Customer Reviews

The Complete Stories of Robert Bloch, Volume 3: Last Rites (Complete Stories of Robert Bloch)

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This anthology is a fairly diverse collection of short stories written by Robert Bloch (author of "Psycho"). A few stories into the book, and you will understand why Bloch has been called the king of the shock endings. You will soon find yourself attempting to guess how Bloch will finish off the tale you are reading, and you will be right about seventy-five percent of the time. Does this harm the stories themselves? In a way, much as it would if you were reading a book entitled "100 Stories In Which The Hero Turns Out To Be A Vampire."

Still, several stories do manage to chill despite this failing, and they are superb examples of Bloch performing in top form.

Robert Bloch is a master storyteller. Every story that I've encountered by him has drawn me in. His writing is clever and suspenseful. If you haven't read his writing, you are missing a treat. If you've only read "Psycho," there's much more dimension to this writer than that masterpiece.

Despite being famous more for a single novel (Psycho) than his body of work, Robert Bloch's greatest contributions to genre literature may arguably be in the short story format. Whether writing for the pulps or the slick professional magazines, Bloch could be counted on delivering a unique and addictive blend of twisted shock and sarcastic black humor. Each of these 'Complete Stories of' volumes are pretty much required in any genre fan's library. Highly recommended.