The Exorcist

I'm in a Halloween kind of mood. My socks have pumpkins on them, I'm getting ready to get out my Norman Bates "Psycho House" t-shirt, and I am definitely ready to be frightened. Last week's Shirley Jackson book is decidedly creepy, but today I will take it a step further and go into the world of scary. Just so you know, I am a fan of Stephen King and Dean Koontz, as well as books about vampires, zombies, and many other things that go bump in the night.

Potentially the scariest book I've ever read is The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. After watching the fantastically horrifying film, I sought out the book to find out if it could possibly be as frightening. Answer: Yes it is! Apparently the story of the young girl considered to be under demonic possession is loosely based on a true account from the 1940s. Chris MacNeil watches as her 12 year old daughter Regan becomes sick, deteriorating from something that cannot be diagnosed by doctors. She curses in evil voices, thrashes violently, and claims to be the devil. When Chris makes the desperate choice to have an exorcism performed, Jesuit priest Father Karras exhausts all options before bringing in Father Merrin who thought he had defeated the demon years ago. But the dramatic exorcism must take place. The Exorcist delves into both the the religious and the demonic, and the result is quite shocking.

I don't recommend this for those who are easily offended, or who don't like to have the living daylights scared out of them. But if you've seen the movie, I think you'll like the book, and vice versa.