SYNOPSIS:

There was a golden age of horror movies from the late sixties to through the 1970's, that was brought on by a renaissance of quality horror novels like The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, and The Shining. In a world where we're all jaded by fountains of blood , it is a testament to a book's quality that it can remain a staple on the "best horror novel" lists. The story is about an innocent young girl, who's possessed by an ancient demon, an old priest that specializes in exorcisms and the research of demons, a young priest struggling with his faith after the death of his mother, and a police detective investigating a grisly murder. The book is engaging, and of course has its intense moments of supernatural activity and shocking moments that might be considered tame by today's standards. The truly unsettling thing about the book — and what makes it linger as a classic — is how it tackles larger themes about belief and the unfairness of the world. It questions a god that allows an innocent to be struck down and made to suffer and questions why there is evil in the world. It leaves the reader very much aware of your own vulnerability and the vast unfairness of it all — which are the most terrifying things to contemplate.