Reviews

Psicose by Robert Bloch

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justreaditalreadypod's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

vacantbones's review against another edition

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5.0

"No matter what she did, she belonged here, with him. Maybe she was crazy, and a murderess, but she was all he had. All he wanted. All he needed. Just knowing she was here, beside him, as he went to sleep."

What a wonderful, classic masterpiece. I don't even need to provide a summary for Psycho because not a single person isn't familiar with some aspect of the legacy that this book and its subsequent groundbreaking horror film earned (though, I'm embarrassed to admit as a diehard horror fan, I haven't seen the film all the way through. Sorry, one day!).

Psycho is, honestly, nearly perfect as a horror novel. It's blissfully short and gets to the point, it's gross in the best way possible, and it's twisty in a way that you can imagine being truly shocking at the time of publication. Bloch maintained that he was not 'inspired' by the antics of Ed Gein, that Norman Bates was a product of his imagination, and that he threw in a little reference to this real-life monster only at the end of his writing process when he realized that he'd somehow conjured up a character so similarly evil. Regardless of what the truth there is, it's almost impossible to imagine that there was a time where such subversive art wasn't part of the mainstream.

Perhaps it's fair to admit that this book isn't necessarily kind by today's standards - like other works that portray a mentally-ill, sadistic killer as someone who crossdresses (á la Silence of the Lambs), Psycho is a product of its time, one where transphobia and homophobia are par for the course. I do believe that it is possible to appreciate the way this book charted a course for modern horror while decrying certain aspects of it. We shouldn't pretend that Bloch's inextricably tying together gender experimentation with psychosis doesn't exist, but take it as a lesson of where we go from here.

I am going to pretend that this is a standalone because I have no interest in watching the story unravel before my very eyes. A must-read for students of the genre.

aoodiobooks's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I understand this was published around the 60s, therefore the nuances are very different to our current social standing, but reading this in 2024 feels more offensive above anything else. It was predictable, doesn't evoke any kind of emotions, the "reveal" feels unrealistic - personally it was a 2 stars, but considering the importance of its existence in the past I've landed on a 3.

nerdy_robbie's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

4.5

thedustwitch's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

imcnicol's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I've never watched any of the films or shows inspired by this but it's almost impossible not to know the twist already. Going into it I didn't have many expectations, but I wasn't ready for how boring it was for a good 2/3s of the book. I literally fell asleep multiple times while trying to get through this short book 😅 I'd say it was more of a thriller and less of a horror novel, although I can see how the elements could have been horrific in the time it was originally published. It's short so it is worth a read and gives an interesting view into the understanding of gender, psychology, and occultism in the 50s/60s.

mintymagenta's review against another edition

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4.0

Freud really could've used Norman Bates as a case study. In some ways, Norman is quite a sympathetic character.

He recognises the strange relationship he has with his mother and has tried to address it. He even suspects that he might have schizophrenia.

Due to this relationship, he has terrible internalised misogyny and anger issues toward women, in particular. He also experiences tumultuous cycles of shame, humiliation, rage, and guilt.

The book also makes a dig at police incompetence, but I'm glad that the sheriff redeems himself.

One bit that really stood out to me was how Lila pointed out that the people looking for Mary weren't concerned about her sister;

they only cared about the money she stole

. It seemed like Mary's life was worthless in comparison, and only Lila truly cared about her.

I also loved the shoutout to Ed Gein at the end!