PSYCHO by Robert Bloch

PSYCHO by Robert Bloch

I love this book. It’s fun, entertaining, and well-written. In addition, it is a quick read. I was able to get through the reading in a day; but more importantly, I wanted to get through it quickly because I wanted to see what was going to happen next (even though I already had a pretty good idea).

One of the most interesting things about this book is how Bloch portrays Norman’s relationship with his mother. From the very beginning, I knew that Norman was acting as his mother and that she was dead the whole time. However, I knew this because I saw the movie. I wonder, though, how long that remains a mystery for a reader who has never seen the movie. How much of a surprise was that when the book came out originally?

I like the comparison that is created between Norman and Mary. On page 44, Norman freaks out in defending his mother and proving that she is not crazy. In response to the suggestion that his mother be institutionalized, Norman says, “But who are you to say a person should be put away? I think perhaps all of us go a little crazy at times.” It is clear that Norman is crazy. But so is Mary. She stole money, swapped out her cars, and is on the run thinking that she can get away with her crime. They both have a crazy element to their personalities.

The initial murder scene is great. It is clean and quick. “It was the knife that, a moment later, cut off her scream. And her head.” There is no count of the number of stabs. There is no account of the placement of stabs. There is no description of the blood spraying or spattering. It is simple and great. I think that the brevity of the killing is a reflection of the insanity of the murderer. It is as if the murder is the most normal or expected event; so much so, that it requires no more detail than the two lines it is given. It also maintains ambiguity about the true identity of the murderer.

It is also interesting that both Mary and Norman were in some way significantly and adversely affected by their mothers. Mary sacrificed pursuing certain goals in order to take care of her ailing mother and to make sure that her sister could go to school. Eventually, after her mother died, Mary recognizes that she lost it. She sees her reflection in the mirror and knows that she has seen the “drawn, contorted countenance” before. Specifically, “after Mom died, when you went to pieces.” I get the feeling that she is a bit sheltered and maybe repressed. Norman on the other hand, makes sacrifices in order to take care of his mother’s corpse after he digs it up. In a way, through their relationships with their mothers, they both sacrifice aspects of their normalcy. (Of course, Norman loses a lot more of his normalcy.)

Overall, this is a great book. The pacing and the characterizations are wonderful. My only criticism is that I would have liked to read the book before watching the movie. I am interested in knowing if anyone had that experience (reading the book first) and what you thought of it.