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Psycho
First Published: 1959 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Format: Hardcover |
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Summary: Norman Bates, a middle-aged bachelor, lives with his domineering and overly possessive mother in a house that overlooks the Bates Motel. The motel, a small ten-room property in the city of Fairvale, California, rarely receives visitors now, isolated as it is after the state’s move of the main highway years ago. The arrival of Mary Crane, an unexpected guest, sets off a series of vicious murders at the property. But who is the killer—Norman? Or Mother?
Bloch: “Elsewhere (The Quality of Murder, edited by Anthony Boucher), I have recounted the story of the grim case which shocked Wisconsin in 1957 and led me, the following year, to write a novel in which a seemingly normal and ordinary rural resident led a dual life as a psychotic murderer, unsuspected by his neighbors. I based my story on the situation rather than on any person, living or dead involved in the [Ed] Gein affair.”
“From time to time people come to me and volunteer the information that after seeing the film they were unable to take a shower. I can only tell them that they’re lucky I didn’t kill off my victim on a toilet seat.”
Note: Bloch’s follow up novels in the series: Psycho II and Psycho House, are not the basis for any film in the cinematic series.
More...
Bloch: “Elsewhere (The Quality of Murder, edited by Anthony Boucher), I have recounted the story of the grim case which shocked Wisconsin in 1957 and led me, the following year, to write a novel in which a seemingly normal and ordinary rural resident led a dual life as a psychotic murderer, unsuspected by his neighbors. I based my story on the situation rather than on any person, living or dead involved in the [Ed] Gein affair.”
“From time to time people come to me and volunteer the information that after seeing the film they were unable to take a shower. I can only tell them that they’re lucky I didn’t kill off my victim on a toilet seat.”
Note: Bloch’s follow up novels in the series: Psycho II and Psycho House, are not the basis for any film in the cinematic series.
More...
- New! Lost Tapes of Ed Gein - in Episode 3 of a four-part documentary on the life and crimes of Ed Gein, hear an audio interview with Bloch discussing his novel Psycho's inspiration. (Subscription to Prime Video or MGM+ required.)
- Psycho filming locations - each location from the film is shown how it looks now. (Thanks to David J. Schow for making us aware of this!)
- Precursors of Psycho - Randall D. Larson examines the psychologies and inner workings of the psychotic mind in the lead characters of Bloch's pre-Psycho crime novels.
- Some Mothers...(Part 1) - Jim Nemeth details the origins of Bloch's Psycho and Hitchcock's film.
- Some Mothers...(Part 2) - Jim Nemeth compares the novel Psycho against the film.
- The Calvin Beck-Norman Bates Connection - Tom Weaver details inspiration for the character of Norman Bates beyond that of serial killer Ed Gein.
Bibliography
Note: documenting editions of Psycho proved problematic. So many "supposed" editions, especially where eBooks and audiobooks are concerned. If I could not find any, or insufficient, evidence of an edition's existence, it was not included. Some candidates even had ISBN numbers, but if a lookup in the official ISBN database did not produce a result, it was excluded from below. As a result, while the below is fairly comprehensive, any feedback regarding errors in omission or inclusion are welcome.
