I first read The Exorcist about six years ago, when I was first getting into horror media. I’ve never seen the film, and after reading the book I definitely didn’t want to watch it. This was a truly terrifying novel that I read in practically one sitting just so I could get to the end and sleep in peace. If I remember correctly, I gave it five stars.
However,
Since then, I’ve dived fully into the horror genre. I’ve read books that terrified me, I’ve read books that wouldn’t scare a kitten, and I’ve read hundreds of books that fall somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. My point is, I know what scares me now, and on a second read, The Exorcist isn’t it.
That’s not to say this isn’t a good book. It’s well-written and really easy to read, filled with interesting characters: you have Father Damien, a priest who isn’t exactly ironclad in his faith; Kindermann, a detective who, despite his razor-sharp wit, has a mind that wanders frequently; and, of course, Regan herself. All of them are complex characters that no matter how much you read about them, they would still have their secrets.
The characters are definitely the best part of the novel, but the pacing is also brilliant. Though the horror elements are present from the beginning, the cause remains up in the air until the final act. Father Damien’s investigation into Regan is long and arduous, with Blatty squeezing out every bit of tension he can. It’s a good mystery and an excellent thriller. For me, the horror just wasn’t there. Many of the horror elements rely on disgust and depravity, and I’ve read so much gore and body horror since the first time I picked this book up that the tame stuff no longer scares me. There were parts that leaned into the uncanny side of body horror – like Regan slithering along the floor and hissing like a snake – but otherwise Blatty kept things away from the weirder side.
Despite this, The Exorcist is still a brilliant Halloween read, and remains a classic of the genre.
Check out The Exorcist on Goodreads.
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