Demons Five, Exorcists Nothing

by William Peter Blatty, Drazen Kozjan (Illustrations)

A scathing modern fable that chronicles the descent of an acclaimed auteur and a Hollywood screenwriter caught in his own private hell. This novel draws on Blatty's own experiences in Hollywood during the writing and filming of such acclaimed movies as The Exorcist. Blatty takes no prisoners in this fable of towering ambition, cross and doublecross.

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Humor

260 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 1996

About the author

William Peter Blatty was an American writer and filmmaker. He wrote the novel The Exorcist (1971) and the subsequent screenplay version for which he won an Academy Award. Born and raised in New York City, Blatty received his bachelor's degree in English from the Georgetown University in 1950, and his master's degree in English literature from the George Washington University in 1954. He also wrote and directed the sequel "The Exorcist III". Some of his other notable works are the novels Elsewhere (2009), Dimiter (2010) and Crazy (2010).
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Reviews

[Robert Beveridge · Rating 1 out of 5]

William Peter Blatty, Demons Five, Exorcists Nothing (Donald I. Fine, 1996)

William Peter Blatty, the guy who made being a priest and a novelist cool years before Andrew Greeley, released two of the outright finest novels of the seventies, The Exorcist and Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane, both of which were made into equally excellent movies. Demons Five, Exorcists Nothing is, according to the jacket, loosely based on Blatty's travails in getting those two films (and a third, What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?, a light sixties comedy probably best forgotten) made. What it actually is is a painful showcase of how far the mighty can fall.

DFEN is like being in a therapy session with a crashing bore who thinks that the best way to get your attention is to name-drop, and who is so self-absorbed that he believes talking about himself is all anyone will care about. And I could say that it's a mark of Blatty's writing ability that his narrator is so loathsome. But when the character is too loathsome for the reader to continue reading the book, has the writer accomplished anything? Not by my measuring stick. I'm sure there were some witty jabs at Hollywood here, but they passed me by, I find Americans' obsession with the inner workings of Hollywood about as confusing as I find the British obsession with the Royal Family, and about as useful. This one's for the bonfire. (zero)

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gem that no one that I recommend it to has even heard of, let alone read. A comedy masterpiece from an author known for his horror novels, I read this book in a day. I couldn't put it down. I love when an artist can poke fun at themselves, and if you've read The Exorcist or seen the movie, then you'll appreciate this. Everything that made that book and film a hit is lampooned here by their creator, and it's a laugh riot.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the oddest books I've read. I picked it up not expecting a satirical comedy but was oddly pleased. Yes it's true that all the characters are caricatures and lack depth, but I don't think the story would work any other way. All in all, a fun, quick read with some fun references to The Exorcist thrown in there.

[itchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

eponymous-ey sentence:
p108: "...Dancing exorcists and demons!..."

le mot juste:
p133: The twenty-foot-long white Mercedes limousine with the blackout windows and FLAUNT IT license plates crept moodily in Friday night traffic en route to the pagodas and movie star footsteps-in-cement of the Hollywood Chinese Theater and the long-awaited world premiere of The Satanist.

I kept mistaking the novel for a non fictional account until I encounter hilarious parts.

[Justin Gerber · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lost book found. Blatty’s satire on the making of THE EXORCIST (er…THE SATANIST) by way of THE PLAYER and THE PRODUCERS. He’s always been dry and that’s on full display here.

[Amanda Hewitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Appreciated the humor, not exactly a Blatty book I'm used to reading. May he RIP. 😔😢

[Ridge Cresswell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely ridiculous. A fun and mostly entertaining book, but sometime so laden with old Hollywood references and business jokes that it’s hard to decode. Clearly Blatty was poking fun at himself here, and it’s nice to see that. A quick read and worth it, but not super memorable.

[Ralph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a horror story like I thought, but still very readable.