The story begins with Norman Bates, a 40-year-old man falls asleep on a couch when reading a book. His domineering mother appears, and they start to argue. Norman runs the Bates Motel which is just down the hill of their house.
Meanwhile, Mary Crane is on the run after stealing $40,000 from her employer. She wants to settle her boyfriend's debt so that she can get married to him.
On a dark and rainy night, Mary has to find a motel to stay before she continues her journey to see her boyfriend, Sam. She checks in to the Bates Motel and invited by Norman to his house for supper. During supper, Mary suggests to Norman to put his mother in a mental institution which causes an outburst from him. When Mary returns to her room, after recalling her conversation with Norman, she plans to return the money before Monday. Moments later when she is in the shower, a figure resembling an old woman appears with a butcher knife and then beheads her.
I don't think I will ever forget how interesting the way Norman disposes of the body. I'm wondering whether I will think of the shower scene every time I take a shower in a hotel or motel. That is not a great idea for a shower thought. Anyway, reading this story definitely motivates me to watch the movie because I heard a lot of good reviews and I am curious to know the level of horror that the movie can reach.
The book was really brilliant. It's very straightforward, and once you begin reading it, the author instantly brings you to Norman's world, and you start to think like him.
Rating: ★★★★★
More reviews can be found on Goodreads: Psycho (Psycho #1).