sau s.’s Reviews > The Exorcist > Status Update

i have finally surrendered myself to the knowledge that i will probably put this book on hold. i am SO stuck, and honestly i have no motivation or desire to even encourage myself to continue. oof.

i'm torn between being engrossed with the story and wondering why it's dragging the way it is. this is a situation where i genuinely believe there's nothing Blatty could possibly have to say to justify the length of the story. i simply don't love the characters enough to be with them for that long under these circumstances.

the pages are flying past, but i'm still deciding on whether or not the book should be as long as it is. it doesn't feel like it's dragging, but i don't know what could possibly utilize 200 more pages.

Blatty's decision to use purple prose in this novel's prologue was a great one. the rich imagery and metaphors truly drew me in. however, the flowery language disappeared as soon as the story began. the dialogue felt diametrically opposite, which was a bit disappointing. i'm willing to guess that this has more to do with the characters than the writing, but i do wish the stylistic changes were more smooth.