Book Review: Psycho by Robert Bloch

Pros: great writing, unique twist

Cons: if you've seen the movie, you know the story (including the twist ending)

When Mary Crane's boss hands her an envelope containing $40,000 to bring to the bank she thinks her troubles are over.  She impulsively drives to her boyfriend's town, intending to use the cash to pay off his debts so they can finally get married.  But heavy rain makes her miss a turn and she ends up spending the night at the Bates Motel.

If you've seen the Alfred Hitchcock movie you know the story.  There are some differences, particularly with regards to Norman Bates, who in the book is 40, overweight, and converses more with his mother than he does in the film.  Mary's also given more motivation for stealing the money.  Mrs. Bates is quite horrifying, especially given how Norman covers for her.

It is a highly suspenseful book, with a great twist ending if you haven't seen the film (and even if you have, the skill with which the author makes Norman's home life bizarre but plausible is wonderful).

With such a great story it's no wonder Hitchcock thought it would make an excellent film, and kept the plot so close to that of the book.  It's short (just over 200 pages) and a very quick read.

Book Review: Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello

Original publication date: 1990, republished by Open Road Integrated Media 2010

Pros: a lot of fascinating information about Alfred Hitchcock and Psycho, written more for casual film buffs than filmmakers

Cons: gets a little too in depth at times, no afterward giving recent influences of the film

Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho details the making of the film from the real life serial killer who influenced Robert Bloch's book, Psycho, to the aftermath of the film and what those who worked on it did afterward.  Rebello spent several years in the 80s interviewing people and the anecdotes he reveals are fascinating.

The book walks a fine balance between explaining all of the important aspects of making Psycho while not being too technical in detail.  Thus, film students can better admire it's genius and casual fans of the film won't be bored.  The downside to this is that Rebello sometimes fails, giving more information than the casual fan cares for (as with the explanation of how the film titles were made), while not being detailed enough for practical film students.

I found it surprising that, though this is a reprint of a book published in 1990, there was no new conclusion or updating ending, explaining more recent derivations of the film.  And the 'Psycho on Video' segment only mentions it being available on "videotape and laser disc". 

If you like the film and are interested in learning more about it, you won't find a better book than this.