Psycho [Mass Market Paperback]

Robert Bloch (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0812519329 | ISBN-13: 978-0812519327 | Publication Date: June 15, 1991

It was a dark and stormy night when Mary Crane glimpsed the unlit neon sign announcing the vacancy at the Bates Motel. Exhausted, lost, and at the end of her rope, she was eager for a hot shower and a bed for the night.

Her room was musty buy clean and the plumbing worked. Norman Bates, the manager, seemed nice, if a little odd....

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Icily terrifying!" --The New York Times

"Psycho all came from Robert Bloch's book." --Alfred Hitchcock

"A terribly chilling tale." --Bestsellers

"Robert Bloch is one of the all-time masters." --Peter Straub

About the Author

Robert Bloch is the author of the classic horror novel, Psycho, which served as the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's thrilling film of the same name. At the urging of H. P. Lovecraft, Bloch began writing short fiction in the 1930s; his first short novel, The Scarf, was published in 1947. In 1959, the year Psycho was published, Bloch won the Hugo Award for a short story and began to write for television and film, starting with "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"-a job he earned before the film version of Psycho had completed shooting!

Bloch also worked on "Thriller," a TV series hosted by Boris Karloff, twice collaborated with famed filmmaker William Castle, and wrote three episodes of the original "Star Trek" television series. In addition to this work, Bloch continued to write chilling and perceptive short stories and novels, including Firebug, American Gothic, Psycho II, and The Night of the Ripper.

Bloch's "unauthorized" autobiography, Once Around the Bloch, was his last major work. Robert Bloch died in 1994 after a long bout with cancer.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (June 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812519329
• ISBN-13: 978-0812519327
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I think perhaps all of us go a little crazy at times.", June 15, 2000

By 

Ryan Costantino (Nowhere, Special) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Psycho (Mass Market Paperback)

Psycho is a great read, made even greater by the fact that the book is 40 years old! Extremely groundbreaking in the use of a pathology for the killer, it seems that Norman Bates is as much a household name in American culture as Ronald McDonald. The Alfred Hitchcock film version seems to have used the book for the script, with only minor deviations. A short read, it's impossible not to finish this in one sitting. While reading I took down four pages of quotations from this book, it's that good and inspiring. I do think this book could have been longer and bloodier provided it had been written 10-15 years later. The ending was great and overall the book was awesome. Reading it was like watching the Hitchcock version of the movie, and vice versa. A must read Horror novel. On a scale from 1-10 I'd rate this novel a 10, for its historical significance, the intensity of the story, the quote factor, and characterization.

Come on, everyone knows Norman Bates!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just another opinion, September 2, 2002

By 

Sara Howard (O'Fallon, Missouri United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Psycho (Mass Market Paperback)

Some people say the movie was better, some people say the book was better. I'd say in terms of quality, they're about equal. The book is a bit different (for example Norman being a fat sweaty nervous guy and not a tall, thin, nervous guy). There is a little less about Mary in the novel, but I think there is more about Sam and Mary's sister. Unfortunately, as I was born long after Psycho become engrained in our culture, the end didn't surprise me, or really even disturb me, though I liked the way it was presented in the book more than the movie. It's a good, quick read if that's what your looking for, but I admit that watching the movie gives you the same disturbed feeling.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I hate to say it, but the movie was better., July 26, 2001

By 

JR Pinto (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psycho (Mass Market Paperback)

The cliche that "the book was better" doesn't always hold true. Even while maintaining that almost all of the important elements in the movie Psycho are found in the book, all the changes made for the movie are changes for the better. The film was right to start with Marion (Mary) instead of Norman. Anthony Perkins is more engaging that the fat, middle-aged Norman we are presented with in the book. And none of the horrific stuff is the same without Hitchcock's masterful direction and Bernard Herman's unforgettable score. But still, it is a great book and well worth the read - even if you have seen the movie first.