UPDATE: The book sold out less than 30 hours after being officially announced!  Thanks to all of the collectors who ordered a copy!

Here is the latest news from Lonely Road Books, which I thought might be of interest:

The Exorcist: The 40th Anniversary Revised Limited Edition
by William Peter Blatty
featuring original artwork by Caniglia

Earlier this year, William Peter Blatty announced that he had revised his original manuscript for THE EXORCIST to be published as a special 40th Anniversary edition.

Lonely Road Books will be publishing a deluxe, oversized, slipcased and signed Limited Edition of this version of the book next year. This edition will feature full-color artwork by Caniglia and will be limited to just 374 copies of the Limited Edition and 26 copies of the Lettered Edition, making it an extremely collectible edition.

About the Revised Special Edition:
For the special 40th Anniversary Edition of The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty has returned to the manuscript, reworking portions of the book that never satisfied him. Due to financial constraints and a pressing workload at the time, he was forced to forego a desired revision. “For most of these past forty years I have rued not having done a thorough second draft and careful polish of the dialogue and prose,” Blatty says. “But now, like an answer to a prayer, this fortieth anniversary edition has given me not only the opportunity to do that second draft, but to do it at a time in my life—I am 83—when it might not be totally unreasonable to hope that my abilities, such as they are, have at least somewhat improved, and for all of this I say, Deo gratias!” Among the changes, Blatty has added a chilling scene introducing the unsettling minor character of a Jesuit psychiatrist.

About the Book:
The Exorcist, one of the most controversial novels ever written, went on to become a literary phenomenon: It spent fifty-seven weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, seventeen consecutively at number one.

Inspired by a true story of a child’s demonic possession in the 1940s, William Peter Blatty created an iconic novel that focuses on Regan, the eleven-year-old daughter of a movie actress residing in Washington, D.C. A small group of overwhelmed yet determined individuals must rescue Regan from her unspeakable fate, and the drama that ensues is gripping and unfailingly terrifying.

Two years after its publication, The Exorcist was, of course, turned into a wildly popular motion picture, garnering ten Academy Award nominations. On opening day of the film, lines of the novel’s fans stretched around city blocks. In Chicago, frustrated moviegoers used a battering ram to gain entry through the double side doors of a theater. In Kansas City, police used tear gas to disperse an impatient crowd who tried to force their way into a cinema. The three major television networks carried footage of these events; CBS’s Walter Cronkite devoted almost ten minutes to the story. The Exorcist was, and is, more than just a novel and a film: it is a true landmark.

Purposefully raw and profane, The Exorcist still has the extraordinary ability to disturb readers and cause them to forget that it is “just a story.” Published here in this beautiful special Limited Edition, it remains an unforgettable reading experience and will continue to shock and frighten a new generation of readers.

About this Special Edition:
With an oversized page size and an extremely low print run, this special edition will feature a high-quality paper stock, a deluxe binding selected from the finest materials available, and cover artwork and original illustrations by Caniglia. This stunning special edition will be like no other book in your collection.