William Peter Blatty, one of the few authors to create a before and after in the American cultural psyche, died yesterday at the age of 89. The Exorcist and its companion novel, Legion, are not given enough credit for being not just horror novels, then movies, but also mirrors held up to human nature--as seen in this passage from The Exorcist.
The very best horror serves this or similar purposes: grotesqueries or terrors as mirrors. The Exorcist and Legion made us face our fears of bad things happening to good people, of the looks of innocence masking evil, and of our inner sanctums, our homes, not being safe after we lock the doors at night.
Thanks, Mr. Blatty. Rest.
The very best horror serves this or similar purposes: grotesqueries or terrors as mirrors. The Exorcist and Legion made us face our fears of bad things happening to good people, of the looks of innocence masking evil, and of our inner sanctums, our homes, not being safe after we lock the doors at night.
Thanks, Mr. Blatty. Rest.
Reblogged from There Might Be Cupcakes and Books:
Fascinating idea in this dialogue from The Exorcist, between Father Karras and Father Merrin: the idea of needing to love ourselves to accept that we could be loved by God. Self-esteem as a spiritual act. Daring to believe we could be lovable, loved, set apart. That's a dangerous, risky, frightening act of love. It brings the idea of fierceness and bravery to both love and spirituality.