US: Simon & Schuster hc 1959
Portugal: nfd 1959
Japan: Hayakawa Shobo; pb 1959
Germany: Desch ("Kennwort Psycho"); pb 1959
US: Cavalier; magazine 1960 (abridged version)
US: Crest Books; pb 1960 (six editions)
US: Crest Books; pb 1960 (movie tie-in edition)
US: New Editions #2; magazine 1960
UK: Corgi pb 1960 (seven editions)
UK: Robert Hale; hc 1960
Sweden: Vecjo-Revyn ("Psyko"); hc 1960
Spain: Plaza & Janes ("Psyco"); hc 1960
Netherlands: Uitgevers; <format unknown> 1960
Italy: Garzanti ("Il passato che urla" ("The Past that Screams")); hc 1960
France: Marabout ("Psychose"); pb 1960
Finland: Gummerus ("Psyko"); pb 1960 (two editions)
Belgium: Gerard & Co ("Psychose"); <format unknown> 1960
Spain: Ediciones ("Psyco"); pb 1961
Netherlands: Bruna & Zoon; pb 1961
Israel: Mizrahi Press ("Psikho"); pb 1961
UK: Corgi; pb 1962
Turkey: Hayat Kitapları ("The Three-Spirit Man"); pb 1962
US: Crest Books; pb 1963
Germany: Heyne; pb 1966
France: Marabout: ("Psychose"); pb 1968
US: Bantam Books; pb 1969
UK: Corgi; pb 1969
UK: Corgi; pb 1971
Finland: Gummerus; pb 1971
Finland: Salama Minun Makuuni; pb 1971
Netherlands: Bruna & Zoon; pb 1972
Portugal: nfd 1974
US: Award Books; pb 1975
UK: Robert Hale; hc 1975
US: River City Press; hc 1976 (pirated hardcover limited edition)
US: Reader's Digest Press (Great Stories of Mystery and Suspense) <location unknown> 1978 (abridged)
France: Editions Marabout ("Psychose"); pb 1979
Italy: Mondadori ("Il Delitto Secondo Hitchcock"); <format unknown> 1980 (excerpt of novel)
US: Warner Books; pb 1982
UK: Corgi; pb 1982
Netherlands: Loeb, Uitgevers (The Psycho Omnibus); hc 1982 (combines Psycho, Psycho II)
Japan: Hayakawa Shobo; pb 1982
Italy: Mondadori (Psyco 1 / Psyco 2) hc 1982 (combines Psycho, Psycho II)
UK: Book Club Associates; hc 1983
UK: Robert Hale; hc 1983
Spain: Ediciones Forum ("Psicosis"); hc 1983
Iran: nfd 1984
Germany: Heyne; pb 1984
US: G K Hall & Co; hc 1985
UK: Chivers Press; hc 1985;
Spain: Groupo Planeta ("Psicosis"); pb 1985
Spain: Montaña Mágica ("Psicosis"); pb 1985
Canada: DH Audio; audiobook 1986 (cassettes)
<location unknown> Bookthrift Co; hc 1987
US: Tor (Tom Doherty Associates); pb 1989
Spain: Círculo de Lectores ("Psicosis"); hc 1989
Norway: Norild Forlag (Psyko 1 - 2, Marerittet); hc 1989 (combines Psycho, Psycho II)
France: Presses Pocket ("Psychose"); pb 1989
Dutch: Loeb; pb 1989
Greece: ΛΗΘΗ; pb 1990
US: Tandem; <format unknown> 1991
US: Tor Books; pb 1991
Thai: Bezel; pb 1992
Finland; Gummerus ("Psyko"); pb 1992
Bulgaria: Iris; pb 1992
US: Lightyear Press; hc 1993
German: Heyne (Das Bose); pb 1993 (omnibus: Psycho, Nathanel (John Saul), Katzenmenschen (Gary Brandner)
US: Gauntlet Publications; hc 1994 (35th anniversary limited edition)
Luthieria: Eridanas ("Psichopatas"); pb 1994
Romania: Nemira; pb 1995
Italy: Mondadori; pb 1995
Germany: Heyne (Psycho); pb 1995 (omnibus: novels by Bloch, Mary Higgins Clark, Anne Reed Rooth)
Czech: Argo; hc 1995
Spain: Elkar ("Psikosia"); pb 1996
US: ABC Audio; audiobook 1997
US: Amereon Limited; hc 1997
UK: Trafalgar Square; pb 1997
US: Penguin; pb 1998
Germany: Heyne (Angst); pb 1998 (omnibus: novels by Bloch, James Herbert, Thomas M. Disch, Ira Levin)
