Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And I'm coming at you today with a review- very much a surprise review, one even I wasn't expecting to write. But, nevertheless, here I am.
Psycho! One of the ultimate horror book/film duo!
This might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm writing this anyway- because I have a fair few thoughts on it- which is surprising for a 185 page book.
I hope you enjoy it.
Title: Psycho Author: Rober Bloch
Genre: Horror
Release date: 10/4/1959
Status: Book in the Psycho series
Pages: 185
Blurb: "She was a fuguive, lost in a storm. That was when she saw the
sigh: MOTEL-VACANCY. The sign was unlit, the motel dark. She
switched off the engine and sat thinking, alone and frightened.
She had nobody. The stolen money wouldn't help her, and Sam
couldn't either, because she had taken the wrong turning; she
was on a strange road. There was nothing she could do now- she
had made her grave and she'd have to lie in it.
She froze. Where had that come from? Grave. It was bed, not
grave. She shivered in the cold car, surrounded by shadows. Then,
without a sound, a dark shape emerged from the blackness and
the car door opened..."
My Thoughts
I picked this up because even though it's only February, I'm already sick of deciding what it is that I want to read next. Not a good feeling when my Goodreads goal is 80 books for the year.
My partner was actually the one that suggested I read it. When I said that I didn't think I owned it, he said that he did. Upon striking a deal with him that if he found the book by the end of the day, I'd read it, I was not-so-surprised when he found it five minutes later.
So that's how I found myself picking this up.
Now, anyone who has a slight horror interest will have seen this, me included. I was familiar enough with the film to feel a sort of melancholy, as I tried hard to forget the sorts of events that would be occuring within the pages. Please tell me I'm not alone in feeling like this with certain books, feeling an emotion immediatly upon starting?
Another thought that struck me at the very start, was how similar the book, and then the film, was. That might have been why I felt the way I did, right at the start to be honest.
Anyway, Psycho follows Mary (Marion in the film) as she's forced to stop at Bates Motel in Fairvale, California, because of the horrendous storm that's descending around her. From there we meet Norman, find out why Mary is where she is, and the story goes on from.
One thing I loved about this story, was that each character was introduced at exactly the right time. They all fit right into the story, and nobody felt like I was reading them for too long, or was unclear as for why they were being introduced. I admired Lila for her fearlessness when taking steps to find out what happened to her sister, especially when nobody else seemed to be.
I will also point out, one thing this book does well is GETTING TO THE POINT. So few words, so few pages, just 185, and I knew exactly what part each character was there to play, what kind of person they were, why they did what they did (Mary especially), and what they were going to use next. The word for this book is concise- and to finish- none of it felt rushed.
My only critique was that I wish I'd had more on Norman and his mother- their relationship when Norman was growing up, and what led to the character we meet at Bates Motel, on that fateful night when Mary shows up. Of course the film more than fills in the gaps, I think having a bit more background in the book would have been a lot more detailed.
Overall, I'm so glad I picked this one up- I haven't read a whole lot of classic horror, unless you're counting Stephen King and The Midwich Cuckoos, but I think this book might just have sparked a lot more interest in the genre.
Okay! Those are all the thoughts and feelings I have on Psycho! If you've read it, or seen the film, or just have an opinion on Psycho, let me know in the comments!
I hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll see you all soon with my Wrap Up!
Byeeee!
-Abi xxxx
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