The Exorcist

the long version

Inspired by a 1949 newspaper account of the exorcism of a 14-year-old boy, THE EXORCIST, like the earlier ROSEMARY'S BABY, helped break out horror fiction to a wider, more mainstream audience. Critics had fairly strong reactions to the book, giving it either a rave or an extremely negative review. However, there is no doubt that THE EXORCIST has had a far-ranging appeal for readers; the book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for over a year and has sold millions of copies to date. W