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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
One of the most ridiculous things I've read in a long time. Area 51! Sasquatch! Scientology! The Lewis and Clark expedition! It went on and on. A jumble of all US conspiracy theories rolled into one, with some fun character background thrown in as a TP fan teaser. I wanted to barf. But oddly I finished the whole thing.
Look, you're either a fan of the show and you're going to like this book, or you're not. But as books of this type go, The Secret History is thoroughly entertaining, and a very fast read. Probably the least interesting part of the book is the section that deals with the period covered by seasons 1 and 2, but that's just me. I don't think it's spoiler-y to say there are some interesting (and not so interesting, frankly) inconsistencies with the original two seasons of the show, though perhaps we'll find out what that's all about. Or not. This is Twin Peaks, after all.
Like the show Twin Peaks itself, the scope of The Secret History of Twin Peaks is larger than the mystery at hand, confounding expectations. This book inhabits an interesting space outside time that envelopes the original show and affords us a glimpse of the intervening years leading up to its upcoming revival.
As viewers of the show, we were lured in by the prospect of solving a tragic murder and gradually realized that event only brushed the surface of Twin Peaks' many mysteries. Similarly the book reels us in with a mystery of its own--the identity of the author of a recently uncovered dossier--then reveals a treasure trove of mysterious American history dating back to the Lewis and Clark expedition before gradually circling back to events directly concerning beloved and peripheral characters from the show.
And the experience reading from this gorgeous and thoughtfully produced book was a pleasure I'd liken to drinking, excuse me, a damn fine cup of coffee at the Double R Diner.
As viewers of the show, we were lured in by the prospect of solving a tragic murder and gradually realized that event only brushed the surface of Twin Peaks' many mysteries. Similarly the book reels us in with a mystery of its own--the identity of the author of a recently uncovered dossier--then reveals a treasure trove of mysterious American history dating back to the Lewis and Clark expedition before gradually circling back to events directly concerning beloved and peripheral characters from the show.
And the experience reading from this gorgeous and thoughtfully produced book was a pleasure I'd liken to drinking, excuse me, a damn fine cup of coffee at the Double R Diner.
If you're the type of Twin Peaks fan that was really into the mythology aspect of Twin Peaks (think BOB and the related phenomena experienced by Cooper, Major Briggs, etc, especially in the second season and the Fire Walk With Me movie), then you'll probably really enjoy this book. If you were mostly interested in the soap opera aspects of the show (love relationships, comedy, murder mystery), you'll likely be disappointed.
There was one part of the book where some story details clearly conflicted with details that were stated in a Twin Peaks episode, which I found surprising and a bit disappointing.
Due to the unique format, I highly recommend getting the physical book rather than an electronic copy or the audiobook.
There was one part of the book where some story details clearly conflicted with details that were stated in a Twin Peaks episode, which I found surprising and a bit disappointing.
Due to the unique format, I highly recommend getting the physical book rather than an electronic copy or the audiobook.
It was pretty cool but I dnf- it a couple months ago and haven’t wanted to pick it up again.
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
medium-paced
Although the jacket claims this is a novel, it's not in the traditional sense which makes sense because this is Twin Peaks. This is presented as a scrapbook of sorts that was found by the FBI, written by someone known only as the 'Archivist', it includes newspaper cuttings, excerts from books and other publications as well as hand-written notes and diary entries from various personalities from the town. It also inclues annotations from an FBI agent known only as T.P.
Written by Mark Frost, co-creator of the show it carries a certain authority that takes it beyond what some may unkindly refer to as 'fan fiction'. Frost does a good job in fleshing out characters, as well as the town itself, going right back to the early days of the United States and right up to the modern era.
The question many would ask is how much does it build upon the new series to come? The answer is difficult to ascertain. While the book introduces a new character in TP, and expands upon some of the mysteries viewers are already aware of, it still stops chronologically where the second season of the show ended.
While this is somewhat disappointing, it's entirely understandable considering that at the time of writing the latest season hadn't been completed and there's a reason why the book stops where it does, although I won't say why here.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Twin Peaks, though I honestly don't know if it would appeal to anyone else. Since it's not a traditional novel in the same sense that Twin Peaks wasn't a traditional TV show this book will no doubt baffle anyone who comes in fresh, but I would hope that it gives enough of a spark to inspire any new adventurers to take a trip to upstate Washington and visit the quaint little hamlet of Twin Peaks.
Written by Mark Frost, co-creator of the show it carries a certain authority that takes it beyond what some may unkindly refer to as 'fan fiction'. Frost does a good job in fleshing out characters, as well as the town itself, going right back to the early days of the United States and right up to the modern era.
The question many would ask is how much does it build upon the new series to come? The answer is difficult to ascertain. While the book introduces a new character in TP, and expands upon some of the mysteries viewers are already aware of, it still stops chronologically where the second season of the show ended.
While this is somewhat disappointing, it's entirely understandable considering that at the time of writing the latest season hadn't been completed and there's a reason why the book stops where it does, although I won't say why here.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Twin Peaks, though I honestly don't know if it would appeal to anyone else. Since it's not a traditional novel in the same sense that Twin Peaks wasn't a traditional TV show this book will no doubt baffle anyone who comes in fresh, but I would hope that it gives enough of a spark to inspire any new adventurers to take a trip to upstate Washington and visit the quaint little hamlet of Twin Peaks.
As a fan of the show, this book was definitely welcome material to pore over and it was satisfying to get some additional stories out of this universe. It was fairly unsophisticated in its narrative; using a Forrest Gump-style chronology where Twin Peaks or its residents were crucially involved in a series of major historical events. I rolled my eyes a bit at the alien stuff. Still, it was very enjoyable and I look forward to the next one.