This book suffers from not being the film. That in itself is a rather ungenerous statement, given that the book predates the film, but I can't help myself. The film is, after all, one of my very favourites...

That being said, it's still an excellent book, managing to be both creepy and thoughtful at the same time. I like how all the characters have their own stories and background, separate to the possession storyline. So often in horror, the characters are ciphers (often interchangeable or stereotypical) but these feel like real people. I also like the ambiguity of the plot - even at the end, the question of Karras' guilt and sanity always leaves just a little bit of doubt... this is one point where, I think, the book is better, subtler than the film.

I highly recommend it, and have read it more than once over the years.