2020 Book Review: The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

This is one of those books I read to face a fear. From a young age the movie impressed upon me a fear of demons, the unknown, and what could happen if I ‘played’ with a ouija board. It later in life inspired me to write some things I have, so without a doubt The Exorcist has been in and out of my life for a long time. The movie led me to reading the book, which I have to say is far scarier. Books lean that way for me, usually. 
I couldn’t help to compare and found myself in a grey area of loving both movies after I could re-watch the movie, which I did when I finished the book. There are minor changes for cinematic reasons, as far as I could guess, but nothing so different that left me wondering what happened. It’s a slow read, for the brave… read at night. It will have you wondering of every single scratching noise, ever odd sound during the night, and maybe even cause nightmares.
I am aware a true story inspired the book. Which adds elements that are darker and deeper. I won’t go into the details of the true story, but it’s really interesting and you can see where the movie/book got some of its details different. Perhaps I’ll cover the true story in another post, maybe a special The Veil cover.


This review is a part of my 2020 yearlong self-challenge to read and review. I have reread some books for the purpose of reviewing them on my website whereas I have read others for the first time. Check out Book Reviews and Recommendations to find other book reviews, book recommendations, and more information about the books I’m reading, have read, or are sharing.

Have you read this book? What were your thoughts? Do you agree with me? Do you disagree? Let’s have a conversation about it.


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