Rating: 
Summary: Really Scary
Review: The movie has nothing on the original novel. The novel goes deeper into the subject of the occult than the movie, giving it a more ominous, sinister feel. The movie is scary, but this book will make you think.Although being one of the top horror sellers of all time, this book is also a mystery novel, an aspect of the story that is somewhat downplayed in the movie. The police officer Kinderman, and the Jesuit Karras have more detailed meetings than shown in the movie, adding more drama to the mystery of the unexplainable possesion. The actual possessing demon/demons, Pazuzu, is discussed in relative detail, and is an actual figure from Judeo-Christian mythology. The struggle between Father Merrin and Pazuzu is also accentuated, as they had many met years before in Africa. A truly scary novel. No matter what your faith me be, if you want to be scared by a book, this is a good read.
Rating:
Summary: The Power of God compells you!
Review: You all have got to be kidding! You call yourself a horror fan, and you still haven't read The Exorcist? Oh, you've seen the movie? It's not the same darn thing!! This book will terrify you to all lengths that one can go. If you're like me, you'll sit in bed nearly all night, lights off, covers over your head, and a flashlight in hand...reading. Knowing you have to get up early the next morning, you lock up your conscience in the wraths of Hell and indulge yourself in one the most terrifying, gripping, and elusive horror novels of all time: The Exorcist. Don't you DARE call yourself a fan of horror (I don't care how many Stephen King books you've read) until you take a look at The Exorcist. It may change how you look at the little things in life...ouija boards, divorces, and nerves. May want to take a closer look after reading this novel. I can't help my self...I have to say it...GREAT JOB WILLIE!
Rating:
Summary: A PREMIER READING
Review: Considered by many to be the quintessential horror tale The Exorcist loses none of its chilling power over time, especially when read by the author. Published for the first time in 1971 and made into a blockbuster film two years later, this is the story of a demon-possessed 12-year-old whose only hope seems to lie with a somewhat ineffectual priest who is tormented by his own visions of faithlessness. Loosely based on a true1940's case of demon possession Blatty's fictionalizatio is terrifyingly real. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest books of the 20th century
Review: Of course "The Exorcist" is one of the finest horror novels of all time. But, like "Frankenstein," it's one of the very few horror stories that has transcended the genre, and has deeply influenced the culture that read it. For me, this was a life-changing book -- not immediately, but in long term, by planting ideas. Like Chris MacNeil and Father Karras, I didn't come to The Exorcist with religious beliefs. William Peter Blatty's special talent is not that he takes the reader so deeply into the heart of evil; lots of horror writers do that. What Blatty does, as he forces us confront Evil as a personified, immediate power in the novel, is to make us recognize that there really may be forces of Evil in the world. And if Evil can enter lives in an immediately personal way -- whether literally as a demon, or metaphorically as the hellish problems that so many adolescents face -- so can Good, and so can God. "The Exorcist" is a wonderful thriller, a great page-turner, and the inspiration for a superb movie. Even so, all the literary craft is merely a ruse for author's purpose of luring the reader into something much more important. As with "Lord of the Rings", the author's outer creation is an outstanding work of fiction. The inner creation, meanwhile, is a signpost to a new reality.
Rating:
Summary: A bone-chilling masterpiece
Review: If you have ever seen the film version of this novel by William Peter Blatty, you may have a small inkling of the true horror this book inflicts upon the reader. Blatty's technique of blending the occult with ancient Christian practices allows the reader to see a whole different perspective of the Catholic Church.
The story is of Chris MacNeill, a renowned actress, her daughter Regan, and Father Damien Karras, a psychologist at Georgetown University. Regan falls extremely ill, and all doctors are stumped when they try to diagnose Regan's illness. Chris MacNeill calls for the aid of several psychiatrists who run many sophisticated, technological tests on her, and they, too, are stumped. Finally, Regan enlists the help of Father Damien Karras, a psychologist of Georgetown University. The skeptical priest refuses to believe that Regan is possessed, and, believing that her ailment is simply suggestive, that is, brought on by a feeling of guilt and a knowledge of possession, so he asks the bishop if he may perform an exorcism. The bishop calls upon Father Lankester Merrin, a priest who had performed exorcisms throughout the Middle East in Iraq and various other desert countries. Fathers Karras and Merrin begin their exorcism, and all seems well until it takes a sudden twist. If you wish to find out the ending, you have to read the book!
I strongly recommend this book to anyone and everyone!
