Book Review Rewind: Psycho by Robert Bloch

 

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,

   Psycho was written by Robert Bloch in the late 1950s. It is currently published by the Overlook Press, an imprint of Peter Mayer Publishers, Inc. In it, we are introduced to Mary Crane.  She works for Mr. Lowery five days a week, watching him get filthy rich off his real estate clients, something of which she is tired of. One of Mr. Lowery's clients is looking to buy a home for his daughter as a gift. He flashes forty thousand dollars about as if it is nothing and gives it to Lowery. Afraid to have that amount of cash in the office over the weekend, he hands it to Mary and asks her to run it to the bank. She takes the envelope and agrees to go on an errand to deposit the money. After she wishes to go home because she is not feeling well. He lets her take the remaining part of the day off. Hours later Mary is home packing a bag. Her distaste for Lowery and his clients fuels a crazy plan: steal the money, assume a new identity, and surprise her boyfriend Sam at his business in Fairvale. Since it is the weekend no one will be the wiser until Monday that the money never made it to the bank.

  Driving the last few miles to Sam, Mary exchanges cars to cover her trail. Upon driving to Fairvale the night takes over and a pounding rain causes Mary to miss the proper exit. She ends up at a dark motel. There she meets Norman Bates, an unassuming-looking man. He is friendly, gives her a great rate, and even offers her dinner. She is pleasantly surprised at her luck. She can rest and be off to visit Sam in the morning. But what Mary does not know is that Norman Bates has a controlling and dangerous mother. A mother who will stop at nothing to keep her son by her side. Even if she has to commit murder. 

  Psycho the novel is the bones of the Hitchcock classic. But it was far more brutal and terrifying than anything on the silver screen. This slasher-crime thriller delivers many wide-eyed moments, some of which were influenced by the real-life serial killer, Ed Gein. It is fast-paced and swift at showing us just how insane Mother can be. The death of Mary Crane is far gorier than the film. And the infamous Bates house was an entity of its own that told a vivid story of the Bates family. The narrative is as slick as a pool of blood, as Bloch begins to add clues as to what is really going on at the Bates Motel. I loved the setup to the ending and Bloch definitely delivered the creepiness needed to pull it off. When the truth is finally revealed through the horrified eyes of Mary's sister, I shuddered even though I knew what was coming.

  I read Psycho in part with the narration of Paul Michael Garcia. He did a great job presenting Bloch's words, capturing the characters quite well. He was particularly excellent reading the reveal at the end. I would be interested in reading the remaining books in the series with Garcia's voice to guide me.

  Psycho took a familiar movie that I have seen countless times and breathed new life into my understanding of Norman Bates. I loved Bloch's writing style and found his characters to be well-developed and likable. This four-star read made me excited for more classic tales of terror. I am happy that I took the time to finally read this novel. If a creepy and gory read is your idea of a great time, then look no further than Robert Bloch's Psycho. 

  

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