In addition to the usual reviews and comments you would find on a horror movie blog, this is also a document of the wonderfully vast horror movie section of the video store I worked at in my youth.

Thursday, March 9, 2017

She's Filled With Secrets

I recently devoured, after being told of its existence by my friend Serena, Mark Frost's considerable tome The Secret History of Twin Peaks.


To say this book is dense would be an understatement. Laid out in a series of letters, files and transcripts that span two centuries, Frost has expanded the show's universe beyond even what I could have imagined. Beginning with the region's discovery by Lewis & Clark in the early nineteenth century, Frost weaves in several figures and events throughout American history. I can't even imagine how long it must have taken for him to compile all this. Granted, he's had twenty-five years, but it's still incredibly impressive.

We view the book's material alongside Special Agent T.P. as she makes comprehensive footnotes in the margins. These files have been collected by a mysterious figure named The Archivist whose identity is later revealed at the end of the book. I do hope Agent T.P. makes an appearance in the show. I suppose I could look it up, but I kind of want it to be a surprise.


The Secret Life Of Twin Peaks acts a wonderful companion piece to the show (much like the previously released Secret Diary of Laura Palmer and The Diane Tapes), but also offers a lot more. I was glad to see that it broadened the storylines of some of the characters that appeared in the tail end of the second season. At a time where it seemed like Twin Peaks was limping to the finish line, it was nice that Frost took the effort to give those characters some depth.


This book is a real treat for fans of the show and a perfect primer for the third stanza coming in May.

2 comments:

Belial Bradley said...

Have you traveled to Washington yet?

Jay Clarke said...

Not yet, I just went out to the West coast (LA) for the first time last year. Maybe someday.