A review by edmunddantes95
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
4.0
After finally getting around to reading the book the infamous film was based on, I have to say that it may be the most closely adapted screenplay I have seen. The film very closely follows the book.
William Peter Blatty develops all of the characters he introduces to the reader, to the extent you are very much invested in the outcomes of all of them, even Karl the infallible robotic servant of the house.
Having watched the movie first, a mortal sin, I still found many of the scenes of possessed Regan still shocked me as a reader which goes to show how well the story was written. William Peter Blatty builds up the suspense perfectly before shocking you with the latest Pazuzu outburst.
The book also gives a lot more background character development for the priests while more importantly demonstrating some evidence of actual police work surrounding the increasing bodycount at the hands of Pazuzu, rather than simply closing the case of a man being found with his head the wrong way around!
I think the book could probably have been shorter, showing the same fatal editorial mistakes as a Scorsese film. There also did not seem to be much point in the prologue situated in Iraq, otherwise I could have easily given this a 5*
A thoroughly enjoying read and a successful horror book.
William Peter Blatty develops all of the characters he introduces to the reader, to the extent you are very much invested in the outcomes of all of them, even Karl the infallible robotic servant of the house.
Having watched the movie first, a mortal sin, I still found many of the scenes of possessed Regan still shocked me as a reader which goes to show how well the story was written. William Peter Blatty builds up the suspense perfectly before shocking you with the latest Pazuzu outburst.
The book also gives a lot more background character development for the priests while more importantly demonstrating some evidence of actual police work surrounding the increasing bodycount at the hands of Pazuzu, rather than simply closing the case of a man being found with his head the wrong way around!
I think the book could probably have been shorter, showing the same fatal editorial mistakes as a Scorsese film. There also did not seem to be much point in the prologue situated in Iraq, otherwise I could have easily given this a 5*
A thoroughly enjoying read and a successful horror book.