Aria Sterling | the purring bibliophile

  5/5 stars As a lifelong enthusiast of the macabre, I find myself in the unusual position of approaching Robert Bloch's "Psycho" in reverse order. Like many of my generation, I first encountered the iconic shower scene through cultural osmosis, then experienced Hitchcock's masterful film adaptation, and later delved into the contemporary prequel series "Bates Motel." It was only recently that I finally turned the pages of Bloch's original 1959 novel, the genesis of the Psycho phenomenon. Coming to the source material last presents a unique perspective. The novel, lean and mean at just over 200 pages, serves as a fascinating study in the art of adaptation and the evolution of horror across mediums and decades. Bloch's prose is sharp and economical, a stark contrast to the visual extravagance of Hitchcock's film or the sprawling narrative of the TV series. The author wastes no time, plunging readers into the twisted psyche of Norman Bates and the ...