The author of Psycho presents an entertaining glimpse of his writing career, from his correspondence with H. P. Lovecraft to his screenwriting triumphs, offering anecdotes about such talents as Ray Bradbury and Boris Karloff along the way.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Bloch, famed creator of Psycho , treats us to a whirlwind, goodhumored survey of his long and impressive career. He chronicles his beginnings as a writer for horror and science fiction pulp magazines ( Weird Tales , Unknown Worlds , etc.), his early dabblings in radio and TV scripts, the appearance of Psycho and his subsequent adventures in Hollywood and his return to novels with Psycho II . Bloch entertains with accounts of his forays into politics in Milwaukee, Wis., and his tongue-in-cheek footnotes spice the text with humor, but his faux-naif puns (on statutory rape: "Why anyone would want to rape a statue I'll never know") wear thin. Bloch has been friend or acquaintance to generations of horror and suspense writers, and fans will enjoy his tales of science fiction conventions. But in this view of his life, Bloch substitutes glibness and easy wit for depth, falling back on name-dropping and anecdote when he might have offered his readers a glimpse of his emotional landscape at such times as the breakup of his first marriage or during his struggle as an impoverished writer for many years. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
The irrepressible Bloch (Psycho, and gobbets of brethren) kicks off his bouncy autobiography by calling it ``unauthorized,'' as if it appeared from apparitional fingers without his permission. Don't believe it: This is pure Bloch--and much better than his recent excelsior-packed novel, Psycho House (1990). Bloch sets out with gusto and never falls into doldrums, which suggests that even at age 77, if given a strong subject, he can summon the same youthful zest that flowed in Weird Stories and Amazing Stories back in the mid-30's, when he first published at age 18. Phony footnotes abound, including: ``This is not a footnote'' and ``Why anyone would want to be known as the author of Psycho is beyond me. For some time I've attempted to persuade the editors of Who's Who to amend my listing as follows: `Robert Bloch is the author of The Iliad, The Odyssey, Romeo and Juliet, and The Complete Works of Isaac Asimov.' '' Bloch, we learn, is a midwesterner of German Jewish parentage who first worked as a pulp writer (his mock-Runyonesque character Lefty Feep, he intimates, introduced a slangy new daffiness to sf and fantasy), then as a greatly admired pulp writer with a fan club, then as an aspiring hack for Milwaukee politicians (he actually got a mayor elected), then as a radio-drama writer. His winning a Hugo for his story ``That Hellbound Train'' and the filming, in midlife, of Psycho boosted his career ever upward. Throughout the memoir, anecdotes abound concerning great writing friends (Arthur C. Clarke; August Derleth; H.P. Lovecraft, whose correspondence with the youthful Bloch set Bloch on his writing career) and actor folk (from Karloff to Joan Crawford): Alfred Hitchcock, Bloch tells us, forever said that Bloch was responsible for everything in the film version of Psycho, including the last famous line, ``I wouldn't hurt a fly.'' Brilliant, loopy, Blochian, and a towering example of modest self-deprecation and lampoonery on a Lilliputian scale. Seriously. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a man, a fan, a life -- autobiography!,
By
This review is from: Once Around the Bloch: An Unauthorized Autobiography (Paperback)
I had the good fortune to meet Robert Bloch at a small science-fiction convention in Atlanta in the late 70's/early 80's. He read one of his short stories, fielded questions, then we were treated to a screening of Psycho (I think he may have left by this time.) I remember how warm and funny, even self-depreciating, he was. This book is like that. From boyhood and adolescence in hard times, to being a political "spin doctor" (before the term was invented), to marriage and children, all the while remaining a fan -- Bloch had a life, though perhaps not notorious, which was well worth learning about, especially the way he tells it. I miss him greatly, but was thrilled to learn of this book, and get one more glimpse of his greatness. Even a marginal fan will enjoy this book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fond memory unmarred by ego.,
By
This review is from: Once Around the Bloch: An Unauthorized Autobiography (Hardcover)
When hyping this book on the Sci-Fi channel author Robert Bloch quipped "People will be surprised to find that I have done absolutely nothing of merit with my life." Ha-ha. The man wrote Psycho, the novel that inspired the movie made by whatshisname. But there is also a bitter truth in that statement, Bloch lived the real working writer's life. The one where he didn't get to go to a great many foreign lands, didn't win national acclaim or even fame (despite the success of Psycho), but worked hard, and mostly broke, at his craft for decades. Both the man and his writings really are overlooked national treasures, both to those who simply read him or those lucky enough to have known him. I miss you Mr. Bloch, you had a great life filled with merit. Highly recommended to those interested in a real working writer's life.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
