Psycho II

The Psycho Trilogy, Book 2

By: Robert Bloch

Narrated by: Richard Powers

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

©1982 Robert Bloch (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Perhaps the finest psychological horror writer…and never in finer form.” (Stephen King)

A story that diverges from the films

This story is amazing as well as original. Norman’s madness is treated as a sort of infectious disease. A must listen/read for fans of Robert Bloch’s first novel. The narrator of the audiobook does a good job portraying different character voices as well. This story has nothing to do with the film Psycho II and is it’s own chilling original story. The books and films divert after the first one.

Really really bad.

Paul Michael Garcia is my new favorite narrator. in fact his narration was the only thing that helped me keep listening. i really struggled to finish this. I had read Hitchcock, about how the original Psycho book was adapted. then i read the original psycho. I LOVED both books and will listen to them again. so when i saw this sequel i was SO EXCITED! It starts like a b horror movie sequal. but that didnt bother me. i actually really enjoyed the begining. but then it pulls an Alien 3. (that's all ill say, so i dont spoil anything.) then goes full on stephen king. bad stephen king. too many side characters. too much pointless back story. randomly bizarre, perverse, and perverted scenes. a convoluted plot. a story that breaks numerous, basic "how to tell a good story" rules. just bad. through all of this, the great narration and entertaining opening chapters convinced me i should stick with it. I hoped there would be a redeeming ending that would make it all worth it. I never guess an ending, but this time i did. in the middle of the book, i briefly guessed an ending, but immediately pushed the thought aside. I thought, "No way the author would do that. it's just too silly..." Then that ending actually happened. PARTS of the ending actually surprised me. however, the final payoff left me angry and wishing i could go back in time and re-read the first book instead. Like i said, this book started good , but pulled an Alien 3. by this, i mean that it moved away from characters and elements i enjoyed about the previous book, and actually ruined a lot of them. There is actually a third (maybe fourth?) book in the psycho series, which i had planned on reading. after this disappointment, i doubt i'll read them.

Suppressing Expectations.

Psycho 2 was an interesting book, it's fun and even suspenseful. The book goes in a different direction than you'd expect but I enjoyed it all the way through.

Was great until...

I love the narrator! He has great voices, inflections, and tempo. I wish he had done Sanitarium!

Honestly, I was all on board and enjoying the story, the character development, and even the writing (even though the prose and grammar all feel archaic), until...

The plot twist at the end.

I don't give spoilers, so all I'll say is it doesn't happen until literally the very end and it completely ruined the book for me. It's just so out of left field and feels so contrived (and like it was done purely for the sake of having a twist), I just can't respect the book after that.

if only the movie...

had followed this story instead of what actually was fillmed, it would make a great bundle! the story as it is...is a typical yet entertaining sequel. i enjoyed it.