leopard13 is the
internet moniker of a father of two, spouse to one, who blogs out of The
City of the Angels. He owns a first edition copy of the book below and
one day hopes to have the author autograph for him.
The Ninth Configuration, by William Peter Blatty (Harper & Row 1978)
Just say the name, William Peter Blatty.
It does have its own sense of meter as it rolls off the tongue, now
doesn't it? You'll most likely recognize it, too. Just the same, saying
it three times in front of a mirror won’t cause anything bad to happen,
either -- contrary to urban legend. If you love books and reading,
whether you are a baby boomer or Generation X, Y, or even Z, odds-on
you've heard of him. Such is the legacy of authoring a horror novel as
famous as 1971's The Exorcist (which would go on to even greater
notoriety when it was adapted to the screen in 1973's film of the
novel). However, along with the popularity and fame for a book that
became an all-encompassing event, it can be too much of good thing.
'Event' novels can take on a life of their own, and they can build to
the point that all other work by the same author lies in its shadow.
Obscured because they are not anything like that book. Such was
the consequence for the next novel by author Blatty that it seemed to
fall by the wayside when it was published in 1978. That forgotten, but
wonderful, piece of elegant writing was, The Ninth Configuration.
What was released that year actually germinated from a hasty 1966 novel titled, Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane! From his author's note: "Its
basic concept was surely the best I have ever created, but what was
published was just as surely no more than the notes for a novel -- some sketches, unformed, unfinished, lacking even a plot."
Luckily, for those of us who read the re-envisioned work in the late
70's (and those who would go on to discover and appreciate
it decades later), it is an overlooked book worth remembering.
Ironically, WPB has said more than once he considers it his unofficial
sequel to The Exorcist. Although The Ninth Configuration
shares a very loose connection (via an unnamed character) from that
novel, the genre and plot line couldn't be more divergent. Plus, it
works whether or not you've read the legendary blockbuster that preceded
it.
The novel's story centers upon a select small group of military men secluded away with what are believed to be inexplicable
mental disorders. Or, being highly intelligent men, they could be
faking it--which could be the reason nothing has worked and why they
continue their stay at a decaying Gothic mansion. Their treatment, and
sanity, ultimately hinges upon one Marine Colonel Kane (a psychiatrist
who may have his own issues) brought to the sheltered facility to seek the answers in the most unexpected
of ways. Blatty crafts the story as a mystery to be solved, planting
its seeds in the unusual interactions that take place. The author’s
dialogue between the patients and staff are quite purpose-built, madcap,
and unexpected. I cannot describe it any better than what a good friend
wrote in a review of his, "Because the story is relatively brief, no
words are wasted in an attempt to be lyrical or poetic. Yet somehow
there are moments of utter poetry in the exchanges between doctor and
patients, and in Kane's own introspective reasonings." While the
material covered is meaty, it is one of the few novels that made be
laugh out loud, and had my eyes welling by the time I finished it.
One could describe WPB
as an author who writes eloquent, thought provoking fiction that draws
in his readers with clever, humorous dialogue (keep in mind, he also
wrote the screenplay for the comedy, A Shot In The Dark). Or put
another way, he’s a humorous, clever writer who puts out eloquent novels
that catch the readers off guard by being thought provoking. I'd say
both are true. He just happened to author a chart topping novel of
horror that eclipsed everything before, or since, in his bibliography.
However, The Ninth Configuration remains perhaps a more
intriguing read, and worth exploration by those who haven't experienced
it. As well, for those of us who are film buffs, sprinkled throughout,
the author references classic movie moments and dialogue within this
novel. A few years after its publication, William Peter Blatty would pen
and direct its film adaptation in 1980. Not surprisingly, it has
developed a strong cult following, and many believe the story is more
immersive on the screen (consider me in both groups). The 1978 novel is a
svelte 135-page work, and next year TNC will be re-released by
Centipede Press as a new edition. Purportedly, it will combine both
novels and will include a long essay by film scholar Mark Kermode in a
292-page hardcover. So on this Friday, The Ninth Configuration is not forgotten (at least, by me anyways).
"Every kind thought is the hope of the world."
ALSO MY REVIEW OF BLACK SEA in Crimespree Magazine.
