Exorcist, The

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty is a landmark supernatural horror novel about a young girl whose disturbing behaviour leads her mother to seek help from doctors and eventually from the Catholic Church. As medical explanations fail to account for what is happening, two priests become involved in a terrifying confrontation with an apparent supernatural force. The novel combines psychological tension, religious themes and horror while exploring faith, doubt, love and sacrifice. Its unsettling atmosphere and dramatic conflict have made it one of the best-known works of modern horror fiction.