US: DH Audio; audiobook 1999 (cassettes)
UK: Bloomsbury Publishing; pb 1999
UK: Pearson Education Limited; pb 1999
UK: Robert Hale; hc 1999
Spain: Plaza & Janés ("Psicosis"); pb 1999
Italy: Sperling & Kupfer; hc 1999
Germany: Heyne; pb 1999
France: Presses Pocket: ("Psychose"); pb 1999
Finland: Gummerus; hc 1999
UK: BBC Radio Collection; audiobook 2000
UK: Pearson Longman; pb, audio 2000 (book & audio cassette pack)
Germany: Langensch - Hachette; pb 2000
Germany: Reclam; pb 2000
Denmark: Lindhardt og Ringhof; hc 2000
US: Barnes and Noble Digital; ebook 2001
US: iBooks; pb 2003
Italy: Fanucci; pb 2003
Germany: Heyne; pb 2004
Finland: Gummerus ("Psyko"); pb 2005
Turkey: Merkez Kitapları ("Sapık"); pb 2007
Poland: Książnica ("Psychoza"); pb 2008
Germany: Pearson Deutschland; pb 2008 (although German edition, text is in English)
UK: Pearson Education; pb, audio 2008 (book and audio pack)
US: Blackstone Audio; audiobook 2009 (preloaded Digital Audio)
US: Blackstone Audio; audiobook 2009 (CD)
US: Blackstone Audio; audiobook 2009 (cassettes)
US: Blackstone Audio; audiobook 2009 (Mp3-cd)
US: Blackstone Audio; audiobook 2009 (Mp3)
US: Abrams, Inc.; ebook 2010
US: Harry N. Abrams; pb 2010
US: Overlook Press; pb 2010
US: Overlook Press; eBook 2010
Spain: La Factoría de Ideas ("Psicosis"); pb 2010
Greece: Skye; pb 2010
Hungary: Partvonal ("Pszicho"); pb 2011
France: Alvik ("Psychose"); pb 2011
France: Moisson Rouge ("Psychose"); pb 2011
Bengal: Baisakhi Publications; hc 2011
US: Blackstone Audio; audiobook 2012
UK: Copyright Group Ltd; audiobook 2012
Germany: Golkonda Verlag; hc 2012
UK: Crowood Press; pb 2013
UK: Joffe Books; pb 2013
UK: Robert Hale; pb 2013
Spain: La Factoría de Ideas ("Psicosis"); eBook 2013
Portugal: Darkside Books ("Psicose"); hc 2013
Portugal: Darkside Books ("Psicose"); pb 2013
Hungary: Gepesz ("Pszicho"); audiobook 2013
France: Points ("Psychose"); pb 2013
UK: Hachette/The Murder Room; eBook 2014
UK: Pearson Education; pb, audio 2014 (book same as 2008, but packaged with MP3s)
UK: Ulverscroft; pb 2014
Italy: Il Saggiatore; pb 2014
Germany: Audio Verlag Der GmbH; audiobook 2014
Germany: Rowohlt; pb 2014
Germany: <publisher unknown> audiobook 2014
Georgia: Bakur Sulakauri ("Psychopath"); pb 2014
Czech: Baronet; hc 2014
Portugal: Darkside Books ("Psicose"); eBook 2015
Italy: Bompiani; pb 2015
Italy: Bompiani; eBook 2015
Italy: Tascabili; pb 2015
Spain: Cinema Por La Vena ("Psicosis"); audiobook 2016
US: Easton Press; hc 2017
Thai: Century Publishing; hc 2017
Bengal: Adi Prakashan; hc 2017
Greece: <publisher unknown> hc 2018
Bulgaria: Ciela; pb 2018
UK: Joffe Books; pb 2019
Italy: Il Saggiatore; pb 2019
Czech: OneHotBook; audiobook 2019
Turkey: İthaki Yayınları ("Sapık"); pb 2020
Arabic: Katobia Publishing ("Complex Souls"); pb 2020
Germany: Rowohlt; eBook 2021
Ukraine: Bogdan; hc 2022
Poland: Vesper ("Psychoza"); hc 2022
Czech: Dobrovský; hc 2022
US: Suntup Editions; hc 2023 (various editions: artist, numbered, lettered)
Poland: Vesper ("Psychoza"); hc 2023
Croatia: Vorto Palabra ("Psiho"); <format unknown> 2023
Russia: Samizdat ("Psychosis"); audiobook 2023
