Psycho II

Psycho #2

by Robert Bloch

You remember Norman Bates—the shy motel manager with the fatal mother fixation. Now, years after his bout of butchery that horrified the world, Norman is at large again, breaking free from the psycho ward, cutting a shocking swath of blood all the way to Hollywood—where, so it happens, they are making a movie about Norman's life and crimes. A movie that suddenly and terrifyingly becomes a lot like real life…

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook, Crime, American

223 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1982

About the author

Robert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer. He was the son of Raphael "Ray" Bloch (1884, Chicago-1952, Chicago), a bank cashier, and his wife Stella Loeb (1880, Attica, Indiana-1944, Milwaukee, WI), a social worker, both of German-Jewish descent.

Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over twenty novels, usually crime fiction, science fiction, and, perhaps most influentially, horror fiction (Psycho). He was one of the youngest members of the Lovecraft Circle; Lovecraft was Bloch's mentor and one of the first to seriously encourage his talent.

He was a contributor to pulp magazines such as Weird Tales in his early career, and was also a prolific screenwriter. He was the recipient of the Hugo Award (for his story "That Hell-Bound Train"), the Bram Stoker Award, and the World Fantasy Award. He served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America.

Robert Bloch was also a major contributor to science fiction fanzines and fandom in general. In the 1940s, he created the humorous character Lefty Feep in a story for Fantastic Adventures. He also worked for a time in local vaudeville, and tried to break into writing for nationally-known performers. He was a good friend of the science fiction writer Stanley G. Weinbaum. In the 1960's, he wrote 3 stories for Star Trek.

Reviews

[Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of how this book came about, as related to me and others by Robert Bloch at a party.

Robert Bloch first heard that Universal Pictures were planning a sequel of Psycho through the studio grapevine. They didn't even bother to call him. He called the studio and offered to write the screenplay to which they replied "No thanks, we'll write our own." So the author said he would simply write his own sequel. In spite of threatened law suits, Bloch went ahead and wrote Psycho II before Universal finished their own script.

So this is why the movie and novel are so incredibly different. Mr. Bloch was a quiet and gentle man but you could feel his frustration with the movie industry that night and this frustration comes through in his novel. The result is a parody of the movie industry and a parody of the then current slasher film craze, which Bloch hated. The author's dead pan humor really comes out in this novel. Bloch also told us he showed the finished manuscript to the studio but they despised it. It was their loss for Bloch's Psycho II is cleverer than any of the unimaginative Psycho film sequels to come.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

A friend of mine saw me reading this book, and with a look of genuine shock said, “There’s a Psycho 2?”

Yes, yes there is. Here’s the thing though, I also knew there is a Psycho 2, 3 and 4. I knew of them, but only as films. I’ve actually even seen all the films (… I may have a problem when it comes to cheesy horror movies), and while they certainly have their own cult following, I will be kind and say they never had the popularity of the Hitchcock film. Hell, Bloch’s original novel didn’t either.

Here’s the thing I didn’t know though… I didn’t know that Bloch wrote a sequel to his own book; one that was completely different from the films, and is in fact, essentially him giving the middle finger to all of Hollywood and everything it stands for.

This book was written around 20 years after the film adaptation of Psycho came out. It was already abundantly clear to all that Hitchcock’s film had made cinema history. It was an important film, a bold film, and an entertaining one. The same could not be said of the original source material (though it was entertaining as well). Hitchcock took a somewhat clever little horror novel and turned it into something of a phenomenon. He saw something in it that Bloch only managed to find a touch of in the original, and no doubt there was a touch of bitterness on the author’s side that even though he created the novel, a good portion of the film viewers didn’t even know it was a book at all.

Here Bloch takes his revenge, as the plot involves Norman escaping the asylum, just as a film crew is about to make a movie about his crimes. Of course, on set hijinks ensue as violence hits the set. I could make a joke about directors yelling “cut,” but that would be too easy.

