Published in print in 1971 by American author William Peter Blatty and adapted for film in 1973, The Exorcist represents a benchmark in American entertainment. Audiences of the film were left horrified, disgusted, and entertained by the grotesque Catholic horror story crafted a narrative about twelve year old Reagan McNiel’s helpless descent into the throes of demon possession and the brave priests that rallied for her cure. Although the film stands out as a more significant cultural moment than the novel for Americans, it is a near identical adaptation of Blatty’s book, in which the author sought to perfect the plot of the 1968 horror film Rosemary’s Baby. Voices in the contemporary culture decried the film and it’s shocking scenes of blasphemy and many cities and countries banned the film altogether. The book currently sits at a high rating of 4.2 stars out of 5 on Good Reads, a rating that was accumulated from over 230,000 ratings. 

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