The Exorcist

I remember the film version of The Exorcist being released in cinemas and the resulting media coverage surrounding it. The cause was multiple, the topic of the film, gruesome and shocking scenes within the film and the mass hysteria it seemed to induce in a significant number of people who went to see it.

I was way too young to go and see it at the cinema, being only thirteen when it came out, but even when I was older and I could have hired it from the video store, I was never tempted. I had seen a few clips from the film and I had found those disturbing enough, so I had no desire to watch the whole film.

This, however, did not mean I wasn't curious about the content of the film, so when I saw the book on sale I bought it, though I do recall standing considering whether or not to buy it for quite some time, I think I might have even had a walk around the store mulling it over as well before finally deciding to buy it.

At the time the house we lived in had a front and rear living room, with the front one mainly being used when we had visitors. This meant it was a nice quiet room to go and read in, as the rest of the family would generally stay in the back room watching the TV. When I went in this room to read I would sit in one of the big armchairs, which was in front of a standard lamp, which was generally the only light I used to put on in the evenings.

Whilst reading the Exorcist though I had to change this habit as I progressed further into the story. I quite literally could feel the hair on my neck standing up and shivers running up and down my spine as I read, which coupled with an overactive imagination left me feeling very uneasy, to say the least. I ended up having to sit in the rear living room, with the family around, just to be able to finish reading the book. This is the only book that has ever bothered me in this way.