Legion (The Exorcist, 2)

In this gripping and gritty final installment of The Exorcist‘s plot we are led on a thrilling chase for the Gemini killer, headed by no other than Detective Kinderman himself ! Through all the dark twists and turns conjured by this fresh spat of bloody carnage, we are faced with many questions of faith, reason, and humanity, with the detective as our guide.We are introduced to more people affected by demonic reach and lose some beloved characters along the way in this novel. The laughs, heart-pounding action sequences, gory murders, and heartbreak are completely worth it !I don’t want to give the plot away, but if the occult and murder mysteries are your thing — I absolutely recommend this book ! ( I read it in one sitting and could not put it down. )

Though I've revered the film, The Exorcist, for years, I only recently decided to start reading William Peter Blatty's books. I wish I hadn't waited so long! I was pleasantly surprised, when I read The Exorcist, at how well-written the book was, how economical, concise, and how breezy a read. That might sound daft, considering the horrific content of the novel mentioned, but it's quite true nonetheless: the book was a breeze, as far as actual time spent with it is concerned.On to Legion, which is the sequel to The Exorcist. I had only a vague idea of a film that was made based on the novel, but no real familiarity with the story. What chiefly interested me in the novel, besides the obvious reason that it was penned by Blatty and associated with themes I revere and enjoy, were some of the reviews here at Amazon. As a lover of philosophy, naturally I was not intimidated by the frequent mentions of the novel's protagonist William F. Kinderman's forays into philosophical ruminations. Some have referred to these ruminations as "navel-gazing" asides, distractions, or interruptions in the narrative; but on a deeper understanding of the author's faith and intention in the work, such broodings and mentations are as welcome in the novel as Hamlet's are in the play of that name.The ideas of good and evil, of cosmic or divine justice, the sad fact of catastrophic human suffering, the capacity of the human nervous system with respect to the toleration of pain, as well as the effects of suffering on human psychology, are integral and essential to Mr. Blatty's work, and of keen corrolation to the details of criminal investigation and pathology.I'm glad that I had the voice and image of the great Lee J. Cobb in my noggin as I read the book. I'm certain that this was a great help in my enjoyment of it. I don't see the character as a Jewish stereotype, nor do the occasional Yiddish terms and phrases bother me. As a Christian, I have a deep love for the Jewish people and a great interest and love for Judeo-Christian culture, theology, history, and literature. My favorite book, object wise, is my beautiful edition of the Tanakh. I truly don't understand the objections to the Kinderman character in this novel. He is a man of high intelligence and is deeply humane and compassionate. Incidentally, a carp in a bathtub should be so off-putting? So what? We have traditions. Give the book a read, you might like it. Couldn't hurt.Legion is terrifying, but it's also a pleasure, and important.

More a "thinking man's" guide to good and evil than The Exorcism. A good read for seekers of truth defined by others.

The Exorcist Legion is not. That's probably the best way to start. While The Exorcist is linear and focused, Legion is trying to do more than it is capable of and it results in a fairly unfocused, mildly rambling read. Now, don't get me wrong, William Peter Blatty is a phenomenal writer but this is falls slightly short for me. Let's take the antagonist for example. In the Exorcist, it's very clear who is stirring up trouble. While its form and exact nature are not explicitly discussed right from the start, it's pretty clear what the McNeils are dealing with. In Legion, its more convoluted which could have made for a very frightening scenario but unfortunately the author chooses to only briefly illuminate its origins, its motivations, its methods about 75% of the way through and when he does - its compelling sure - but its too little too late. Instead Blatty chooses to devote more time than is necessary to the protagonist, and not the protagonists journey in the story, but just the protagonist pontificating on all manner of unnecessary thoughts. While I understand its a device to demonstrate the thoughtfulness of the story's main character, it comes off as rambling and does nothing to really advance the story. In the end, this was just too much of a slog through the main character's ruminations on life and the metaphysical and the supernatural and not enough horror. And for that, I can say it's ok but that I would not recommend this book. After the Exorcist, this book will do nothing but let you down.

If you have a short attention span or a lack of patience, the ramblings and endless pontificating by Lt. William Kinderman in the first parts will probably get on your nerves fast, but if you’re a fan of William Peter Blatty and The Exorcist, you’ll stick with it because you know it’s going somewhere. I had the paperback once upon a time and never read it. I found a “gently-used” hardcover at a discount price on Amazon (my new hobby) and consumed it in only a few days. Oddly enough, William Peter Blatty passed away while I was in the middle of reading it.Kinderman was a character who fascinated me in The Exorcist, so I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. He’s on the trail of a killer who’s supposed to be dead. Or is he? I won’t rehash the plot, since it’s difficult to do without giving spoilers. Let’s just say there may be a connection to the Reagan McNeil possession of the first novel and leave it at that.This was also the basis of Exorcist III, a film I had never seen. I watched it immediately after finishing the book. As with The Exorcist, the novel is much better, without the interference of Hollywood, as you get with the movie. The character of Dr. Vincent Amfortas is integral to the story but never seen in the movie; Dr. Temple is more watered-down and less of a chauvinistic pig in the film, etc.Unlike Exorcist III, Legion is less horror and more philosophical. It made me think about and question things, and I can only attribute that to a fine job by this author. May he rest in peace.

Now that I've read legion and the exorcist I don't know if I can go back to King and Koontz and all the other writers I follow I just couldn't put these books down the books are so excellently written and are so thought provoking

I love the writer...this is the sequel for the exorcist, in my opinion it’s very very dark psychology, the terrifying descent of the psychologist into madness is the most fearsome and best written part in the novel. This character despite being secondary is the one that stuck into my head after finishing the novel years ago, the film is a tenth of the novel...the psychologist character isn’t amply represented in the film...highly recommended if you have the patience to read such a heavy reading.

Degno seguito de L'Esorcista, è profondo, richiede attenzione nella lettura, ma da molti spunti di riflessione a tutti, credenti o no.

El libro es de buena calidad por el precio, el papel eventualmente se hará amarillo puesto que no es de calidad , buena editorial, en cuanto al contenido es maravilloso , un libro muy hermoso en letra en el lenguaje original , no hay traductor que pueda replicar el estilo del autor, el envío fue rápido y eficaz, muy contenta!

The book primarily focuses on the unstable faith of common people relating to God, his existence and the morbid turmoil never ceasing in the world, Shifting perceptions and thoughts in a flick. Mind, senses and the overall questinable belief of people in goodness is beautifully portrayed in this book. The late William Blatty delivers us again with one of his intellectual masterpieces. A great, great book.