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PSYCHO
by BLOCH, ROBERT
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Greencastle, Pennsylvania, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1959., 1959. First edition. First edition. 8vo. Foot of spine gently nudged and page fore-edges uniformly tanned, else a fine, bright copy in dust jacket with minor wear to the spine ends and with light professional restoration to the head of spine. Housed in an artisan clamshell case designed by James Tapley, with the spine and covers giving the effect of shattered glass; the inner front cover has a die-cut window, into which a clipped Robert Bloch signature (in red ink) has been inset. "Bloch's most famous and impressive novel of psychological aberration. Mary Crane steals $40,000 and heads toward her boyfriend. En-route she stops off – permanently – at the Bates Motel. She is pursued by a private detective, who also encounters Norman Bates's "Mother," and subsequently by her boyfriend, Sam Loomis, and her sister, Lila. A masterful, suspenseful study of paranoia, split personality and homicide. Norman Bates is one of the great characters of the genre" (Barron, Horror Literature 4-46). Basis for Alfred Hitchcock's now-iconic 1960 film, starring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, and Janet Leigh. An exceptional copy and presentation.
Synopsis
One of the most famous horror novels in history, Robert Bloch's Psycho is a true classic for anyone who collects modern first editions. Bloch had already been an established science fiction writer, and was even a toastmaster for the famed Hugo Awards just a year before Psycho was published. Using a real life case of grisly murder in a small town in Wisconsin as inspiration, Bloch was truly able to tap into the minds of readers with Psycho . Not only is Psycho one of the foremost novels of modern horror fiction, it also continues the tradition of fiction based loosely on actual events, a tradition also shared by authors such as Truman Capote with his novel In Cold Blood . Psycho was first published in 1959 by Simon and Schuster, and it became immensely popular after Hitchcock's famed film adaptation was released just a year later in 1960. The first edition dust jacket is well known. It is relatively simple in design, with the title printed sideways featuring cracks through the letters. Because the dust jacket was printed on standard stock paper which was generally lacking in durability, the jacket should be expected to be browned or yellowed with age. The first UK edition of Psycho features a more colorful and detailed dust jacket, and the UK edition was published by Robert Hale in London in 1960. If you are a collector of modern first editions, or if you collect horror literature, you will definitely want to search for that perfect copy of Psycho to add to your bookshelf. Truly, this book caused quite the stir when it was first published, and it continues to influence readers and writers alike today.
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Details
- Bookseller
- BUCKINGHAM BOOKS
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 50455
- Title
- PSYCHO
- Author
- BLOCH, ROBERT
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster, 1959.
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1959
Terms of Sale
BUCKINGHAM BOOKS
We accept checks and all major credit cards. Prices are NET to all. PA residents must add 6% sales tax. It is our preference to ship via either UPS or Priority Mail. All oversized books and all shipments outside the U.S. will be charged actual shipping, insurance, and handling costs. All parcels shall be shipped insured. All items may be returned within 7 days of receipt with prior notification. We request any items for return be sent by their original shipping route, be well packaged and fully insured.
About the Seller
BUCKINGHAM BOOKS
Biblio member since 2006
Greencastle, Pennsylvania
About BUCKINGHAM BOOKS
Buckingham Books specializes in new, used and rare books dealing with Mystery and Western Americana. Books in the mystery field include not only Mystery, but also Detective, Espionage, and Adventure Fiction. Our Western Americana Section offers books about the development of the American West. All books in our inventory are First Editions unless clearly stated otherwise.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
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