Psycho (Paperback)

~ (Author) "NORMAN BATES heard the noise and a shock went through him..." (more)
Key Phrases: Sheriff Chambers, Norman Bates, Mary Crane (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Robert Bloch is one of the all-time masters." --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (January 31, 1999)
• ISBN-10: 0747545251
• ISBN-13: 978-0747545255
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,235,548 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #64 in

  Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Bloch, Robert

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 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!

9 of 10 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 (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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.

18 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Third Rate Pulp Trash, July 4, 2003

By	Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Psycho (Paperback)

My recently-purchased copy of Robert Bloch's PSYCHO features a cover photograph of Janet Leigh screaming and a quote from film director Alfred Hitchcock: "PSYCHO all came from Robert Bloch's novel." Not surprisingly, however, no mention is made of the fact that Hitchcock considered the novel third-rate pulp trash.

And that, unfortunately, is exactly what this novel is. First published in 1959, the Bloch novel is everything you would expect from a bad 1950s pulp writer: it is lurid without being shocking, the characters are superficial, and the whole thing is somewhat less frightening than a baloney sandwich. True, the story and characters that Hitchcock would so successfully elaborate upon are all here--but if you're expecting something more in-depth than the film you are out of luck. The famous shower scene is all of four short paragraphs; the murder on the stairs gets even less attention; and it isn't until the final chapters that the novel builds up any steam at all.

The problem isn't so much the story--certainly Hitchcock's version proves that much--as it is Bloch's style. Or, more specifically, Bloch's lack of it, for he has none. And his characters are even less interesting than his prose, so it should come as no surprise that Hitchcock did not invite Bloch to work on the film. It is a bit unusual to find a film that equals the book on which it is based; it is rarer still to find a film that bests it. But that is precisely the case here, and quite frankly the spill-over audience from the film is probably the only reason this novel remains in print. Diehard fans of the film like myself can probably motivate themselves to read it through to the end, but even I regretted the time wasted on it. Give it a miss.

--GFT (Amazon.com Reviewer)--