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Contemporary Approaches to Film and Media
Full of Secrets: Critical Approaches to Twin Peaks
Full of Secrets contains virtually everything you need to know about Twin Peaks. This fascinating collection of essays considers David Lynch's politics, the enigmatic musical score, and the show's cult status, treatment of family violence, obsession with doubling, and silencing of women. Also included are a director and writer list, a cast list, a Twin Peaks calendar, a complete scene breakdown for the entire series, and a comprehensive bibliography.
296 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 24, 2009
This is the nerdiest thing I've read in a lifetime crammed to the gills with nerdy, nerdy books. Kind of fun, but uneven and, of course, suffers on occasion from absurd, grad-student blithering about postmodernism.
A Quick Rundown:
First Essay: A perfectly valid takedown of TP as too glib, overly concerned with surface, and terribly anti-humanist. I disagree, but still a good effort.
Second Essay: A really interesting examination of the history and development of four TV narrative forms, how the show straddles various forms and how it stretched itself in its promotion, leading to its eventual demise, and argues Season 2 was technically superior as a work of televsion art to Season 1. Felt like really good trade journal piece.
Third Essay: An unbelievably boring, gee-whiz discussion of the TP usenet group on the early internet--paint drying, grass growing, slowly dying, just about anything would be more interesting.
Fourth Essay: A fascinating discussion of an outmoded literary form (the fantastic), how it was supplanted by a modern sensibility informed by psychoanalysis which did not need to resort to the fantastic to explain, say, necrophilia through vampires or homosexuality through gay demons or whatever, and how family violence and abuse is a subject so horrifying that Lynch/Frost either consciously or inuitively used the obsolete fantastic form to explore it.
Fifth Essay: A listen of TP sound dynamic, its use of diegetic and non-diegetic (finally learned what these words meant) music and sound, the unreliability yet inevitable reliability of experimentation with TV scores.
Sixth Essay: A very good feminist critique.
Seventh Essay: An assinine feminist critique.
Eigth Essay: A feminist critique that rightly points to the priority given to men in the series.
Ninth Essay: A decent investigation of Lynch/Frost's inversion of classic detective novel and film standards.
Tenth Essay: All about phalluses. Enjoy!
Eleventh Essay: An obligatory Foucault-based take on TP's sign and order systems.
Twelfth Essay: A very unrewarding roundtable discussion among grad students pimping each's particular brand of postmodernism. Despite throwing around a lot of big words, many of the participants have a pretty simplistic understanding of what's going on.
A Quick Rundown:
First Essay: A perfectly valid takedown of TP as too glib, overly concerned with surface, and terribly anti-humanist. I disagree, but still a good effort.
Second Essay: A really interesting examination of the history and development of four TV narrative forms, how the show straddles various forms and how it stretched itself in its promotion, leading to its eventual demise, and argues Season 2 was technically superior as a work of televsion art to Season 1. Felt like really good trade journal piece.
Third Essay: An unbelievably boring, gee-whiz discussion of the TP usenet group on the early internet--paint drying, grass growing, slowly dying, just about anything would be more interesting.
Fourth Essay: A fascinating discussion of an outmoded literary form (the fantastic), how it was supplanted by a modern sensibility informed by psychoanalysis which did not need to resort to the fantastic to explain, say, necrophilia through vampires or homosexuality through gay demons or whatever, and how family violence and abuse is a subject so horrifying that Lynch/Frost either consciously or inuitively used the obsolete fantastic form to explore it.
Fifth Essay: A listen of TP sound dynamic, its use of diegetic and non-diegetic (finally learned what these words meant) music and sound, the unreliability yet inevitable reliability of experimentation with TV scores.
Sixth Essay: A very good feminist critique.
Seventh Essay: An assinine feminist critique.
Eigth Essay: A feminist critique that rightly points to the priority given to men in the series.
Ninth Essay: A decent investigation of Lynch/Frost's inversion of classic detective novel and film standards.
Tenth Essay: All about phalluses. Enjoy!
Eleventh Essay: An obligatory Foucault-based take on TP's sign and order systems.
Twelfth Essay: A very unrewarding roundtable discussion among grad students pimping each's particular brand of postmodernism. Despite throwing around a lot of big words, many of the participants have a pretty simplistic understanding of what's going on.
