In the world of horror, few stories have left as much of a mark as The Exorcist. As the synopsis mentions, the book was first published in 1971 and quickly became a bestseller, and two years later, it dominated the box office when the movie version was released in 1973. And while many may be familiar with the iconic film adaptation, I am here to tell you that the book is even better.

I first saw the movie when I was something like 10 years old, and it terrified me. After watching it, I was convinced that my 8-year-old sister was going to be possessed, so I slept on the floor next to her bed so I could watch for signs of possession and try to save her before it was too late. No idea what the hell I thought I was going to do if that happened, but it was important to me to make sure that all was well in the house. Maybe it was a by-product of being the oldest child and feeling like I had to protect my younger siblings.

If you’ve not seen the movie – what rock have you been living under? I watch it every October, and it still manages to unnerve me. I first read the book when I was in high school, so MANY years ago. I’d forgotten how good the book is! The movie is a pretty faithful adaptation, and I credit the fact that Blatty (the author of the book) also wrote the screenplay for the movie, so there were no deviations.

In case you have no idea what the book or movie is about, it tells the story of Regan MacNeil, an innocent eleven-year-old girl who becomes possessed by an entity who claims to be the devil himself. As Regan’s behavior grows increasingly erratic and disturbing, her mother, Chris, seeks help from the medical community, only to find that no amount of science or medicine can explain what is happening to her daughter. Is it schizophrenia? Is Regan acting out after her parent’s divorce? It is only when Father Damien Karras, a Jesuit priest, enters the picture that the true nature of the evil is revealed, and now it’s up to Father Karras to convince the church that Regan is possessed and needs an exorcism.

The movie follows the book VERY closely, but as is the case with most adaptations, we get a lot more information in the book. For example, the movie only touches on the desecrations that keep happening at a nearby Catholic church, but the book goes into a lot more detail, which makes it more clear that these are likely tied to Regan’s possession.

We also get more insight into the fragility of faith and the profound struggles faced by Father Karras as he grapples with his own doubts about the catholic church. We also get a deeper look into the death of Burke Dennings. (Spoiler alert if you’ve not seen the movie or read the book), Burke Dennings is directing a movie that Chris is starring in. Burke is a bit crass and loves his alcohol. One evening, while Chris is out, her assistant, Sharon, has to run an errand and leaves Burke in charge of watching Regan. Later that night, Burke is found at the bottom of the stairs outside the MacNeil’s home. He appears to have fallen and broken his neck, but the police are convinced that his injuries show that he didn’t simply fall down the steps. The extent of his injuries indicates that he fell from a greater height before tumbling down the stairs, which were just below Regan’s window. In the book, we get more insight into the police’s investigation into his death.

While all of those additions are great, the creepiest parts of the book center around Regan’s behavior when she is possessed. We get the spinning head, the vomit, the crucifix, the crab walk, and even a few other scenes that weren’t in the movie like Regan spinning on her toes like a top and the way she chases Sharon around while in her crabwalk position, licking at her legs. Seeing some of this play out in the movie is scary, but reading it in even more detail is truly unsettling. The vivid descriptions of the supernatural occurrences are not for the faint of heart, but it is precisely this unabashed commitment to delivering pure terror that sets The Exorcist apart from other horror novels.

I am so happy I read this book again. If you are a fan of the movie but you’ve not yet read the book, I highly recommend you get on that ASAP.