--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every book for me is an exorcism in some…" description: "\"Every book for me is an exorcism in some way or another, working through my feelings at the time.\" — Bret Easton Ellis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/548/bret-easton-ellis-1028_book_every-book-for-me-is-an-exorcism-in-some_91866.jpg" --- # Every book for me is an exorcism in some way or another… ![“Every book for me is an exorcism in some way or another, working through my feelings at the time.” quote by Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/548/bret-easton-ellis-1028_book_every-book-for-me-is-an-exorcism-in-some_91866.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/548/bret-easton-ellis-1028_book_every-book-for-me-is-an-exorcism-in-some_91866.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/548/bret-easton-ellis-1028_book_every-book-for-me-is-an-exorcism-in-some_91866.jpg) > “Every book for me is an exorcism in some way or another, working through my feelings at the time.” [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading serves as a therapeutic ritual, allowing the writer to confront and purge personal emotions through narrative. **In simple terms:** Books act as emotional exorcisms. Key Takeaway Writing transforms inner turmoil. Themes writing therapy self‑exploration literature Mood introspective melancholic Type personal reflection creative process When to use this quote - journaling after a breakup - author drafting a novel to process grief - using poetry to work through anxiety Key Concepts catharsis creative processing Practical Applications - write regularly to externalize feelings - read works that mirror personal struggles Questions to Reflect On - How does the act of writing differ from simply thinking about feelings? - When can a book become a hindrance rather than a release? A Different Perspective Not all readers find catharsis; some may feel overwhelmed by confronting emotions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Exorcism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-exorcism-1139146/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Exorcism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exorcism/) [Exorcism Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exorcism-way-1139147/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Working Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-feelings-1139148/) ## Related quotes > [Sentimentalism is the working off on yourself of feelings you haven't really got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/sentimentalism-is-the-working-off-on-yourself-of-feelings-you-haven-t/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [I began with small roles in successful movies like 'No Country For Old Men' by the Coen brothers; but it was 'The Last Exorcism'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caleb-landry-jones/i-began-with-small-roles-in-successful-movies-like-no-country-for-old/) [Caleb Landry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caleb-landry-jones/) > [One of the things people don't know about exorcism, is that you can't really use exorcism on things that are older than Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolores-ashcroft-nowicki/one-of-the-things-people-don-t-know-about-exorcism-is-that-you-can-t/) [Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolores-ashcroft-nowicki/) > [In school I was always being cast as the clown. 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If a tribe of Aqualishes wants to boil rhino horns in frog saliva on the National Mall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-parker/of-course-certain-religious-expressions-are-fine-if-a-tribe-of/) [Kathleen Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-parker/) > [“Only after you've done the exorcism, then you'll understand that ghost's also a species.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/only-after-you-ve-done-the-exorcism-then-you-ll-understand-that-ghost/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“This book, for me, is less an exercise in recall than exorcism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/this-book-for-me-is-less-an-exercise-in-recall-than-exorcism/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [Danced healing rituals (in African village compounds, temple courtyards, dance-therapy studios, public theaters, and other social settings) reinvoke old traumas for exorcism and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-lynne-hanna/danced-healing-rituals-in-african-village-compounds-temple-courtyards/) [Judith Lynne Hanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-lynne-hanna/) > [And as the hour approached for the execution, in his own mind, Collins became both the executioner and the victim. He would pace up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/and-as-the-hour-approached-for-the-execution-in-his-own-mind-collins/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [Performing an exorcism was like changing your oil. It's a drag, but necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keanu-reeves/performing-an-exorcism-was-like-changing-your-oil-it-s-a-drag-but/) [Keanu Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keanu-reeves/) > [I had a full exorcism performed on me from an archbishop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zak-bagans/i-had-a-full-exorcism-performed-on-me-from-an-archbishop/) [Zak Bagans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zak-bagans/) > [Any writer worth his salt writes to please himself...It's a self-exploratory operation that is endless. An exorcism of not necessarily his demon, but of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/any-writer-worth-his-salt-writes-to-please-himself-it-s-a-self/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I was haunted by a bear attack that happened in Algonquin Park in 1991. The problem was that I don't believe in ghosts, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-cameron/i-was-haunted-by-a-bear-attack-that-happened-in-algonquin-park-in/) [Claire Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-cameron/) ## More by Bret Easton Ellis > [“he looked at me with such vehemence that I felt like a blip, a fart, in the course of his life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/he-looked-at-me-with-such-vehemence-that-i-felt-like-a-blip-a-fart-in/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“This isn't a script," Julian says. "It's not going to add up. Not everything's going to come together in the third act.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/this-isn-t-a-script-julian-says-it-s-not-going-to-add-up-not/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“I want to watch it again tonight even though I know I won't have enough time to masturbate over the scene where the woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/i-want-to-watch-it-again-tonight-even-though-i-know-i-won-t-have/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“On my way over to Park Avenue to find a cab I pass an ugly, homeless bum-- a member of the genetic underclass-- and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/on-my-way-over-to-park-avenue-to-find-a-cab-i-pass-an-ugly-homeless/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [I've forgotten who I had lunch with earlier, and even more important, where.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/i-ve-forgotten-who-i-had-lunch-with-earlier-and-even-more-important/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [Why was I holding on to something that would never be mine? But isn't that what people do?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/why-was-i-holding-on-to-something-that-would-never-be-mine-but-isn-t/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [The seeds of love have taken hold and if we won't burn together, I'll burn alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/the-seeds-of-love-have-taken-hold-and-if-we-won-t-burn-together-i-ll/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“It wasn't until the show was almost over that I figured out what it was: the crack above my David Onica that I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/it-wasn-t-until-the-show-was-almost-over-that-i-figured-out-what-it/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [What do you do?' she asks, holding out the vest. 'What do you do?' 'What do you do?' she asks, her voice shaking. 'Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/what-do-you-do-she-asks-holding-out-the-vest-what-do-you-do-what-do/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“Sometimes when you’re standing in a crowd I feel those sultry dark eyes of yours stop on me. Are you too afraid to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/sometimes-when-you-re-standing-in-a-crowd-i-feel-those-sultry-dark/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“Scientists peered into data and concluded that we should all be worried. -Lunar planet”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/scientists-peered-into-data-and-concluded-that-we-should-all-be/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“You can't get dyslexia from pussy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/you-can-t-get-dyslexia-from-pussy/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [Open the hood of a car and it will tell you something about the people who designed it, is just one of many phrases…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/open-the-hood-of-a-car-and-it-will-tell-you-something-about-the/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [I kept staring into the blackness of the woods, drawn into the darkness as I always had been. 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