly frightening. A book I’m glad to have read, but cannot imagine myself willingly revisiting