July 21, 2019
Essays commenting on various aspects of the television show Twin Peaks, including its relationships with detective fiction and with soap opera; its popularity as a subject of discussion on early electronic message boards; its representation of women; and its employment of music.
One paper included in the book represents a group discussion in which eight participants analyze the show as a postmodern work; to the extent that the speakers employ the show to refine their ideas of the postmodern, the discussion seems a little circular.
I have not read any of the other books associated with Twin Peaks, but from what I have seen in reviews both on Goodreads and Amazon, Full of Secrets is probably one of the more scholarly among them, with its references to Freudian concepts and to postmodern theorists and critics like Umberto Eco, Jean Baudrillard and Jean-François Lyotard.
Along with the essays are a calendar dating the events both in the series and in the prequel movie Fire Walk With Me, and a scene by scene breakdown of the television episodes and the film. In addition, there is a cast list, a list of writers and directors, and a comprehensive bibliography.
The book includes a few errors, but in general it has some interesting readings of the show.
One paper included in the book represents a group discussion in which eight participants analyze the show as a postmodern work; to the extent that the speakers employ the show to refine their ideas of the postmodern, the discussion seems a little circular.
I have not read any of the other books associated with Twin Peaks, but from what I have seen in reviews both on Goodreads and Amazon, Full of Secrets is probably one of the more scholarly among them, with its references to Freudian concepts and to postmodern theorists and critics like Umberto Eco, Jean Baudrillard and Jean-François Lyotard.
Along with the essays are a calendar dating the events both in the series and in the prequel movie Fire Walk With Me, and a scene by scene breakdown of the television episodes and the film. In addition, there is a cast list, a list of writers and directors, and a comprehensive bibliography.
The book includes a few errors, but in general it has some interesting readings of the show.
December 15, 2023
Considering its publication in 1995, which doesn't seem all that long ago but really is, most of these essays are outdated. I mean, Jenkin's essay "'Do You Enjoy Making the Rest of Us Feel Stupid?': alt.tv.twinpeaks, the Trickster Author, and Viewer Mastery" talks about internet platforms that are now obsolete. The collection itself pre-dates Twin Peaks season three which provides more content and, in some ways, answers. Despite its age, and therefore its reduced relevance, there were a few thought-provoking essays ("The Canonization of Laura Palmer" and "'Disturbing the Guests with This Racket': Music and Twin Peaks" are my favorites). Lots of intertextuality throughout, mainly Chaucer and Oedipus--how can you ignore them when talking about Twin Peaks? I'd like to see what an updated set of critical essays brings and new ways to interrogate such a complex series.
October 8, 2025
Everything is very phallic.
May 19, 2017
A very mixed bag which looked at as a whole is only elevated above the mediocre by Martha Nochimson's outstanding essay "Beneath the Douglas Firs". This is well reasoned, entertaining but also erudite, based on a genuine understanding of the source material, and gives the appearance of being the only piece written by someone who bothered to proof read their text. None of the others evidence any talent as writers, and frequently seem to have only half-watched Twin Peaks in the first place.
A few articles deserve mention, but only as revenge for the time I wasted on reading them...
The article on UseNet oneupmanship is historically interesting but really quite comical. Christy Desmet stitches together her current favourite half baked feminist theories into a near unreadable patchwork but is still very comfortably superior to the woeful "Lynching women..." by D H George. This never rises above the level of pathetic puns (Mike-rophone, True-man) and quite astonishingly says, at one point: "If I, a feminist, well-informed... miss the point and the boat, then what chance is there that the mass viewership... will understand...?"
Arrogant beyond all comprehension.
The final discussion group transcript is also very weak and the laboured (and arse about face) attempt at a Foucauldian analysis by someone called Telotte is terrible too.
On the whole I'd suggest you find the Nochimson article online and just not bother with the rest.
A few articles deserve mention, but only as revenge for the time I wasted on reading them...
The article on UseNet oneupmanship is historically interesting but really quite comical. Christy Desmet stitches together her current favourite half baked feminist theories into a near unreadable patchwork but is still very comfortably superior to the woeful "Lynching women..." by D H George. This never rises above the level of pathetic puns (Mike-rophone, True-man) and quite astonishingly says, at one point: "If I, a feminist, well-informed... miss the point and the boat, then what chance is there that the mass viewership... will understand...?"
