Legion

By: William Peter Blatty

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

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 12 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.

©1983 William Peter Blatty (P)2020 Tantor

Not what I was hoping for

I went in to this expecting something similar to The Exorcist, and was really disappointed. Overall, the story was okay, it just took a while for it to form for me. I’m not sure if I’d read it again. After hearing the ending, it makes it make more sense.

Genious

An amaazing detective hau ted by the past and living his doubts in the present

Fine writing!

Kinderman is a classic character. The writing is mesmerizing. To call this a sequel to the Exorcist would only diminish it.

Easily one of the most profound, terrifying, beautiful novels ever written.

I won't waste your time with a long diatribe. This book, along with it's predecessor, will change your life if you really read(or in this case listen) to them. Legion is very different from it's movie counter-part, but what it lacks in a spectacular climax of an exorcism ending, it soars in a deeply profound finale. I only wish Blatty would have published his notes and thoughts surrounding this work, that we may understand his unifying theory better, but perhaps that was his greatest gift to this world, a theory, posed as a character's theory, that makes the book endlessly readable again and again in an attempt to fully grasp the monumental ideas Blatty was working with. Well worth your money, well worth you time, and wholly necessary reading.

engaging story

I love the story and I love the narrator. I'm definitely going to be looking for more books by this narrator.

Great sequel to The Exorcist!

I read this book a while back before Kindle or Audible in fact it was out of print.
Even the library had difficulty tracking this book down. I'm glad it's now available once again for everyone to enjoy.

Religion and doubt

I love blatty don’t care, I wish he could have narrated this it would have been worlds better. I love the subjects expressed, and the prodding imagery. It is very different from the exorcist in every way respectively. Still brilliant writing.

Thrilling

A thrilling murder mystery, not to be missed. Blatty is an amazing writer, I always enjoy his stories!

Unfortunately a plethora of words.

The dialects between characters was difficult to follow in who said what, I'm sure the written version would show the distinction. About two thirds of the story was seemingly irrelevant and pointless in building a narrative in the story.

Doesn’t feel like a sequel until the last four chapters.

I just finished reading the exorcist and was really excited to get through this one. I really enjoy Blatty’s storytelling techniques, but geez louise did this one have way too much speculation in general. Overall, pretty good book. I don’t know if it’s a necessary sequel. Last thing, I found the narrator to be pretty weak, especially compared to when Blatty would narrate own books.