Rating: 
Summary: The phrase 'haunting' does not even come close!
Review: All I can say is this; from the moment this book was published, the rest of the horror genre had an almighty benchmark to aim at. Because, you see, this is one of popular fictions all time classics. William Peter Blatty has produced a novel so sinister that fear is not the mind killer at all. Instead, fear is the drug that compells you to read on and on... The plot is intriguing, the descriptions truly frightening and the pace is at full velocity. Blatty refuses the reader a break from the sinister. Regan is utterly mind worrying and Father Carras a dark and brooding character in his own right. No dark stone of the mind is left unturned. The amazing thing about this novel, also, is that it seems to take a considerable time to reach the point of exorcism. This is merely part of Blatty's sinister plan. When you do reach the event itself, you have already gone through more harrowing images than you really thought possible. Exorcism is the breaking point. To conclude, this is a modern classic. There are not many novels that even come close to the impact that this book makes on your mind. Blatty plays on the fact that your greatest fear is your own imagination. My word, he succeeds with flying colours! For a book that is intensely scary, I somehow found myself scewered to my chair unable to escape the grip of terror that the book held me with. Utterly terrifying and utterly brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: Among the Best Hooror Books Yet
Review: As well as being one of the best horror books ever written, this has an amazing plot that captures you until the end.
Rating:
Summary: the ULTIMATE battle between GOOD and EVIL
Review: Forget THE STAND. Forget, even, THE LORD OF THE RINGS. THIS is BY FAR, the best interpretation of a battle between GOOD and EVIL. No, I haven't seen the movie, but even if I did, the book would deserve an EASY 5 stars. It is very OBVIOUS that Blatty did his homework--like he said, he read EVERY book on exorcism in the English language. The story starts off in the middle east--or somewhere abouts. At first, you can't help but wondering what this has to do with the story--well, you'll find out towards the end. Once the prologue is done, the story talks about an actress and her daughter Regan, also known as "Rags." Regan has an Ouija board. The actress mother and her maids start to notice things out of place. At first they think it's nothing. But then something happens that forces Regan's mother to take immediate action. About halfway through the book you meet a detective that might remind you of COLUMBO (Peter Falk). I guess it's the way he talked, and yes, it can get a wee bit annoying at times. As for the Exorcist, well, he doesn't appear until almost the very end, but it is definitely worth it. You can feel Blatty building up the suspense, page by page, until that final, horrific moment. All I'll say is that the end was very unpredictable, and I'm a person who is usually good about predicting endings before they happen. By the way, yes, this book is very vulgar and graphic at times, but on the other hand, most of it is done by the DEMON. This makes it believable. We're talking about a spawn of Satan, not some half-baked bum off the street with a fifth grade vocabulary and few morals. I finished this book in about two days, but I could have done it in one if it weren't for other things I had to attend to. This is a TRUE page-turner, but one that you'll want to read over and over again. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: brilliant
Review: The exorcist is the most terrifying film ive ever seen it certainly does stay with you .I can tell you i was certainly hiding behind my pillow. it gets to you deep inside, they say its based on a true story (gosh). The actress that played the girl when she was possessed was excellent.if youve never seen this film get down to the shops now!
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent! One of the best books I've read!!
Review: "The Exorcist" is one of the best books in the Horror genre I've yet to read. It is about a 12 year old girl named Regan McNeil, who at the beginning of the book is normal, but soon becomes possessed by the devil himself. Why? That my friend, is never mentioned, but the result is quite chilling! The storyline is excellent, Blatty's writing is horrific in telling the tale of a mother who needs the help of two priests to save her daughter. Later, in 1973, this was made into a movie that was a box-office smash, and is also one of my favorites. This is a book that is not to be missed!
Rating:
Summary: One of a kind novel
Review: This is a magnificent book and a terrifying read. If you've seen the movie (and who hasn't) and you were scared straight, the book is even better. I just couldn't read this book at night, to scary, so I read it during the day on a holiday.
Rating:
Summary: Head Spinner
Review: To date, I still recall some of the nightmare-inspiring scenes from the movie from when I first came across "The Exorcist" as a child. I decided against watching the new release and instead, opted for the book. That was one of the best decisions I made to date. Removed from the visual impact of the movie, I was able to discover, to my surprise and delight, the sheer entertainment found in the verbal exchanges between the demon and the humans. Just the sarcasm, wit, humour and oftentimes, educational informaton derived from these banters, make the book a worthwhile read. This is defintely one book that is very difficult to put down.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book! scary and intelligent
Review: I read this book in just a few days...I never wanted to put it down. It did not answer all my questions about the "why"s behind the plot, but on the whole, it's an incredible book. Buy it now!
Rating:
Summary: Simply amazing! Blatty takes the stage and walks off with it
Review: After viewing the movie as a child, and recently going to the cinema to see it come to life in the 21st century, I had to go the next step and purchase the book. It is worth it. The book could be priced at ten times its list and still be undervalued. There are only a few books I have been able to pick up and read the entire way through in one setting - this is one of them. It will grab you, and not let go. I spent the better part of one Saturday evening reading the tale, and from start to finish, I was never bored. I then spent the night dreaming of the tale, and woke with the desire to read it again - so I did. It is truly a fantastic story, and everyone should read it.
Rating:
Summary: A chilling, thought provoking classic
Review: Every generation or so a new novel comes along that shakes the western soul to its very foundations. For the baby boomers who were coming of age in the 60s and 70s, this novel was The Exorcist. The book's success (critically and commercially) can perhaps be linked to factors that have more to do with a generation's disillusionment than the shocking novelty of Regan's demonic curses...why did the occult phenomenon explode in the 60s? Because, for the first time since antiquity, large numbers of people in the West were beginning to doubt the existence of the Judeo-Christian deity (and because we live in a free society, they weren't afraid to talk about it). One of these doubters was William Peter Blatty himself...oh, he wanted to believe (and had an interest in joining the Jesuits, like his alter-ego Karras), but the atrocities of the world around him made him feel otherwise; how can God exist when the innocent are murdered and the wicked reign supreme? So he wanted to yell "Show Yourself!" to the Deity in the hopes that his crisis of faith would be alleviated. And then he heard about an authentic case of demonic possession and the wheels in his head started turning...the result was a novel about a priest who loses his faith and then regains it the hard way: the point of the novel is this...IF DEMONS EXIST, THEN GOD EXISTS ALSO. Perhaps that's why Karras has such a serene look on his face as he lyes bleeding to death at the foot of those steps in Georgetown...the Demon, in an attempt to make its witnesses feel "dirty and unworthy of God's love" (to quote a line from Merrin that was curiously left out of the film version's first cut), ends up restoring the dying priest's faith in the creator. How did Blatty himself resolve the crisis of faith? It all boiled down to the fact that human beings are also capable of great and selfless acts of good that are often driven by motives that are just as inexplicable as those that drive the worst human atrocities (Blatty's favorite example is the soldier who throws himself on a grenade to save the lives of his companions)...is this spirit of humanity God himself? Makes you wonder. But all philosophy (and theology) aside, the Exorcist is still a damn good horror novel. It even makes a hardened cynic like me get chills up the spine during a late night read...was that bump in the night just the house settling or was it Pazuzu re-arranging shoes in my closet? I also recommend Blatty's "Demons Five, Exorcists Nothing", a sort of memoir of his experiences writing and formulating the novel (and the title sort of indicates that the author believes that most folks who have read the book or seen the movie missed the point and ONLY saw The Exorcist as a horror story).
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