I didn't read The Haunting of Hill House until sometime early in the 1990's. William Peter Blatty More Quotes by William Peter Blatty More Quotes From William Peter Blatty From the cab stepped a tall old man. Black raincoat and hat and a battered valise. He paid the driver, then turned and stood motionless, staring at the house. The cab pulled away and rounded the corner of Thirty-sixty Street. Kinderman quickly pulled out to follow. As he turned the corner, he noticed that the tall old man hadn't moved but was standing under the streetlight glow, in mist, like a melancholy traveler frozen in time. William Peter Blatty black house men But a myth, to speak plainly, to me is like a menu in a fancy French restaurant: glamorous, complicated camouflage for a fact you wouldn't otherwise swallow, like maybe lima beans. William Peter Blatty camouflage fancy facts What looked like morning was the beginning of endless night William Peter Blatty endless morning night I have never read horror, nor do I consider The Exorcist to be such, but rather as a suspenseful supernatural detective story, or paranormal police procedural. William Peter Blatty detectives police stories Every man that ever lived craved perfect happiness, the detective poignantly reflected. But how can we have it when we know we’re going to die? Each joy was clouded by the knowledge it would end. And so nature had implanted in us a desire for something unattainable? No. It couldn’t be. It makes no sense. Every other striving implanted by nature had a corresponding object that wasn’t a phantom. Why this exception? the detective reasoned. It was nature making hunger when there wasn’t any food. We continue. We go on. Thus death proved life. William Peter Blatty perfect joy men In order for life to have appeared spontaneously on Earth, there first had to be hundreds of millions of protein molecules of the Ninth Configuration. But, given the size of the planet Earth, do you know how long it would take for just one of these protein molecules to appear by chance? Roughly 10 to the 243rd power, billions of years; and I find that far, far more fantastic than simply believing in a god. William Peter Blatty order believe years God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials. William Peter Blatty devil doe father You don't blame us for being here, do you? After all, we have no place to go. No home... Incidentally, what an excellent day for an exorcism. William Peter Blatty exorcism places-to-go home Procrastination is what we often call 'resistance. William Peter Blatty resistance procrastination Earth is a homicide victim. We lose our children. There are wars. Disease. And God comes strolling by like a cosmic Billie Burke. William Peter Blatty earth war children I tried to make every bit of it as creepy as I could. And I had the same response you do. I feel the same way. The hospital scenes, that procedure was so real. William Peter Blatty creepy real way Horror does not interest me, and so I know little of its practicioners, old or current William Peter Blatty horror doe littles And the sad truth is that nobody wants me to write comedy. The Exorcist not only ended that career, it expunged all memory of its existence. William Peter Blatty careers writing memories I lived in Georgetown in the late 70s about four houses down from the steps. William Peter Blatty four house steps The terror drifted over georgetown like the sun over a blind mans eyes William Peter Blatty blind eye sun I get cassettes near Academy Award time of every movie that's made that thinks it has some kind of chance for a nomination - that's when I watch my movies William Peter Blatty awards watches thinking Like the brief doomed flare of exploding suns that registers dimly on blind men's eyes, the beginning of the horror passed almost unnoticed; in the shriek of what followed, in fact, was forgotten and perhaps not connected to the horror at all. William Peter Blatty eye sun men Would you like to hear a nice definition of jealousy? It's the feeling that you get when someone you absolutely detest is having a wonderful time without you. William Peter Blatty definitions nice feelings Your thoughts are too dull to entertain. William Peter Blatty dull The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us; but he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. His attack is psychological, Damien. And powerful. William Peter Blatty powerful liars lying