The Exorcist (novel)

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The Exorcist is a 1971 published novel by William Peter Blatty .

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12-year-old Regan is plagued by behavioral disorders , the origin of which is unclear. Without healing, their behavior becomes increasingly blasphemous and obscene. It appears that a demon named Pazuzu has taken possession of her. The Jesuit Damien Karras, a Catholic priest and psychologist , regards the matter with skepticism, since the existence of a demon would also prove the existence of God, in whom he as an enlightened person can no longer believe. As an assistant to Father Lancaster Merrin, he finally begins an exorcism . During the exorcism, Father Lancaster dies, whereupon Father Karras furiously provokes the demon to try him instead of the little girl, whereupon the demon drives into him. In a final effort, Karras manages to throw himself out of the window and thus defeat the demon. Little Regan remains healed.

The history

The novel is based on an exorcism that took place in the United States in 1949. In 1949, in the village of Cottage City , Maryland , Roland Doe, born in 1935, apparently in connection with the death of his aunt, behavioral problems ("obsession") were found. Roland was brought up in a strictly religious manner through his mother. From his aunt, who died on January 26, 1949, he learned about occultism and how to use an Ouija board. The mother first turned to the Catholic clergyman Albert Hughes of St. James Church in the neighboring village of Mount Rainier . On March 11, 1949, Roland Doe received a first visit from the exorcist William S. Bowdern and his assistants, Raymond F. Bishop and Walter Halloran. On March 16, Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter granted permission to perform exorcisms. This lasted until April 18, 1949.

  • According to Walter Halloran, the boy uttered Latin words during the exorcism. The boy could have known this from the Catholic service; however, he came from a Lutheran family.
  • According to statements by Walter Halloran and Roland Doe's older brother, Roland was able to spit on target. However, this was due to the fact that Roland was very practiced in targeted spitting.
  • The bed was also driven across the room with Roland, because it was on castors and could be set in motion by rocking it slightly.

On August 20, 1949, the exorcism was described in a newspaper article in the Washington Post . This served William Peter Blatty, then a student at Georgetown University in Washington, as the inspiration for his novel.

Book editions (selection)

  • The exorcist . Harper & Row, New York 1971
  • The exorcist . Molden, Vienna, Munich, Zurich 1974, ISBN 3-217-00411-6 .
  • The exorcist . Bastei Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 2001, ISBN 3-404-25677-8 .

filming

The book was filmed in 1973 by William Friedkin , also under the title The Exorcist . The writer wrote Blatty himself. The film was continued twice and also received a prequel in two different versions. In 2016, a television series was created , the second season of which started in 2017.

Play

In 2012 John Pielmeier directed the film story at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood (Los Angeles) , u. a. with Brooke Shields as Chris MacNeil and Richard Chamberlain as Father Merrin . The play was performed at the Birmingham Repertory Theater from October 21 to November 5, 2016 .

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Geffenplayhouse.com: The Exorcist at Geffen Player House. Retrieved May 18, 2012 .
  2. ↑ Edward VKanty: 'The Exorcist' Comes To The Stage As Fox Premieres Series. inquisitr.com, May 19, 2016, accessed August 27, 2016 .
  3. ↑ The Exorcist. Retrieved November 13, 2016 .