This is a book written out of pure malice for Hollywood, which not only took his story away from him, but made several sequels without consulting him or his consent. There is a deep hatred of all things Hollywood running throughout the book, with crooked producers, sleazy directors and actresses who will do anything to get a shot.

While I appreciate that the book is held together on malice and spite (really, in this case I do, as it makes for a humorous sub-text throughout the book), it is not a very successful endeavor. There’s nothing in this one as shocking as the infamous shower scene, and there’s surprisingly very little suspense or horror for a good portion of the book.

Another problem against it is Norman. One thing that made the original work so well, both the movie and the book (because yes, even though I think it barely compares to the film, the first novel is quick entertaining read), was that we cared about Norman. He was surrounded in his mind by events spiraling out of control and he was doing what he thought was best. He was interesting, and even knowing the twist, his actions remained sympathetic. Here the characters are damn near unlikeable. Norman had aspects of a voyeur in the original, but in the sequel is a flat out rapist with more than a touch of necrophilia added for shock value. All the other characters are assholes, and much like the slasher movies of the 80s, I just sat there waiting for them to be picked off and then being disappointed at the surprisingly low body count after the first couple of chapters. There’s really no one to root for or sympathize with in this one except for Norman’s doctor and even he comes off having issue from the start making the twist really not that surprising).

It also feels like Bloch was planning for the book to go one direction, then realized he needed to pull of something clever to shock the readers. So we get a scene of Norman supposedly killing someone, with even moments from his point of view, only to reveal that someone else did it while thinking they were Norman and that Norman was already dead! Clever, eh? Sort of, but it also begs the question “why should we care?” You killed off Norman at the beginning of the book “off screen.” So we got a Psycho sequel that is pretty much Norman-less all in the spirit of being clever. This seems a bit of a slap in the face to the readers who were interested in the character. You could have used any random killer and done the same trick, but instead the author basically decided to get a few more dollars by making it a “Psycho 2.”

As I progressed through the book, I found myself liking it less and less. By the time it was over, there was only one thing I feel like I can still praise. It has an almost Scream-like meta quality to it, as Bloch is very aware that people associate the story with the film instead of his book and is playing up on that. Cinematic conventions are there throughout the book, and it’s not hard to imagine the camera angles even as he’s describing how a scene plays out. It also plays with what the slasher genre was becoming and acts of something of a critique against it (something that does seem a touch hypocritical as characters voice how you shouldn’t sympathize with violent characters, when the first book had you trying to do just that).

In sum up, it’s a mean spirited and unnecessary book. Made out of spite and to cash in on his previous work rather than just coming up with something new. 2/5 stars

[Cameron Chaney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I. Hate. This. Book.

Wow. I can truly see why this has such low ratings. There are so many reasons. In fact, I will just list them for you. Warning: Some spoilers may be graphic.

1. Norman kills an old nun and proceeds to have sex with her dead body while trying not to think of his mother. I just... no. This is disgusting and unnecessary even for shock value's sake. Necrophilia involving a nun and incest is just a recipe for NOPE.

2. Rape.

3. Norman dies halfway through the book. What's even the point??

4. Rape.

5. There is a gay club scene that is incredibly homophobic and stereotypical.

6. Rape.

7. So incredibly predictable.

8. Gang rape.

9. A surprisingly boring plot, even with all the shock value.

10. And more rape!

What the heck was Bloch thinking?? I know he wrote this out of anger at Universal for making a Psycho sequel without his consent--and that anger shows very much here--but I gotta say, Universal's vision of a Psycho sequel is much better than Bloch's. I say, stick with that movie because it isn't half bad. It's a worthy sequel that feels very much like the original Hitchcock film. This book, on the other hand, is garbage and an insult to Psycho. Do not read it.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll be honest; I was expecting this to be crap. I figured it for a cash grab, released as it was just ahead of the movie sequel of the same name and released so many years after the first book. Turns out, it was actually pretty damned good and very enjoyable.

Bloch indulges in some metaficti0n, basing this story in Hollywood where they’re making a movie based on the events of the first book. This airing of some of his feelings about the movie version of his first book and the movie industry in general could have come across as just sour grapes or even quite cheesy but I couldn’t help but smile at these elements.

The twist at the end was great, too, even if I did see it coming. It was just so well executed I couldn’t help but applaud.

I’m more optimistic about book three now. Cautiously optimistic, anyway...

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Norman Bates is still insane, but he's treated well enough as a librarian overseer in the the mental ward of a psychiatric hospital. Years of therapeutic work unravels when a nun confronts his enemies for him. After his great escape, his psychiatrist hunts him down, tracking him to the places he's most likely to hit next.

A very quick read - mainly due to Bloch's easily absorbed writing style - Psycho II mainly offers general slasher quibbles but does toss in a small surprise or two. It's not a creatively done story, but it's an effort to continue a book that made the author so famous and well regarded. It's playful though, and I do like how he incorporated the psychology of religion and the strangeness of nuns and their association with birds.

The characters are likeable enough. Being in Norman's head again shows him as resentful, pouty, but holding himself as superior. I liked the doctor. Bloch puts in random character viewpoints, some not needed, but it does give a more realistic dimension of the selfish traits people have, as well as how widely scoped violent tendencies are.

The story is saved a star and impression because of a twist in the end I didn't see coming. It makes sense to follow a clever ending like that considering the source material, but I still wasn't expecting it. Looking back, the clues are obvious, but it still makes a fun ending for this sort of simple story.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is Bloch's sequel to his 1959 novel, upon which the famous Hitchcock film was based, but it doesn't bear any relation to the 1983 film sequel which has the same title. Bloch's idea for a sequel was rejected by the studio heads, who commissioned a script with a much different story from a different writer, and Bloch wrote his version as a novel. There was a lot of bad feelings and threats of legal action on both sides, and Bloch incorporated a lot of his negativity into his book, which is more of a lampoon of the film industry in general and slasher films in particular than anything else. For example, he must have tried to come up with the most offensive thing he could imagine and so early in the novel there's a graphic scene with nuns and necrophilia. The second half of the book reads like a hasty draft, without any of the careful prose arrangements Bloch usually achieved, and a few loose ends left unresolved. Presumably, he was rushed to finish the novel and get it into print before the film was released. There's a twist ending with a "surprise" that even semi-attentive readers will pick up on way too soon. I can't recommend the book (or the unrelated lousy movie) to anyone but Bloch completists.

[Rodrigo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decepcionado, esa es la sensación.
El libro empezó bien con la fuaga de la insitucion psiquiatrica donde estaba encerrado Norman, pero en el 80% o 90 % del libro apenas ocurre nada y casi en las 10 últimas páginas le dan un giro que no me convenció.

[Drew Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost thirty years after the horrific events at the Bates Motel, some Hollywood sleazebags are getting ready to produce a major motion picture about Norman and his mother. Norman, meanwhile, unaware of the plans the west coast vultures have been making, and having spent the decades cooped up in the local asylum and convinced of his innocence, manages to break out and begin a rampage of murder and sex and possibly revenge. When it seems Norman has been killed, his therapist Adam Claiborne knows better, and heads to Hollywood himself to persuade the studio not to make a movie that would surely lure a newly-deranged (and psychotically Mother-less) Norman to the set to reenact the now-famous motel murders.

So, when I discovered that Hitchcock's cinematic masterpiece Psycho was based on a book, I shortly after discovered that the original author wrote not one, but two sequels. After SO enjoying Bloch's first Psycho, I was looking forward to seeing how he continued the story, especially considering that (or, even though) it's apparently his bitter response to Hollywood for making their OWN sequel to the movie without consulting him or accepting his offers to provide the story or screenplay. What then follows in this book, unsurprisingly, is a bitter diatribe against the movie industry and the evident scum that inhabit the seedy world behind the glamor of the silver screen. This is fine, parody and satire have their place, except for a few problems: 1) This writing is bad. It's very hard to believe that the same author could possibly have written the first one (it was decades later, but still, how could his skill have degenerated SO drastically?), 2) The story is cliché and trite, and 3) It makes the entire project seem extremely self-indulgent. A sequel should exist because the story is worth continuing and has somewhere new but consistent to go. According to this version, at least (I haven't seen any of the film sequels), it wasn't. The differences in quality and style from the first and second books are so different, and so many of the things I loved about the first one are completely gone or altered beyond recognition. I have a lot to say about this, so I'll try to keep it concise, and in bulleted fashion:

• The characters. There were too many, they were almost all stupid and perverse, they were inconsistent in their dialogue and one-dimensional in their motives. The satire of the Hollywood archetypes was lost on me in how poorly they were written and presented, and instead they just seemed phony and lame. I kind of kept hoping they would all just get killed one by one. As for Norman himself, maybe it's because it was written decades later, but the Norman Bates I was so fascinated with (including his relationship with Mother) was totally absent, and in his place we were given a cheap, B-slasher movie killer with little depth and even less interest.

• The writing. It's just not very good. There are bad gimmicks (nuns, necrophilia [yes...], sexually disturbed and frustrated foreign directors, porno movie sets, threats via dead animals, gay strip clubs, etc.), and many of the characters go nowhere. A red herring is one thing, but a completely pointless distraction just means extra pages and bad editing. The conversation felt stale and tired, and not the way real people talk. I'm not sure if Bloch was trying to sound cool or deliberately writing something that could be turned into a movie or what, but most of the time I was wondering why he chose words or structured sentences the way he did, which is not a good distraction from a novelist. I mean:

"He clambered back into the driver's seat and yanked at the little rectangular cover on the dash. It fell forward, revealing the contents of the shelf behind" (47).

Is that not the most backwards and contrived way to describe opening the glove compartment?? Seriously.

• The content. The elegance and suspense of the first one is completely gone, and replaced instead with gratuitous, grotesque sex and random, pointless violence (yes, I know it's a murder mystery, but the killings never seemed true or even threatening). I know Norman was disturbed, and there were some subtle hints as to the depths or causes of his psychosis in the first book, but all the mystery and intrigue have given way to cheap gore and sex for the sake of shock value.

• The story. The original story is so simple and sophisticated, so much more than a run-of-the-mill, pulp fiction murder mystery, I thought we might get more of that here, but not really. I admit that the idea had a lot of potential, but maybe because of the background, or the attitude or purpose of the author, it was just lost. There are some interesting conversations about psychosis and neuroses, but it all goes out the window as soon as Claiborne reaches Hollywood and is distracted by the likes of Jan Harper, Paul Morgan, Marty Driscoll and Santo Vizzini (yes, those bland and typical names are the big Hollywood personalities here). The ending has a somewhat surprising little twist there, but then by the time it was explained it was so silly and unconvincing and came out of nowhere. Also, I never ever thought the original felt dated, and it was set in the '50s. This one felt set squarely in the '80s, and feels maybe even earlier.

I could go on, but I think I've made my point. The continuation of Norman Bates's story is a shocking* insult (and from the original author!) to this great character. Having seen none of the movie sequels, I can't say how this compares as a Part Two, but I can't imagine the second movie being MUCH worse or more unnecessary than this. I'm still planning on reading the third book in the "trilogy", but my expectations are decidedly low. This book was inferior in pretty much every way to its predecessor.

* And not in the right way!

[Ashley Daviau · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is proof that sometimes you just don’t mess with a good thing. You back away quietly and let it be the greatness that it is on its own. Sadly Bloch did not feel the same and messed with the perfection of Psycho by creating this abysmal sequel. The only reason it gets two stars rather than one is because of the brief glimmer of hope of a decent story I saw at the beginning. But sadly it quickly went downhill from there and had me wanting to scream WHY???? It was just so unnecessary to have a sequel to Psycho, it is an iconic and PERFECT story that ended brilliantly and nothing more was ever needed. I’m going to try and erase this from my brain and live my fantasy where it doesn’t exist.

[Crime Addict Sifat · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning was good but everything fell away since then.

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, my. I sincerely hope that there was no-one actually waiting the 23 years that went by between the effective and thrilling Psycho and it's follow-up. This one starts off as a huge Halloween (movie, 1979) rip-off and then goes from campy, trashy, b-movie-style, run-of-the-mill schlocker to worse.

It does have it's moments (and sometimes it's actually evident that the same writer penned the first part) but you are going to have to stomach a lot of suspension of disbelief, cardboard characters (or, in the female case, inflatable doll characters), and a typical 80's slasher flick ending (how the author ever could argue that this was some kind of critique against those kind of movies is beyond me).

The second star is, however, salvaged on account of a few pieces of brilliance as previously stated; there is some suspense and parts are capturing. And, yes, I'm a James Bond fan, I can disregard some of the prejudice against gender or groups on account of another author being a child of his time (not like it, not OK it, but disregard it). At about 200 pages, I would say it is a worth read if you are a horror fan, not least for the historical kind-of value to it.

[Phil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the glowing cover blurbs by Stephen King and Peter Straub, I had low expectations about this book and low and behold, my expectations were correct. We begin the book with Norman Bates in a mental hospital, where he has been for many years. One day a pair of nuns visits the institution and Bates makes his move. After killing the nun in the institution's library, Norman dons her habit and makes his escape (murdering the other nun and raping her dead body no less). Later, the van is found torched with two bodies badly burned inside. The cops think one is Bates, but Norman's doctor Claiborne thinks it is a hitchhiker and Bates got away. After some more bodies are discovered at a hardware store (key players in the last novel), Claiborne thinks Norman has left for L.A., where a movie is being shot regarding the events at the Bates' Hotel...

Bloch can tell a story, and his prose has some flair at times, but the story itself is petty lame. Most of the book takes place around the studio where the film "Crazy Lady" is being shot. Claiborne flies out to L.A. to warn the producer, etc., that Norman may show up with a knife in hand. The cast and crew are the other leads, and it would hard to find a more stereotypical set of characters. While the ending had a nice twist, you unfortunately have to slog through 300 pages to get there. 1.5 stars.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the shower...For the last twenty years, Norman Bates has been in a state hospital for the criminally insane. With the help of his psychiatrist, Norman appears to have been cured of his mother fixation, and now decides he wants to get out, his opportunity arising when he’s visited by a nun. Using her habit as a disguise, he escapes and the psycho murders are about to start again...
I love “Psycho” (the film) and thoroughly enjoyed the source novel and I like Bloch’s work, but this was an uphill struggle for me. According to interviews, Bloch heard the studios were planning a new film and didn’t ask him for input, so he wrote this novel anyway and, to be honest, his annoyance shows. The book gives vent to his feelings on Hollywood and the then-huge success of the slasher film genre (he clearly wasn’t a fan) and while that could have been effective, Bloch couples it with a bland story that doesn’t have any real suspense or thrills and delivers a twist that really strains credibility. Combine that with the fate of Norman (I won’t spoil it, but it’s quite ridiculous), (the writers) obsession with shaven genitals and a sequence in a gay club that has absolutely no bearing on anything other than being included for shock and you’re left with a real mess I had to force myself to get through. Thank goodness the film bears no resemblance to this - the studio definitely made the right decision.

[Stephanie (Books in the Freezer) · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5
😬

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ya I'm completely done at 15%. No thanks for the rest.

[Rafia Rahman · Rating 3 out of 5]

বই: সাইকো২
লেখক: রবার্ট ব্লক
অনুবাদ: মোঃ ফুয়াদ আল ফিদাহ
বইয়ের ধরণ: থ্রিলার
প্রচ্ছদ: আদনান আহমেদ রিজন
প্রকাশনী: আদী প্রকাশন
প্রথম প্রকাশ: নভেম্বর, ২০১৬
পৃষ্ঠা সংখ্যা: ১৭৮
মুদ্রিত মূল্য: ২৫০/-

"জীবন মানেই রহস্য যার পরতে পরতে লুকায়িত রয়েছে হাজারো রহস্য "

বদ্ধ ঘরে বন্দী জীবন নরম্যান বেটসের। চারিদিকে যার শুধুই অন্ধকার। হবেই বা না কেনো সে তো মেন্টাল এসাইলামে বন্দী। কি বা দোষ ছিলো তার! সে তো ইচ্ছাকৃতভাবে কারো ক্ষতি করেনি। মাল্টিপল পার্সোনালিটি ডিসঅর্ডারের শিকার হয়ে মৃত মায়ের সত্ত্বা তার মধ্যে জেগে উঠতো ফলস্বরূপ সে বহু নিরীহ ব্যক্তিদের নির্মমভাবে হত্যা করেছে। কিন্তু সমস্যা বাঁধে মেরি ক্রেন আর ডিটেকটিভ আরবোগাস্টকে খুন করতে যেয়ে। যার ফলাফল আজ তাকে এখানে পচতে হচ্ছে পাগলদের মাঝে।

সাহিত্য ও চলচ্চিত্রে সাইকো কিলার নরম্যান বেটস আলোচিত। জনগণের মধ্যে ব্যাপক আগ্রহ তাকে ঘিরে। বিখ্যাত প্রযোজক মার্টি ড্রিসকল তার উপর চলচ্চিত্র বানাতে চান। এই চলচ্চিত্র নিয়ে আগ্রহ অনেকের। এই খবর জানার পর থেকে ডা. ক্লেইবর্ন বিপদের আভাস পান। কোনো এক অশুভ আশংকায় মন কেঁপে ওঠে!

ডা. ক্লেইবর্নের বিশ্বাস আর পরিশ্রমের জন্যই তো নরম্যান আজ অনেকটা সুস্থ। তিনিই তো তাকে অন্ধকার জগৎ থেকে আলোতে নিয়ে এসেছেন। কিন্তু বিপত্তি বাঁধে, সিস্টার বারবারাকে খুন করে তার ছদ্মবেশে নরম্যান পালিয়ে যায়। তারপর? শুরু হয় আবার খুনে খেলা!

ডা. ক্লেইবর্ন বুঝে যান নরম্যান বেটসের পরবর্তী শিকার কারা। নরম্যানকে রুখতে ও নিরীহ জীবন বাঁচাতে বেরিয়ে পরেন তিনি। কিন্তু খুনে খেলা তো শুরু হয়ে গেছে! রক্তের দাগ ফেলে একের পর এক খুন হয়েই চলেছে। ডা. ক্লেইবর্ন কী পারবেন রুখতে এই খুনে খেলা? নাকি তিনিও নরম্যানের শিকার হবেন? নাকি নরম্যান বেটস তার কৃতকর্মের শাস্তি পাবে? তাকে রুখতে পারা কি আদোও সম্ভব?

ছোটবেলা থেকে মায়ের অবহেলা ও অপমানের শিকার হয়ে নরম্যান বেটস মাল্টিপল পার্সোনালিটি ডিসঅর্ডারের রোগী। তাই মায়ের মৃত্যুর পরও তার মধ্যে মায়ের সত্ত্বা জীবিত। মনের অন্ধকার দিক তার মায়ের রূপ হয়ে তাকে নিয়ন্ত্রণ করে নির্মম হত্যাকাণ্ডগুলো করায়। কিন্তু এসাইলামে আসার পর ডা. ক্লেইবর্ন তাকে বুঝাতে সক্ষম হন সে নরম্যান তার মা নয়।

বইটিতে ফুটে উঠেছে এক সাইকো কিলারের ভয়ানক মানসিকতা যারদরূন ঘটে চলেছে হত্যাকাণ্ড। একের পর এক ভয়াবহ খুন যা রুখতে ডা. ক্লেইবর্নের প্রবল প্রচেষ্টা। কাহিনির বিবরণ পাঠকে রোমাঞ্চিত করবে, ঘোরের মধ্যে নিয়ে যাবে। অনুবাদ বেশ ভালো হয়েছে।

[Ignacio Senao f · Rating 2 out of 5]

Si te digo que trata sobre que quieren realizar la película de lo sucedido en Psicosis I y que Bates se escapa del manicomio y se dedica a matar. ¿A qué piensas que este autor quiso aprovechar el tirón de la película que hicieron sobre su primer libro? Con esta premisa e intenciones sólo puede salir este somnífero libro.

[Matias Cerizola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Psicosis II.- Robert Bloch


"Sea sincera. Lo que la atrajo aquí ha sido la curiosidad. Vino a ver el monstruo, ¿no es así? Muy bien, míreme bien y dígame lo que soy."


Norman Bates consigue escapar del asilo para enfermos mentales donde estaba confinado por los crímenes del motel, dejando un rastro de sangre en su camino. Al mismo tiempo se encuentra en producción una película sobre los crímenes y la vida de Norman, siendo un escenario ideal para su venganza.


Psicosis 2 fue publicada en 1982 y es una secuela directa de Psicosis de 1959, ambos libros escritos por Robert Bloch. Existe una película Psicosis 2 de 1983, pero que no tiene relación con el libro, siendo una historia totalmente diferente.


El antiguo discípulo (y amigo) de Lovecraft vuelve a uno de sus personajes más icónicos, nuestro manager de hotel favorito Norman Bates. Esta vez la historia es un poco más salvaje (necrofilia incluída) que en el primer libro, pero en sí, es una crítica (casi ensañamiento) hacia Hollywood y los personajes que la habitan. Nadie se salva de la pluma de Robert Bloch, actores, guionistas, productores, directores y el género slasher son el objetivo del autor. Sin llegar al nivel de la primera entrega y con un ritmo irregular (arranca y termina bien arriba), sigue siendo una oportunidad para leer algo del siempre interesante Sr. Bloch.


🤘🤘🤘


Arrancó la #MaratondelaCripta y en esta semana leemos libros sobre asesinos. Gran ocasión para leer pendientes, y conocer nuevas obras, de nuestro querido terror literario.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mama mia! If ever there was an example of a story that would have been better left unpublished, Psycho II is the one. And that's saying something coming from a horror fan like me, who will gladly continue watching "Halloween" sequels as long as they're made and would read It 2 in a heartbeat if Stephen King was ever pressed for funds and needed a quick cashgrab. A literary bait-and-switch with two terrible twist endings in its repertoire, this sequel is hardly even a Psycho book at all. Sure, Norman Bates kills a couple of nuns and makes good his escape during the early chapters but after that he blends into the background of a book that's mostly about the boring drama on the set of ”Crazy Lady," a movie based on Norman's original killings, which finds itself imperilled by news of his escape. Is Norman coming to personally halt production? Can our hero Dr. Claiborne stop him in time? Will the method actor playing Norman have sex at a gay brothel in order to better understand the role he's set to play? You'll learn the answer to all these questions, but not before old man Bloch has had his say on how there's too much sex and violence in films these days. And in keeping with the original Psycho , Robert Bloch sends you away with a good dose of exposition in case you were struggling to make sense of the mess he's made. Bloch could get away with last-act exposition in the first Psycho because that book was great. Psycho II, however, is a stinker.

[Rachel M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure how I felt about this one 🤔 while I enjoyed the story, I will admit I wasn’t following at some points in the book, I seemed to get lost. I think Psycho is one of the ones that is better on it’s own, left alone. I maybe would have enjoyed this more of it was a different book, I mean same story but not tagged onto Psycho, to me it just seemed pointless to have this as a sequel. But as I said it wasn’t a bad story.

[Brent · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, I thought to myself, how bad could it be? It's written by the same guy who wrote the first one.
Who knows, it might even be pretty good. I know, I know, Psycho was a complete story and a sequel could be disastrous, but you never know. I will assume that my single star rating will tell you how this worked out.

[Irma Pérez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me lo he pasado pipa.

[Shark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Segunda parte de Psicosis, donde vemos el regreso de Norman a las matanzas después haber permanecido muchos años encerrado en un manicomio del que logra escapar. Esta vez la historia tiene más nudos que en la primera novela. Tiene un gran comienzo que te atrapa, pero desde la mitad del libro se pone muy pero muy lento, y vuelve a ponerse bueno sólo al final del libro. Personalmente me quedo con la película de Psicosis 2, que es totalmente diferente (otra historia) y nos muestra principalmente lo que pasa con Norman en casi toda la película, pero en esta novela sólo al principio vemos a Norman, ya que después el protagonismo lo toman los demás personajes, y el tema se traslada desde el Bates Motel hasta Hollywood, donde creo que se pierde bastante la escencia de Psicosis como yo la conocía, ya que la histora pasa a ser la del psiquiatra de Norman y en su busqueda por atrapar a Norman.
La verdad, esta novela no me ha convencio para nada ya que sinceramente esperaba algo mejor. Pasaban las páginas y quería saber qué pasó con Norman, pero nada de Norman, sólo la vida de los demás personajes y una película que se proponen hacer sobre el caso Bates.

[Leslie · Rating 1 out of 5]

How was the first one so good and this one so terrible? The most engaging thing about the first one was Norman. There's something fascinating and engaging about him. I didn't care at all about the characters in this one. The twist was boring, and even if I dislike a character, I should find something interesting about them rather than just hold them in utter contempt. Read this first one, skip this one.

[Stargirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book a bunch of time and there is always something new to enjoy in it.

Bloch was a master and this is him at top form. In many ways it's the ultimate Bloch book. It's got the thrills, the satire, the humor, the insanity and the vicious puns that litter his entire output.

I wouldn't dare give away the ending.

I so wish Hollywood had the balls to adapt this book instead of going with the film they eventually put out (although granted, it wasn't too bad). But this book is really something else. The choices Bloch made were so bold- it really reminds a reader of who is boss when it comes to books: The author. The whole experience reminded me of reading Hannibal for the first time. I was a little awed.

The world is a sadder place without Robert Bloch in it.

[Adam Dunn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Psycho was what pulp fiction can be. This lame sequel is what happens when an author tries to take it to another level.

I don't think anyone was asking for all the psychological insight, the commentary on violence in the media, the studio executives. I don't care about any of that. All I cared about was Norman Bates who leaves the book at 20% and doesn't come back until 96%.

The actor who is working undercover in a gay male strip club with Burt Reynolds and John Travolta is never heard from again. The studio heads have such similar characters that they all run together. There's a lot of problems with this book.

I heard this was a better sequel than the movie. Incorrect.

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a big fan of both the Psycho films and the first book, I had high hopes for Psycho II. Unfortunately I was left feeling disappointed after finishing this book which in itself I found a chore to read. I felt that it seemed rushed and poorly written and for something that started out as quite a good concept, the plot just went into decline very fast leading to a very abrupt ending. Without giving any spoilers, I did find the ending interesting in a way, however it still does not sit quite right with me. Overall I think book could have been much better in both writing and plot, just not enough to put me off Psycho altogether, which is why I gave it two stars.

[Knigoqdec · Rating 3 out of 5]

Първата част ми хареса повече, но обратът тук си го биваше. Даже си беше впечатляващ.

Удоволствието пак намалява, заради неточен превод и лавина от печатни грешки... много кофти.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is nothing deep or profound about "Psycho II", and you know what?, that's ok!
It's an enjoyable read, it's easy to follow and there is a awesome twist at the end. A lot of the characters are a bit cliche, but that's part of the whole point. Robert Bloch wrote this sequel as a slap in the face of the unethical practices of Hollywood. So of course he made most of the characters seem shallow and one dimensional, that was his opinion of the movie industry. Vizzini would be the exception to that, in my opinion. I wouldn't mind reading an entire novel about his life.

[Svitlana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Мені не дуже сподобалась ця книга (перша була набагато цікавіша), але кінцівка здивувала, тому ставлю 3 зірочки, а не 2.