Portugal: nfd 1959
Japan: Hayakawa Shobo; pb 1959
Germany: Desch ("Kennwort Psycho"); pb 1959
US: Cavalier; magazine 1960 (abridged version)
US: Crest Books; pb 1960 (six editions)
US: Crest Books; pb 1960 (movie tie-in edition)
US: New Editions #2; magazine 1960
UK: Corgi pb 1960 (seven editions)
UK: Robert Hale; hc 1960
Sweden: Vecjo-Revyn ("Psyko"); hc 1960
Spain: Plaza & Janes ("Psyco"); hc 1960
Netherlands: Uitgevers; <format unknown> 1960
Italy: Garzanti ("Il passato che urla" ("The Past that Screams")); hc 1960
France: Marabout ("Psychose"); pb 1960
Finland: Gummerus ("Psyko"); pb 1960 (two editions)
Belgium: Gerard & Co ("Psychose"); <format unknown> 1960
Spain: Ediciones ("Psyco"); pb 1961
Netherlands: Bruna & Zoon; pb 1961
Israel: Mizrahi Press ("Psikho"); pb 1961
UK: Corgi; pb 1962
Turkey: Hayat Kitapları ("The Three-Spirit Man"); pb 1962
US: Crest Books; pb 1963
Germany: Heyne; pb 1966
France: Marabout: ("Psychose"); pb 1968
US: Bantam Books; pb 1969
UK: Corgi; pb 1969
UK: Corgi; pb 1971
Finland: Gummerus; pb 1971
Finland: Salama Minun Makuuni; pb 1971
Netherlands: Bruna & Zoon; pb 1972
Portugal: nfd 1974
US: Award Books; pb 1975
UK: Robert Hale; hc 1975
US: River City Press; hc 1976 (pirated hardcover limited edition)
US: Reader's Digest Press (Great Stories of Mystery and Suspense) <location unknown> 1978 (abridged)
France: Editions Marabout ("Psychose"); pb 1979
Italy: Mondadori ("Il Delitto Secondo Hitchcock"); <format unknown> 1980 (excerpt of novel)
US: Warner Books; pb 1982
UK: Corgi; pb 1982
Netherlands: Loeb, Uitgevers (The Psycho Omnibus); hc 1982 (combines Psycho, Psycho II)
Japan: Hayakawa Shobo; pb 1982
Italy: Mondadori (Psyco 1 / Psyco 2) hc 1982 (combines Psycho, Psycho II)
UK: Book Club Associates; hc 1983
UK: Robert Hale; hc 1983
Spain: Ediciones Forum ("Psicosis"); hc 1983
Iran: nfd 1984
Germany: Heyne; pb 1984
US: G K Hall & Co; hc 1985
UK: Chivers Press; hc 1985;
Spain: Groupo Planeta ("Psicosis"); pb 1985
Spain: Montaña Mágica ("Psicosis"); pb 1985
Canada: DH Audio; audiobook 1986 (cassettes)
<location unknown> Bookthrift Co; hc 1987
US: Tor (Tom Doherty Associates); pb 1989
Spain: Círculo de Lectores ("Psicosis"); hc 1989
Norway: Norild Forlag (Psyko 1 - 2, Marerittet); hc 1989 (combines Psycho, Psycho II)
France: Presses Pocket ("Psychose"); pb 1989
Dutch: Loeb; pb 1989
Greece: ΛΗΘΗ; pb 1990
US: Tandem; <format unknown> 1991
US: Tor Books; pb 1991
Thai: Bezel; pb 1992
Finland; Gummerus ("Psyko"); pb 1992
Bulgaria: Iris; pb 1992
US: Lightyear Press; hc 1993
German: Heyne (Das Bose); pb 1993 (omnibus: Psycho, Nathanel (John Saul), Katzenmenschen (Gary Brandner)
US: Gauntlet Publications; hc 1994 (35th anniversary limited edition)
Luthieria: Eridanas ("Psichopatas"); pb 1994
Romania: Nemira; pb 1995
Italy: Mondadori; pb 1995
Germany: Heyne (Psycho); pb 1995 (omnibus: novels by Bloch, Mary Higgins Clark, Anne Reed Rooth)
Czech: Argo; hc 1995
Spain: Elkar ("Psikosia"); pb 1996
US: ABC Audio; audiobook 1997
US: Amereon Limited; hc 1997
UK: Trafalgar Square; pb 1997
US: Penguin; pb 1998
Germany: Heyne (Angst); pb 1998 (omnibus: novels by Bloch, James Herbert, Thomas M. Disch, Ira Levin)
