Wie vermutlich die meisten der heutigen Leser*innen kannte ich den Hitchcock-Film bereits vor dem Buch. So kann ich nur schwer sagen, wie es mir gefallen hätte, wenn ich den Twist nicht gekannt hätte. Gut gefallen hat mir, dass Bloch einen großen Teil aus Bates' Perspektive erzählt und man so einen Einblick in seiner Psyche und das Verhältnis zu seiner Mutter gewinnt. Ein paar Kleinigkeiten, wie z.B. Geschlechterklischees, haben mich etwas gestört, aber es ist halt ein Buch aus den 50ern.

Die Hörbuchfassung mit Matthias Brandt ist gelungen. Er neigt etwas zum Overacting, wenn er Bates in seinen psychisch instabilen Momenten darstellt, aber das hat mich nicht sehr gestört. ( )

1959. This book for its time is just exquisite. I’m soooooo very upset I had seen the movies before reading the book. Heck, before knowing there was a book or the joy of knowing I could read it before the movie.
Creepy, mysterious and so very unsettling is Norman and all that he is. I’m glad I finally got my hands on a copy so I can appreciate this classic and log its elements in my bank for future reads/critiques. ( )

It’s rare to be able enjoy a book and its movie adaptation equally. The characters are so wonderfully drawn, it’s impossible to not have strong feelings about them all, from the skin-crawling creepiness of Norman Bates to anger and impatience for the complacently incompetent sheriff. The story and the pop-psychology it depends on is a little dated now, but not enough to detract from the fun.

Sometimes the best part of a thriller is the big reveal at the end. No doubt Psycho has an excellent one, for the .0001% of readers who don’t already know. But for the rest of us, there’s no loss in reading pleasure for already knowing the book’s secrets. The author has so many tongue-in-cheek references to it, that it’s almost designed for re-reads. Every time I came across a seemingly innocent remark or reference with a double-meaning, I genuinely laughed out loud.

Audiobook, via Audible. Paul Michael Garcia’s narration is fantastic – his Norman gave me shivers, but he voiced every character and their POV perfectly. At only 5 ½ hours of audio, Psycho is just short enough to go on my annual Halloween reading list. ( )

“MOTEL — VACANCY. The sign was unlit,…”

Poor, poor Mary. And lucky me! I finally got around to reading this! I've seen the movie several times, but this book adds so much depth to Norman's character and to what was going on in his mind. And to think that he's a chubby guy in these pages! Not an Anthony Hopkins type at all!
If you like the movie you'll like this book! ( )

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