Rating: 
Summary: As Dark and eerie as the movie (Spoilers)
Review: Although the book is slow at times, it's still as dark and eerie as the movie was. The reader actually feels claustrophobic when he describes the evil thats possessed Regan and struck fear in her mother and family within the townhouse in Washington D.C. The last 80 pages were truely gripping as you read the demons attempt to trick everyone in the room into stopping the exoricism. This wasn't in the movie. The extended conversations between Karras and the demon were supurb and I thought they should've been in the movie also. Also the book highlights the final confrontation between Merrin and The demon much better than the movie. You actually hear the demon make statements about their last confrontation.But overall it's the closest Book to movie transitions I have ever experienced. They are almost identical An excellent book and will definitely be in my top five.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping, immensely satisfying
Review: A wonderful book, that is everything a good horror novel should be:witty, intelligent, thought provoking, and most of all SCARY! Though I currently am unsure of where my beliefs lie, the author has cleverly set up his story in a way that it can be read two ways: one, an actual demon has taken control of Regan's body.Two: Regan is suffering from a massive breakdown, as all of the behavior she exhibits, including mind reading can explained away by any good psychologist. Or least recognized as being exemplary of some abnormal mental state. Even those who are agnostic, such as I, can be shaken, knowing there are people LIKE Regan in the world, only their condition is sadly not easily cured through prayer, and holy water. I consider The Exorcist however, to be cheifly a character study, where Regan 's "possesion" serves as an ink blot. How the charecters respond to this phenomenon is more revelatory of him or her than the condition. Karras's first thoughts for example is that she needs psychiatric care. He is a priest in name only, as he functions in a natural world where supernatural influence is wholly absent. Chris herself is atheist, but has no trouble consulting a priest when all else fails. Her belief system(which constitutes of none at all) is shaky. By the end she even states that she could believe in satan, but oddly, not in God."The Devil keeps doing commericials", she says with a weary sigh. The depth with which Blatty imbues his creations makes for a very satsifying reading experience, as few horror tales allow us to get to know and empathize with characters before they start to drop like flies, prefering a coveyer belt approach where the death of one character is immediately followed by another and another. The Exorcist is a very good buy that draws many parallels with another classic of the genre, the Silence of the Lambs, only here the captive beast is not quite the erudite charmer, and the main character's quest is not for a crazed serial killer, but rather discovering the mystery of faith.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly disappointing
Review: Over the years I've viewed "The Exorcist" numerous times. It has never failed to disturb me, and I find myself vowing never to watch it again only to return to it time after time. But I had never read the novel. It's a classic, so it must be good, right? I have to admit, I like Blatty's screenplay better.
It's extremely rare for me that I prefer a movie over the novel. I like reading and sorting things out for myself. There is nothing creepier than what my imagination can lend to a reading. I certainly liked this novel, but I found the writing to be rather pulpish. Perhaps my expectations were so high that nothing would possibly have met them. Perhaps I expected some sort of revelation not found in the movie version. I don't know. The dialogue seemed wooden and superficial at times. I was surprised at the lack of dimension in the characters. True, the novel reveals character motivations and mythical background that aren't provided in the movie. However, I was surprised at the writing style, and by the fact that less than halfway into the book, I wanted to quit reading. Obviously I am in the minority! Most people seem to like the novel version. You'll have to see for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Exellent
Review: Just like the movie.....cant put the book down...must read
Rating:
Summary: The exorcist
Review: The exorcist
In the book the exorcist it is about a girl that is possessed. I have the movie and I just loved the movie so much that I had to read the book sure it was long and sure some parts are boreing. But overall I loved the book i would recomend it to any one that are the ages of teens or higher.
I have always been intrested in the exorcist,and I actually want to buy a oijia board but I think that is to extreem.In the book the exorcist there are alot of reasons that I love the book. One reason that I like the book is because i always have been intrested in that kind of stuff being possessed.I also like it because it can actually happen to a person in real life.In the book the mother took reagan "the daughter who is possessed" to the hospital.Regan got a cat scan they heavily sedated her, The doctor pulled the mother aside and he said"I think the problem isnt your daughters mind its her brain". The mother didnt believe it but it winded up the girl was possessed but no one knew til the end of the story.
Another part in the story I really like is when ever regans butler surprizingly fell out of regans window. The mother made sure that the window was closed, and all so he would not of just opened the window buy him self and pushed himself out. Another thing with the butler falling out of the window was,he twisted his neck as"The only way he could twist and break his neck like that would be buy a extreemly powerfull man".They didnt think about it like a normal person wouldent think about it. They started to talk about,regan but the mother said that she was highly sedated and she was even asleap when she got home that night he fell out the window.So they thought that it couldent of been her.
The last event in the story that makes me like it alot more would be,the finial part when they put regan through an exorcist.Reading the book even makes chills run down your spine because you can immagine.A demon saying "Your mother is in with us karras".That would pretty much freak me out if I was in the room with us expecially because I have seen a ghost. What happened in the end was, the exorcist really didnt work out the way they planed it to. Father Karras said "take me" and the deamon went into father, and he fell down the steps.He broke his neck the same exact way that the butler did so they finaly figured out That it was regan all along.
In conclusion this book was a extreemly good book and I would highly recomend it to any one who likes pathological stories. I give this book a 10/10 due to exerything about it,it is by far my favorite book of all time.
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