“Really, the classic Hitchcock film with Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates is based on a novel?” is what I blurted out when I read an online article on Robert Bloch.

Then I made haste to the nearest library…

I’ll be honest. Psycho the film pretty much follows the novel, however, there are some major differences that make it well worth reading.

The Bates Motel is located on an old highway which isn’t busy anymore and is about 20 miles from a little town called Fairview. Norman lives in the big house behind the motel with his “difficult” Mother; that’s all you need to know, for now!

Our protagonist, Norman Bates is different. He’s described by Bloch as a loner who is overweight, has glasses and an alcohol problem (don’t we all?) which is a far cry from Anthony Perkins’ portrayal in the films (see photo below.)

Anthony Perkins, as Norman Bates, outside his Motel.

I really liked Bloch’s “version” as it made more sense that it was the alcohol that-made-Bates-do-the-thing-that-I-can’t-say-as-it-would-ruin-the-novel. Although you probably already know!

It’s written from a first person viewpoint with each chapter dealing with one of the 5-6 characters in the story. This means that you get to know more about the thoughts of each person. From this, I learned that Norman Bates is well-read and really understands academic subjects such a psychology and physics which adds a certain depth to his character.

The Mother, Norma Bates cuts a really spooky figure in this novel too. I like the way she’s always lurking in the shadows and is described as having a “shrill” and “high pitched” voice.  Read this section to see what I mean:

“He didn’t even have to look up to know she was there. In fact, he didn’t look up; he pretended to continue his reading, instead. Mother had been sleeping in her room, and knew how crabby she could get when just awakened. So it was best to keep quiet and hope that she wasn’t in one of her bad moods.

‘Norman, do you know what time it is?’

He sighed and closed the book. He could tell now that she was going to be difficult; the very question was a challenge. Mother had to pass the grandfather clock in the hall in order to come in here and she could easily see what time it was.

At 150 pages, this novella is straight to the point but really gets you living each character’s actions.  Personally, I loved Hitchcock’s film of Psycho but after reading this, I have a much better understanding of Norman Bates and what happened at that bloody  Motel.

Click here to buy Psycho from Amazon

Have you read Psycho by Robert Bloch? Post your thoughts in the comments below or join in the discussion on Facebook or Instagram.