Arrogant beyond all comprehension.
The final discussion group transcript is also very weak and the laboured (and arse about face) attempt at a Foucauldian analysis by someone called Telotte is terrible too.
On the whole I'd suggest you find the Nochimson article online and just not bother with the rest.
November 19, 2009
I bought this after finishing watching Twin Peaks and being in the mood for more, more, more. The punch line to that is that once I finally got it, I realized it's edited by a professor in the English Department that I am a grad student in. Hilarity ensued.
Really, though, I quite liked the book, even when I found the essays unconvincing or, in one case, completely bizarre. It's in my nature to want to dissect details of the things that I love--like Twin Peaks--and this collection of critical essays makes good company for that. My particular favorite is "'Disturbing the Guests with This Racket': Music and Twin Peaks" by Kathryn Kalinak, which nails the one question I had asked verbatim: "Who programmed this jukebox?" (referring to the odd musical inclusions on the jukebox at the Double R Diner).
Really, though, I quite liked the book, even when I found the essays unconvincing or, in one case, completely bizarre. It's in my nature to want to dissect details of the things that I love--like Twin Peaks--and this collection of critical essays makes good company for that. My particular favorite is "'Disturbing the Guests with This Racket': Music and Twin Peaks" by Kathryn Kalinak, which nails the one question I had asked verbatim: "Who programmed this jukebox?" (referring to the odd musical inclusions on the jukebox at the Double R Diner).
October 3, 2010
Probably deserves four stars for existing (it is indeed the nerdiest thing ever): but it really could have been a lot more. Some of the essays (the phallus one particularly) are ludicrous! (Eyelessness = castration, apparently, not soullessness as any author/artist would tell you).
And many of the essays seem to be the author's own general philosophy, just with some reference to Twin Peaks thrown in. A few are genuinely interesting, but even these - post-modernism, etc - feel perfunctory. An interesting book, but shows its age (1992/93, before one could really judge the effect of Twin Peaks on television.)
And many of the essays seem to be the author's own general philosophy, just with some reference to Twin Peaks thrown in. A few are genuinely interesting, but even these - post-modernism, etc - feel perfunctory. An interesting book, but shows its age (1992/93, before one could really judge the effect of Twin Peaks on television.)
May 15, 2017
2017:
These essays have held up remarkably well over the past 25 years. Other than some language that we'd find problematic today — like how we talk about transgender people, for example — these essays go a long way toward examining the socio-cultural value of Twin Peaks. They'll be ever more interesting once the new hours of the show air in May 2017.
1999:
What could be better than a group of academics trying to figure out the meaning behind one of David Lynch's masterpieces, Twin Peaks? This book absolutely rocks my world.
These essays have held up remarkably well over the past 25 years. Other than some language that we'd find problematic today — like how we talk about transgender people, for example — these essays go a long way toward examining the socio-cultural value of Twin Peaks. They'll be ever more interesting once the new hours of the show air in May 2017.
1999:
What could be better than a group of academics trying to figure out the meaning behind one of David Lynch's masterpieces, Twin Peaks? This book absolutely rocks my world.
November 30, 2015
Meh. This has not aged well. It came out right when the show was canceled and just reeks of 1990s scholarship and values. Although the references to VCRs and alt.tv.twinpeaks (I was there, man!) are not without charm, a lot of the theory is all circular logic and endless questions without answer, equivocating everything. I appreciated the modernism vs. modernism discussion, and some of the insights into the show's actual production. But mostly it just reminded me why I quit getting a doctorate in literature. The show, of course, gets 5 stars.
May 17, 2010
Some of the essays are good, some of them bad, and a couple are pretty indispensable. A great companion piece to one of the great TV series ever.
June 1, 2025
Published just a few years after the series originally aired, this collection of essays is slightly dated but still interesting. I enjoyed considering different perspectives on Twin Peaks, even though I didn't agree with several. Yes, it's academic and obsessed with postmodernism because that was The Thing in the 90s, but it's still worth a read by any Twin Peaks fan interested in cultural criticism.
