Customer Reviews

Psycho

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

(This is a review of the 1982 paperback edition which only cost $2.95) This book came out in 1959 and, one year later, the movie came out and was a HUGE hit! Everybody now knows about Norman Bates and him being his mother and all. So it's hard to give this book a fair reading. Everybody knows what happens in it and the twist ending and this book consequently seems to drag. BUT without this book there would have been no movie so, for that alone, it deserves 4 stars. Also Bloch was a wonderful writer and the book does move quickly. There are some changes---Norman Bates in the book is fat and unattractive and the infamous shower scene is barely described...but it DOES make it clear that her head was cut off! Also the ending is a little bit changed with how Mrs. Bates is discovered and Sam Loomis provides the explanation of Norman's behaviour. Other than that it sticks with the movie. The characters here are beautifully realized (you read their inner thoughts) and Bloch, every once in a while, throws in an amusing little twist on words ("Wright is wrong" made me chuckle out loud). So it IS a good book but everybody knows all about the movie so that makes it a little slow. Bates' talks with his mother go on forever! Still this is worth reading.

After reading everyone else's reviews and seeing what mostly everyone else had to say, I want to agree that the film is better than the novel. But, I still loved the novel. I think the bet way to enjoy it is to put yourelf in the time frame. It's 1959, a time that when we look back on it we think of a better more peaceful time. And the people thought they were living basically in peace. Then word spreads the country of a small town man from Plainfield, Wisconsin, (a town you've probably never even heard of). A man who has killed 2 women and done horrendous things to them. A man who has dug up at least 9 graves at cemetarys in the area. You don't know all the facts, but you have heard rumors of cannibalism and other suh terrible things. You are disgusted and terrified, yet eager to know more. Then, Robert Bloch, a more or less unheard of author at the time writes a book and says it is based on the Gein case. You recognise the name Gein as the small town man from Plainfield, Wisconsin. Eager to get inside his head, you read Psycho. It gives you an insight into Ed Gein's head through the character of Norman Bates and this terrifies you. You did not think anyone could ever be *that* Psycho, and with everything that is going on, you know that it may not be just a book, but a reality. My point is, while, even though it is a good, fast, enjoyable read, it may not seem very terrifying to you. But If you think back to the time it was written, you may get a better perspective. If you are looking for a horror that reads fast, and just hppens to be true (except for the hotel and other fictional facts) read Psycho; if you are looking to be really truly scared, watch the movie. I recommend both.

In another review of this book someone said that this book was exactly like the movie. It is not. Not to say it is any better or worse. Any fans of Psycho the movie should read the book. It gives many insights into the true nature of Norman Bates' frame of mind. It is also more involved in the relationship between Sam and Marian. I personally liked the movie better because it is easier to think of Norman Bates as being good-looking (as in the movie) than fat (as in the book). I also think there are more and better quotes in the movie. It is very interesting seeing the psychological comparisons between the two. I highly recommend this book.

Written in 1959, psycho holds up so well. Several reviewers have deliberated over the merit of the book versus the movie or vice versa. I do not think seeing the movie and reading the book are mutually exclusive. The movie is inarguably an all-time classic. In the movie version, Hitchcock builds suspense by using voyeuristic camera angles, frantic repetition and dramatic silences. However, the book is predominately comprised of internal dialogue. The narrative perspective shifts frequently and seamlessly from one characters internal psychology to the next. Each character is revealed to have a cross to bear. Bloch writes, "I think perhaps all of us go a little crazy at times" and each character reveals their own vulnerabilities. In fact, as I read it, I thought to myself, if I had been Alfred Hitchcock, why would I choose to make a movie out of this book? It's all internal dialogue! Reading the book enhanced my appreciation for Robert Bloch as a writer and for Alfred Hitchcock as a movie maker.

The book helped clarify the complex psychological issues within Norman and Marion. Their respective ambivalences are made crystal clear. The reader hears their internal voices talk them into a diabolical decision, and then the reader is privy to the conscious rationalizing the subsequent cover up. Marion had lived a typical life but talks herself into a scheme that, in the heat of the moment, seems to be the solution to all of her problems. The reader is permitted to witness her hatch her plan, develop dissonance in her conscious, then lose confidence in the plan. Obviously, Norman's life was never normal, but he was able to conduct himself in socially acceptable manner as a pariah at the superfluous motel. For decades, he functions without incidence on the margins of society.

The story centers on Norman's psychological crisis that occurs suddenly due to a strain caused by Marion's sudden and random appearance in his otherwise anonymous life. Obviously, Norman Bates is the primary character of interest and the namesake of the book. But Bloch permits the readers to witness the neurosis of each character. That is what I like about the book. No one is immune to insanity. Prior to the horrific events of the book, the reader is given a glimpse into Norman's abnormal but largely benign lifestyle. Next, the reader is permitted into Marion's head and guided through her thoughts about imminent middle age, rich people, dating and child birth. Bloch makes her dissonance crystal clear. The reader listens to her mind commit to one decision then talk its way back out.

Similar to the movie, the book is not gory. In the book, Bloch builds suspense with psychological tension. Along the way, he provides so many vivid insights into human behavior. The sexual tension between Marion and Norman is subtle but foreboding. The oedipal complex between Norman, his over-bearing mother, and his mother's suitor is explored and explained throughout. Both Hitchcock and Bloch were able to wind the tension tighter and tighter throughout the story. Hitchcock did it one way, Bloch did it another. Both are worthy.

Norman Bates. What does this name evoke for you? Perhaps a shower scene, blood, or a motel? Maybe Mother?

Norman lives in the house on the hill above his motel off the old highway. Travelers take the new highway that is a far distance away from the motel, so Norman rarely gets a guest to stop by and stay.

Except for Mary. Mary's escaping from her job, the boredom of her life, and with forty thousand in cash that she stole from her sexist boss. She's taking this money to see Sam, her fiance, and she's trading in one used car after another to throw the police and others off her tracks. It's not like her to do something like this -- after all, she's given up her own future to make sure that her sister, Lila, gets to go to college, and succeeds with more opportunities than Mary ever had.

Less than twenty miles from her fiance's town, Mary decides she'll stop to rest at a small motel. She'll get much needed sleep and freshen up. Tomorrow, she'll surprise her fiance with a made-up inheritance story and help to get him out of debt so they can marry. Unfortunately, she's picked Norman's motel to stay the night.

You may know the rest. There is the famous shower scene and screams of the beautiful young woman as she is literally hacked to pieces. The story then continues with Lila visiting Sam to see if he's heard from Mary as it's been over a week since her disappearance, and together they try to track her down.

It's a short story at around 175 pages, and in this short telling, it is without a doubt, utterly terrifying. Particularly when the story is told from Norman's perspective. He's quite an innocent, and his blackouts are written so genuinely that you truly do believe that Mother is really the problem. But the problem is that people think Mother's been dead for twenty years. An astute study in the question of when -- when does a person like this become who they are? Who shapes them to be this way? In several ways, it's a dated book, but overall, it feels strangely fitting even reading it today. Robert Bloch's tale of terror is frightening in its simplicity, and incredibly disturbing in several sections. Had I read this story (inspired by the true life of Ed Gein) during the creepy month of October, I daresay I would have slept much.

No wonder Hitchcock brought this story to a visual medium.

PSYCHO is maybe the best example there is of how to construct and write a novel.

Norman Bates is as fragile as a soap bubble, and Bloch milks Bates' pathology and circumstances for every drop of mayhem possible.

But its the architecture of this book that is impressive. Schools should use it to illustrate how you write a masterpiece with chewing gum and duct tape.

Having loved the film for years, I thought it was time to read the book that inspired it. What a delight. The writing is suspenseful and clear. The characters are well drawn and three dimensional. The intersection of chapters that allows the reader to see what different characters are doing simultaneously is dynamic and keeps the reader intrigued.

As for the story itself, well it is simply brilliant. The action starts quickly and never lets up. Norman Bates is far more developed and sinister than in the film. Mary Crane is dark and depressing. Even Sam Loomis is complicated! Poor old Norman Bates just cannot seem to catch a break, well, until he has a break down.

The only complaint I have is that my very old used copy (that is aging and looks like was once for sale at the checkout of a supermarket) has quite a few spelling mistakes and weird errors: Lila becomes Lisa for 3 pages and punction is sporadic for a page! (I thought is was funny more so than anything else.)

The book is just superb. The last lines linger in your mind. I highly recommend it!