The Exorcist

Though I am neither a Catholic nor a believer in gods OR devils, I found this book fascinating and incredibly well-written. When I read it (soon after it was published), it caught my eye because it was left on the free shelf at the YMCA. (!) Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down.

I liked the fact that the book was from the point of view of a priest who was losing his faith and that, through this experience, his faith was restored. It was an interesting journey for me to watch someone go on since I don't personally have any interest in religion and often wonder what those who do are feeling and how they reconcile different aspects of religion with what they see with their own eyes throughout their lives. If there were a god who was able to make such palpable and evidential things occur, it would be quite easy to have faith.

So, for me, this was a kind of fantasy novel. It worked beautifully within its own constraints and all of the characters were well drawn. It took me a while - in fact, it didn't happen until after the film based on the book came out - for me to fully realize how horrific the premise was for a large segment of the population.

I wish there were a sub-genre tag along the lines of 'religious fiction' or 'religion and spirituality'.