The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

WARNING: Spoilers ahead. If you haven't seen the movie or read the book, turn back now.

I've been pretty hard on most of the books/movies I've read this semester, except for The Shining (I love you Stephen!). But I think it's time to turn that around, don't you?

You might remember the Exorcist from such films as, The Exorcist and... well that's it, because he dies at the end... rather unceremoniously, too. The Devil's in the heart disease.

But don't be sad, because the book, despite its title, isn't really about Father Lankester Merrin, noted philosopher-paleontologist, but about parental fears and the regrets of children.

The Exorcist is about Hollywood starlet Christ MacNeil and her daughter Regan, and to a lesser extent, Father Damien Karras (no, not that Damien). Long story, short: Regan is possessed by the demon Pazuzu (who isn't the worst of demons if you look at the lore), and for more than 300 pages we search for a medical reason for the following ailments:

-Speaking in strange languages
-Change in voice, tenor
-Levitation
-Random odors from scratch
-Unexplained knocking
-Extreme contortions, including turning of the head 180 degrees
-Superhuman strength

Yes, the priest Karras is more likely to believe telekinesis than demon possession.

The doctors try ever more complex treatments/tests, but to no avail.

Finally, easier than Karras made it sound throughout the book, the local Bishop approves an exorcism.

But again, the story isn't about the exorcism, and it really does play such a small and anticlimactic part of the book.

Imagine your child is inexplicably ill, and no matter how many specialists come in and poke and prod her, they just can’t figure out what’s wrong with her. It’s an extremely frustrating proposition, and one that I’ve actually been a part of. You are watching your child literally deteriorate in front of you. To make matters worse, she has already lost a child, and has an extreme distrust of medical professionals.

It’s also about a priest suffering a crisis of faith after the passing of his mother. Take a minute and think about your own parents. How often do you see them? Talk to them? Go out of your way to be with them? No imagine they trust you more than themselves, and they literally put their lives in your hands. Karras does that and he kicks himself the entire book for making what he thinks of as the wrong decision.

Blatty uses the paranormal to bring our natural fears to life. This isn’t a religious book. It’s a book that has religion in it. It’s not about the Devil or demons, but there’s one it. The book is about being an adult; about the choices we make and the choices that are taken away from us. Helplessness. Regret. Fear.

This book could play out as a medical drama just as easily as a horror.

Blatty is a strange character. He is both simultaneously literature and popular fiction. He brings symbolism and metaphor to the everyday reader like Wolfgang Puck brings gourmet to the airport food court. He is accessible and non-threatening.

The Exorcist is a true classic. It welcomes every reader, regardless of education or reading level. It’s as a rewarding read for the everyday academic as is for the one-book-a-decade crowd.

Blatty writes how people converse. Not every sentence begins with a capital letter, and sometimes a sentence contains multiple semicolons (Scott, if you’re reading this… Semicolons are good… Embrace the semicolon). At the end of the day, I felt like I was told a harrowing story by a fantastic story-teller.

NOTE: I read The Exorcist in one sitting(ish). It went quickly and held my interest throughout.