The Exorcist: 40th Anniversary Edition

Originally published in 1971, The Exorcist remains one of the most controversial novels ever written and went on to become a literary phenomenon. Inspired by a true story of a child’s demonic possession in the 1940s, William Peter Blatty created an iconic novel that focuses on Regan, the eleven-year-old daughter of a movie actress residing in Washington, D.C. A small group of overwhelmed yet determined individuals must rescue Regan from her unspeakable fate, and the drama that ensues is gripping and unfailingly terrifying.Two years after its publication, The Exorcist was, of course, turned into a wildly popular motion picture, garnering ten Academy Award nominations. On opening day of the film, lines of the novel’s fans stretched around city blocks. In Chicago, frustrated moviegoers used a battering ram to gain entry through the double side doors of a theater. In Kansas City, police used tear gas to disperse an impatient crowd who tried to force their way into a cinema. The three major television networks carried footage of these events; CBS’s Walter Cronkite devoted almost ten minutes to the story. The Exorcist was, and is, more than just a novel and a film: it is a true landmark.Purposefully raw and profane, The Exorcist still has the extraordinary ability to disturb readers and cause them to forget that it is “ just a story.” It remains an unforgettable reading experience and will continue to shock and frighten a new generation of readers.

The Boston Globe"There are not many readers who will be unmoved. Written in a literate style, The Exorcist is to most other novels of its kind as an Einstein equation is to an accountant's column of figures."

"A horror story for all midnights."

About the Author

William Peter Blatty (1928–2017) was the bestselling author of The Exorcist, which he turned into an Academy Award–winning screenplay. The son of immigrant parents, he was a comic novelist before embarking on a four-decade career as a successful Hollywood writer. Blatty died on January 12, 2017, in Bethesda, Maryland.

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