The Exorcist

Quite possibly the most terrifying novel ever written . . .

By: William Peter Blatty

Narrated by: William Peter Blatty

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE MOST TERRIFYING NOVEL EVER WRITTEN.

THE SCARIEST MOVIE EVER MADE.

Father Damien Karras: 'Where is Regan?'

Regan MacNeil: 'In here. With us.'

The terror begins unobtrusively. Noises in the attic. In the child's room, an odd smell, the displacement of furniture, an icy chill. At first, easy explanations are offered. Then frightening changes begin to appear in eleven-year-old Regan. Medical tests fail to shed any light on her symptoms, but it is as if a different personality has invaded her body.

Father Damien Karras, a Jesuit priest, is called in. Is it possible that a demonic presence has possessed the child? Exorcism seems to be the only answer...

First published in 1971, The Exorcist became a literary phenomenon and inspired one of the most shocking films ever made. This audio edition, polished, expanded and narrated by the author, includes new dialogue, a new character and a chilling new extended scene, provides an unforgettable listening experience that has lost none of its power to shock and continues to thrill and terrify new listeners.

A tremendous novel...fast, powerful and completely gripping - Sunday Express

Immensely satisfying... holds its audience in a vice-like grip - LA Times

© William Peter Blatty 1971 (P) Penguin Audio 2011

Critic reviews

A tremendous novel...fast, powerful and completely gripping

Well researched, written in a literate style... grips with the force of evil incarnate, and there are not many readers who will be unmoved

Wonderfully exciting

Immensely satisfying... holds its audience in a vice-like grip

Excellent reading

I’m often not a fan of writers reading their own work for an audiobook. Very few seem to be adequate performers. In this case, I can’t imagine anyone doing better than William Peter Blatty, who gives an emotionally engaging performance with well delineated characters. He does particularly well with Kinderman and with the demon, but really everything here is great.

Raw, chilling yet oddly moving and heartbreakingly human - a work of art

I have read this in print form years ago, and loved it. This book is so much more than the possession storyline- that is almost incidental to the torture the adult characters subject themselves to. Though the movie is good, the frailty, shortcomings and fears are brought to life by the elegant writing that hints at the very divinity the characters are so desperate to find.
Not normally a fan of authors reading their own books, I found the narration was a revelation. William Peter Blatty has a cadence, gentle tone and understated emotion that contrasts deliciously with the guttural tones of the demon.
Reagan bears the brunt of the demons fury, yet those surrounding her are already dead lost in their own private hell.
Ultimately it speaks all of us who have ever feared letting our loved ones down.... who realised their career choices were detrimental to our families... who are terrified of messing our kids up... who have been unable to embrace faith or have lost it. It paints a portrait of a society on the brink of being at the mercy of pharmaceutical solutions.
My favourite purchase on Audible ever.

Amazing

I loved this! I love the movie and when I saw this on audible I had to get it, it’s an incredible story and I loved the authors performance. 100% recommend to any horror fan!

An excellent reading of a horror classic.

An excellent reading of a horror classic by the author himself. I don’t know if William Peter Blatty has ever considered a career as an actor but the way in which he gives each of the characters their own individual voices as he is reading suggests that perhaps he should. Lovers of the film should note that there is a lot more to the story in this novel than there is to the story in the film on the screen, but then, as far as I understand it, this edition has more added to it than the original novel. The detailed descriptions of black masses make for interesting, educational reading. I am a Christian, and this may seem odd listening material for a person of the faith, and to end this short review without giving too much away I did not find the ending to be a downer but actually found it to be quite spiritually uplifting.