Psycho by Robert Bloch

It's been a few decades since I've watched Alfred Hitchcock's classic horror movie, 'Psycho', which was based on the 1959 novel of the same name and written by Robert Bloch.

With autumn upon us and the Halloween season rapidly approaching, I decided to read some horror themed novels to celebrate the approaching holiday. 

I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of Psycho by Robert Bloch and narrated by Richard Powers earlier this month while on vacation with my husband. Psycho is a super fast read and was excellently narrated by Richard Powers. I was actually very surprised at how much I enjoyed Psycho. It's a tightly written novel. I enjoyed the characters, the writing, and the storyline. There are some differences between the movie and the novel as to be expected.

Listening time for Psycho by Robert Bloch is 5 hours, 24 minutes.

Below is the publisher's summary for Psycho by Robert Bloch from Chirp's website:

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 but clean, and the manager seemed nice, if a little odd.

Norman Bates loves his mother. She has been dead for the past twenty years, or so people think. Norman knows better, though. He has lived with Mother ever since leaving the hospital in the old house up on the hill above the Bates Motel.

One night, Norman spies on a beautiful woman who has checked into the hotel. Norman can’t help but spy on her. Mother is there though. She is there to protect Norman from his filthy thoughts. She is there to protect him with her butcher knife.

This classic horror novel, which inspired the famous film by Alfred Hitchcock, has been thrilling people for more than fifty years. It introduced one of the most unexpectedly twisted villains of all time in Norman Bates, the reserved motel manager with a mother complex, and has been called the first psychoanalytic thriller.

I am giving Psycho by Robert Bloch a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars. I really want to watch the movie again now that I've read the novel.

Until my next post, happy reading!