January 1, 2018
more like a 3.5
honestly really hard to rate this, loved some essays but others could've been cut or replaced with something not as dense
honestly really hard to rate this, loved some essays but others could've been cut or replaced with something not as dense
May 17, 2021
I'm gettin a bit too deep here
October 21, 2022
Hard to give a star rating to a collection of essays. I think that most of these were really strong and provided interesting perspective on what is one of my favorite shows.
The Semiotics of Cobbler: Twin Peaks' Interpretive Community
This helped to frame my understanding of how Twin Peaks was received when it was coming out since I was not around. This essay also helps to frame TP in the context of the "cult classic." In think that now, 30 years out, there's pretty much no denying the show's status in this category.
Bad Ideas: The Art and Politics of Twin Peaks (Jonathan Rosenbaum)
Pretty easy to digest. This essay just talks about reasons why Twin Peaks succeeded and some of its key themes.
The Peaks and Valleys of Serial Creativity... (Marc Dolan)
This provided an interesting idea of TV and an interesting way of framing different forms of television. I think that this provided an interesting "indigenous" criticism of TV and totally recontextualized my feelings about Season 2. While I previously felt like it was too wacky, the truth is that it is better TV. Dolan's endnotes were a bit excessive, although interesting.
"Do You Enjoy Making the Rest of Us Feel Stupid?" (Henry Jenkins)
This was an interesting and somewhat quaint essay because it has such a different view of the internet than I've had my entire life. This was honestly more historical than anything. I liked to know how the internet used to work.
Family Romance, Family Violence, and the Fantastic in Twin Peaks (Diane Stevenson)
I really liked this essay because I am intrigued by the idea of the fantastic, something that I hadn't really encountered before. The literature of the fantastic has been replaced in our culture with psychoanalysis. This is one of many essays in this book to discuss the obvious doubling in TP. I also enjoyed the investigation into familial issues and the history of feelings of child abuse. It seems that Twin Peaks came out at a really convenient time for this sort of messaging.
Disturbing the Guests with This Racket (Kathryn Kalinak)
Really interesting dissection of Angelo Badalamenti's score. Twin Peaks introduces Laura's theme to disconcert people viewing a death scene with a romantic score. Soon, people begin to be used to the disconcerting score. Then, it is broken apart. This also had a useful discussion of dietetic music.
The Canonization of Laura Palmer (Christy Desmet)
Talks about how a small town puts to rest terrible stories by canonizing sinners and devaluing good women. I liked the analysis of the scene between Bobby and Dr. Jacoby. Bobby initially puts Laura on a pedestal, but he is convinced to say that Laura did bad things. This essay also discussing the doubling of Laura and Maddy.
"In 'About Chinese Women,' [Julia] Kristeva considers [that a woman] should therefore 'live and think of herself as a male homosexual' (The Kristeva Reader 147).
Lynching Women (Diana Hume George)
Funny and raunchy. Good writing syle and interesting take.
Double Talk in Twin Peaks (Alice Kuzniar)
This essay wants what Lynching Women has. Another interesting doubling essay.
Infinite Games (Angela Hague)
Liked the idea of the detective in tune with the body. I was intrigued by the idea of the classic detective story. Jungian.
Entering the Body of Reality (Martha Nochimson)
More gendered analysis. Great focus on physicality and the body.
Dis-order of Things in Twin Peaks
Semiotics and control freakism in Lynchian works.
Postmodernism and Television
Probably the most impactful essay in this. Every character in Twin Peaks sees themself as a different character in a different genre. I think that 'The Return' pretty much settles the debate on Peaks's postmodernism.
Good book, eye-opening.
The Semiotics of Cobbler: Twin Peaks' Interpretive Community
This helped to frame my understanding of how Twin Peaks was received when it was coming out since I was not around. This essay also helps to frame TP in the context of the "cult classic." In think that now, 30 years out, there's pretty much no denying the show's status in this category.
Bad Ideas: The Art and Politics of Twin Peaks (Jonathan Rosenbaum)
Pretty easy to digest. This essay just talks about reasons why Twin Peaks succeeded and some of its key themes.
The Peaks and Valleys of Serial Creativity... (Marc Dolan)
This provided an interesting idea of TV and an interesting way of framing different forms of television. I think that this provided an interesting "indigenous" criticism of TV and totally recontextualized my feelings about Season 2. While I previously felt like it was too wacky, the truth is that it is better TV. Dolan's endnotes were a bit excessive, although interesting.
