D_Davis
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The Ninth Configuration - William Peter Blatty
I've been meaning to read this book for some time. I enjoyed the movie, and I have heard many times that the book is a fantastic work of fiction. I am incredibly happy that I recently found a copy, purchased it, and read it. From the very first chapter, I knew I was going to love it. While reading the opening pages, I felt like I was being introduced to a new friend; a friend that I would totally get a long with.
The Ninth Configuration is a thriller to its very core. I don't know about you, but sometimes (perhaps all too often) when I read a “thriller” I am less than thrilled. Usually this has to do with the length of the book. It's hard to stay thrilled for 300-plus pages. I believe that thrillers should be boiled down to their barest essentials. Get in, thrill the hell out of me, and get out - wham, bam, thank you ma'am. Blatty does this, and he does it incredibly well. But he also does more, oh so much more, and in less than 150 pages.
Within the length of this tersely written tome, Blatty examines topics such as Christianity, the existence of God, the horrible effects of war, the crippling power of dreams, and the psychology of those messed up by a system that uses and abuses. And as heavy handed as all this sounds, Blatty never forgets to illustrate the comedy found in the absurd situations. The Ninth Configuration is as funny as it is relevant, and it is as entertaining as it is thought provoking.
Because of it's short length, Blatty expertly conveys feelings of immediacy. The reader is aware that there is only a short amount of time for the author to get to the point, and so every moment carries with it weight and meaning. Each page is jam-packed with plot and characterization. Blatty wonderfully illustrates his characters' personalities through their actions, and through their actions and dialog he tells the story.
The narrative deals with a group of psychologically damaged military officers stationed in a remote mental hospital. One of the patients is adapting Shakespeare for dogs. Another patient punishes the atoms in the walls with a sledge hammer for not granting him passage. And yet another believes he is actually on an alien planet, and that everything he is experiencing is some kind of hallucination. Blatty does an excellent job at making these crazy characters come alive, and he conveys them in such a way that they become more than a collection of quirky idiosyncrasies.
Things begin when Colonel Hudson Kane arrives at the hospital. Kane is a psychologist and a religious man. He possesses more than a few unorthodox beliefs, and opens himself up to the officers. He makes himself available at all hours of the day and night, for whatever someone might need. However, he soon beings to feel the effects of his open door policy. Headaches, bad dreams, and physical malaise creep in to his life, finally revealing a terrible truth, and, at the same time, revealing a deeply rooted compassion for humanity.
With Kane, Blatty illustrates a number of strong Christian themes. Many of the religious ideas presented in the book are also reflected in C.S. Lewis' classic of Christian apologetics, Mere Christianity. Kane examines, exemplifies, and demonstrates many of the arguments Lewis makes for the existence of the Christian God. Through selfless altruism, self-sacrifice, action, love, and compassion, Kane becomes the embodiment of a Christ-like life, and he wants nothing more than to save those who need to be saved.
The Ninth Configuration is now one of my favorite books. I devoured it. I want to read it again, soon. I want to study its message. Blatty knocked my socks off with this one. It conveys a number of incredibl and important ideas, and does so in a way that is totally engaging and endlessly entertaining. With each passing page I grew more impressed with the narrative and more sympathetic to the characters and the wild situations they found themselves in. Blatty made me laugh, wince, gasp, and cry, and all within less than 135 pages of text. This is a good novel.
I've been meaning to read this book for some time. I enjoyed the movie, and I have heard many times that the book is a fantastic work of fiction. I am incredibly happy that I recently found a copy, purchased it, and read it. From the very first chapter, I knew I was going to love it. While reading the opening pages, I felt like I was being introduced to a new friend; a friend that I would totally get a long with.
The Ninth Configuration is a thriller to its very core. I don't know about you, but sometimes (perhaps all too often) when I read a “thriller” I am less than thrilled. Usually this has to do with the length of the book. It's hard to stay thrilled for 300-plus pages. I believe that thrillers should be boiled down to their barest essentials. Get in, thrill the hell out of me, and get out - wham, bam, thank you ma'am. Blatty does this, and he does it incredibly well. But he also does more, oh so much more, and in less than 150 pages.
Within the length of this tersely written tome, Blatty examines topics such as Christianity, the existence of God, the horrible effects of war, the crippling power of dreams, and the psychology of those messed up by a system that uses and abuses. And as heavy handed as all this sounds, Blatty never forgets to illustrate the comedy found in the absurd situations. The Ninth Configuration is as funny as it is relevant, and it is as entertaining as it is thought provoking.
Because of it's short length, Blatty expertly conveys feelings of immediacy. The reader is aware that there is only a short amount of time for the author to get to the point, and so every moment carries with it weight and meaning. Each page is jam-packed with plot and characterization. Blatty wonderfully illustrates his characters' personalities through their actions, and through their actions and dialog he tells the story.
The narrative deals with a group of psychologically damaged military officers stationed in a remote mental hospital. One of the patients is adapting Shakespeare for dogs. Another patient punishes the atoms in the walls with a sledge hammer for not granting him passage. And yet another believes he is actually on an alien planet, and that everything he is experiencing is some kind of hallucination. Blatty does an excellent job at making these crazy characters come alive, and he conveys them in such a way that they become more than a collection of quirky idiosyncrasies.
Things begin when Colonel Hudson Kane arrives at the hospital. Kane is a psychologist and a religious man. He possesses more than a few unorthodox beliefs, and opens himself up to the officers. He makes himself available at all hours of the day and night, for whatever someone might need. However, he soon beings to feel the effects of his open door policy. Headaches, bad dreams, and physical malaise creep in to his life, finally revealing a terrible truth, and, at the same time, revealing a deeply rooted compassion for humanity.
With Kane, Blatty illustrates a number of strong Christian themes. Many of the religious ideas presented in the book are also reflected in C.S. Lewis' classic of Christian apologetics, Mere Christianity. Kane examines, exemplifies, and demonstrates many of the arguments Lewis makes for the existence of the Christian God. Through selfless altruism, self-sacrifice, action, love, and compassion, Kane becomes the embodiment of a Christ-like life, and he wants nothing more than to save those who need to be saved.
The Ninth Configuration is now one of my favorite books. I devoured it. I want to read it again, soon. I want to study its message. Blatty knocked my socks off with this one. It conveys a number of incredibl and important ideas, and does so in a way that is totally engaging and endlessly entertaining. With each passing page I grew more impressed with the narrative and more sympathetic to the characters and the wild situations they found themselves in. Blatty made me laugh, wince, gasp, and cry, and all within less than 135 pages of text. This is a good novel.