US: DH Audio; audiobook 1999 (cassettes)
UK: Bloomsbury Publishing; pb 1999
UK: Pearson Education Limited; pb 1999
UK: Robert Hale; hc 1999
Spain: Plaza & Janés ("Psicosis"); pb 1999
Italy: Sperling & Kupfer; hc 1999
Germany: Heyne; pb 1999
France: Presses Pocket: ("Psychose"); pb 1999
Finland: Gummerus; hc 1999
UK: BBC Radio Collection; audiobook 2000
UK: Pearson Longman; pb, audio 2000 (book & audio cassette pack)
Germany: Langensch - Hachette; pb 2000
Germany: Reclam; pb 2000
Denmark: Lindhardt og Ringhof; hc 2000
US: Barnes and Noble Digital; ebook 2001
US: iBooks; pb 2003
Italy: Fanucci; pb 2003
Germany: Heyne; pb 2004
Finland: Gummerus ("Psyko"); pb 2005
Turkey: Merkez Kitapları ("Sapık"); pb 2007
Poland: Książnica ("Psychoza"); pb 2008
Germany: Pearson Deutschland; pb 2008 (although German edition, text is in English)
UK: Pearson Education; pb, audio 2008 (book and audio pack)
US: Blackstone Audio; audiobook 2009 (preloaded Digital Audio)
US: Blackstone Audio; audiobook 2009 (CD)
US: Blackstone Audio; audiobook 2009 (cassettes)
US: Blackstone Audio; audiobook 2009 (Mp3-cd)
US: Blackstone Audio; audiobook 2009 (Mp3)
US: Abrams, Inc.; ebook 2010
US: Harry N. Abrams; pb 2010
US: Overlook Press; pb 2010
US: Overlook Press; eBook 2010
Spain: La Factoría de Ideas ("Psicosis"); pb 2010
Greece: Skye; pb 2010
Hungary: Partvonal ("Pszicho"); pb 2011
France: Alvik ("Psychose"); pb 2011
France: Moisson Rouge ("Psychose"); pb 2011
Bengal: Baisakhi Publications; hc 2011
US: Blackstone Audio; audiobook 2012
UK: Copyright Group Ltd; audiobook 2012
Germany: Golkonda Verlag; hc 2012
UK: Crowood Press; pb 2013
UK: Joffe Books; pb 2013
UK: Robert Hale; pb 2013
Spain: La Factoría de Ideas ("Psicosis"); eBook 2013
Portugal: Darkside Books ("Psicose"); hc 2013
Portugal: Darkside Books ("Psicose"); pb 2013
Hungary: Gepesz ("Pszicho"); audiobook 2013
France: Points ("Psychose"); pb 2013
UK: Hachette/The Murder Room; eBook 2014
UK: Pearson Education; pb, audio 2014 (book same as 2008, but packaged with MP3s)
UK: Ulverscroft; pb 2014
Italy: Il Saggiatore; pb 2014
Germany: Audio Verlag Der GmbH; audiobook 2014
Germany: Rowohlt; pb 2014
Germany: <publisher unknown> audiobook 2014
Georgia: Bakur Sulakauri ("Psychopath"); pb 2014
Czech: Baronet; hc 2014
Portugal: Darkside Books ("Psicose"); eBook 2015
Italy: Bompiani; pb 2015
Italy: Bompiani; eBook 2015
Italy: Tascabili; pb 2015
Spain: Cinema Por La Vena ("Psicosis"); audiobook 2016
US: Easton Press; hc 2017
Thai: Century Publishing; hc 2017
Bengal: Adi Prakashan; hc 2017
Greece: <publisher unknown> hc 2018
Bulgaria: Ciela; pb 2018
UK: Joffe Books; pb 2019
Italy: Il Saggiatore; pb 2019
Czech: OneHotBook; audiobook 2019
Turkey: İthaki Yayınları ("Sapık"); pb 2020
Arabic: Katobia Publishing ("Complex Souls"); pb 2020
Germany: Rowohlt; eBook 2021
Ukraine: Bogdan; hc 2022
Poland: Vesper ("Psychoza"); hc 2022
Czech: Dobrovský; hc 2022
US: Suntup Editions; hc 2023 (various editions: artist, numbered, lettered)
Poland: Vesper ("Psychoza"); hc 2023
Croatia: Vorto Palabra ("Psiho"); <format unknown> 2023
Russia: Samizdat ("Psychosis"); audiobook 2023