"Do You Enjoy Making the Rest of Us Feel Stupid?" (Henry Jenkins)
This was an interesting and somewhat quaint essay because it has such a different view of the internet than I've had my entire life. This was honestly more historical than anything. I liked to know how the internet used to work.
Family Romance, Family Violence, and the Fantastic in Twin Peaks (Diane Stevenson)
I really liked this essay because I am intrigued by the idea of the fantastic, something that I hadn't really encountered before. The literature of the fantastic has been replaced in our culture with psychoanalysis. This is one of many essays in this book to discuss the obvious doubling in TP. I also enjoyed the investigation into familial issues and the history of feelings of child abuse. It seems that Twin Peaks came out at a really convenient time for this sort of messaging.
Disturbing the Guests with This Racket (Kathryn Kalinak)
Really interesting dissection of Angelo Badalamenti's score. Twin Peaks introduces Laura's theme to disconcert people viewing a death scene with a romantic score. Soon, people begin to be used to the disconcerting score. Then, it is broken apart. This also had a useful discussion of dietetic music.
The Canonization of Laura Palmer (Christy Desmet)
Talks about how a small town puts to rest terrible stories by canonizing sinners and devaluing good women. I liked the analysis of the scene between Bobby and Dr. Jacoby. Bobby initially puts Laura on a pedestal, but he is convinced to say that Laura did bad things. This essay also discussing the doubling of Laura and Maddy.
"In 'About Chinese Women,' [Julia] Kristeva considers [that a woman] should therefore 'live and think of herself as a male homosexual' (The Kristeva Reader 147).
Lynching Women (Diana Hume George)
Funny and raunchy. Good writing syle and interesting take.
Double Talk in Twin Peaks (Alice Kuzniar)
This essay wants what Lynching Women has. Another interesting doubling essay.
Infinite Games (Angela Hague)
Liked the idea of the detective in tune with the body. I was intrigued by the idea of the classic detective story. Jungian.
Entering the Body of Reality (Martha Nochimson)
More gendered analysis. Great focus on physicality and the body.
Dis-order of Things in Twin Peaks
Semiotics and control freakism in Lynchian works.
Postmodernism and Television
Probably the most impactful essay in this. Every character in Twin Peaks sees themself as a different character in a different genre. I think that 'The Return' pretty much settles the debate on Peaks's postmodernism.
Good book, eye-opening.
February 2, 2014
A collection of well done essays related to the most awesome TV show ever produced. Like Back to Frank Black: A Return to Chris Carter's Millennium, a must for all those who want to know how to do extraordinary TV.
October 25, 2016
I read this SOOOOOOO long ago and my copy has disappeared with the ages. Seriously, I think it was 1995 when I put this one down, probably in about three weeks. I need to procure another copy and revisit it.
May 30, 2007
Hmmm... I never thought it would amount to much, but my friend Danni assured me there was more to these academic "treatments" of Twin Peaks.
August 29, 2007
if you are into david lynch and twin peaks, this is a must. very interesting approaches to the tv show.
September 13, 2007
Interesting, but the overblown academic interpretations get to be a bit much...
Want to read
January 5, 2008Skimmed this when I bought it in high school but I'd like to approach it again after studying various critical theories in college.
July 1, 2008
Some of these approaches are fascinating while others stall out at asinin, much like academics themselves. The episode guide and scene breakdowns are invaluable.
August 19, 2008
For the true Twin Peaks fan to completely geek out to.
February 13, 2009
Simply wonderful. The perfect companion for thinking fans of the series.
February 15, 2015
Great fun for a "Twin Peaks" fanatic like myself! People took this series VERY seriously!
June 23, 2011
what am I doing with my life
there are a couple of interesting feminist critiques which are clearly labelled as such, don't bother with the rest
there are a couple of interesting feminist critiques which are clearly labelled as such, don't bother with the rest
November 18, 2012
Decent idea,half ass execution.
January 8, 2014
Really enjoyed most of the takes on the greatest tele show ever broadcast. Two of the chapters I had to skip. But the remaining I truly enjoyed.
February 20, 2015
Worth it for "Family Romance, Family Violence, and the Fantastic in Twin Peaks" only.
November 16, 2016
Some great critical approaches in this, especially in relation to postmodernism
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews