Also read the book around the same time.
I have not had the guts to either see the movie or read the book. However, I have been reading a lot of Catholic books on the topic lately (on and off over the past 2 years, or so), and have been discussing the topic from time to time with various people. Very odd things are reputed to happen in this area. If even half of them are remotely true, it is quite scary. Either way, I have become courageous enough to read Malachi Martin's book, so maybe I will try the novelization of The Exorcist someday. However, I am in no rush!!
: )
It is the background info on that story that really gets spooky.
On the one hand, one can ‘know’ that the power of Christ is inviincible yet also realize how frail our human will can be, and that gets scary, too.