Review - Legion by William Peter Blatty

Legion by William Peter Blatty

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Blurb from goodreads

Jesus asked the man his name, and he answered, “Legion, for we are many.”--Mark 5:9

A young boy is found horribly murdered in a mock crucifixion. Is the murderer the elderly woman who witnessed the crime? A neurologist who can no longer bear the pain life inflicts on its victims? A psychiatrist with a macabre sense of humor and a guilty secret? A mysterious mental patient, locked in silent isolation?

Lieutenant Kinderman follows a bewildering trail that links all these people, confronting a new enigma at every turn even as more murders surface. Why does each victim suffer the same dreadful mutilations? Why are two of the victims priests? Is there a connection between these crimes and another series of murders that took place twelve years ago—and supposedly ended with the death of the killer?

Legion is a novel of breathtaking energy and suspense. But more than this, it is an extraordinary journey into the uncharted depths of the human mind and the most agonizing questions of the human condition.

The answers are revealed in a climax so stunning that it could only have been written by the author of The Exorcist—William Peter Blatty.

My review

I really wanted to like this book and it started off well, you have a murder quite quickly in and the investigation by Kinderman. There are a few horrific kills throughout the book and a wee suprise shock and visit in relation to the first book which I absolutely loved. In fact most of the interactions and bits surrounding the mental institue were really good. However and this is where it loses its rating for me, it seemed like there was quite a few stories going on that could have been seperate books as they were pretty unrelated or unimportant to the main bulk of the story. Whilst the white noise (tape recordings and playback) part of it I have loved movies about and find it interesting it seemed quite unrelevant I thought in this.

The writing style at some parts I found mind numbing and dragged whilst going on and on about unrelated things I felt to the book. However the conversations with the priests and at the mental hospital where great and I charged through them eager to get to the next bit. Overall I was glad to be finished with it but did get some enjoyment especially with the suprise show from someone in the first book. A hard slog but from reading others opinions it is a definate marmite book, you love it or hate it so have a read for yourself but for me it is a 2/5.



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