'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31 (SPOILERS)

Moderators: Brad D, Annie, Jonah, BookhouseBoyBob, Ross, Jerry Horne

User avatar
Wonderful & Strange
Great Northern Member
Posts: 513
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2014 10:01 pm
Contact:

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by Wonderful & Strange »

I think most of the discrepancies are intentional. The book is written from a number of different POVs, there is no omniscient narrator, so it's surprising that so many readers expect one coherent narrative. In postmodernism and modernism, the idea is that people make mistakes, perceive events and remember the past differently. Then we also have the possibility of someone intentionally altering the truth of past events.

What would be truly strange is if all the different narrators actually agreed on everything and reported events exactly as we knew them.

Add to this the probability that Frost made a few mistakes and even wants to revise some aspects of the story. Both of these aspects contribute to what I believe his main goal with the book was: to challenge readers recollection of events in order to provoke them to ask questions.
Member of the Agent Tammy Preston Defense Lodge
User avatar
Saturn's child
RR Diner Member
Posts: 403
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2016 4:38 pm
Location: Blue Mountains

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by Saturn's child »

Wonderful & Strange wrote:I think most of the discrepancies are intentional. The book is written from a number of different POVs, there is no omniscient narrator, so it's surprising that so many readers expect one coherent narrative. In postmodernism and modernism, the idea is that people make mistakes, perceive events and remember the past differently. Then we also have the possibility of someone intentionally altering the truth of past events.
I tend to agree with you about Frost intending at least some of the discrepancies, although to what end I'll guess we'll have to wait & see.

I find it hard to look past Cyril Pons (vs Ponds), Pete not being a chess player, the Norma/Annie alterations, & Lana winning Miss Twin Peaks; I feel these were not accidents.
User avatar
Mr. Reindeer
Lodge Member
Posts: 3680
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2015 4:09 pm

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by Mr. Reindeer »

Saturn's child wrote:I find it hard to look past Cyril Pons (vs Ponds), Pete not being a chess player, the Norma/Annie alterations, & Lana winning Miss Twin Peaks; I feel these were not accidents.
Why do you think Cyril Pons was a change? My impression is that Frost mentioned the name at some point and people extrapolated the incorrect spelling "Ponds" (I have no idea when or how the fan community first learned the name). Well before the book came out, Frost corrected someone on Twitter, saying the spelling was "Pons." Apparently he chose the name in tribute to the Sherlock Holmes pastiche/ripoff character Solar Pons.

(Notably, I've learned on this rewatch that the scripts consistently spell Annie's last name "Blackburne," even though the online fan community has adopted "Blackburn" as the proper spelling for no reason I can discern. Sometimes accepted knowledge is inaccurate.)
User avatar
Saturn's child
RR Diner Member
Posts: 403
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2016 4:38 pm
Location: Blue Mountains

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by Saturn's child »

Mr. Reindeer wrote:My impression is that Frost mentioned the name at some point and people extrapolated the incorrect spelling "Ponds" (I have no idea when or how the fan community first learned the name).
Ahh, I see... Well, scratch that from my list then, haha.
I could've sworn I saw "Ponds" written somewhere 'official', but I just had a quick look around to no avail.
User avatar
Wonderful & Strange
Great Northern Member
Posts: 513
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2014 10:01 pm
Contact:

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by Wonderful & Strange »

Who's saying the line about Pete not being a chess player? And why isn't this just the speaker telling us more about Pete's personality rather than saying he couldn't literally play chess well?
Member of the Agent Tammy Preston Defense Lodge
User avatar
Saturn's child
RR Diner Member
Posts: 403
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2016 4:38 pm
Location: Blue Mountains

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by Saturn's child »

Wonderful & Strange wrote:Who's saying the line about Pete not being a chess player? And why isn't this just the speaker telling us more about Pete's personality rather than saying he couldn't literally play chess well?
Yeah, going back & re-reading, the line can easily be read as a complete metaphor (albeit a sly one).
User avatar
Wonderful & Strange
Great Northern Member
Posts: 513
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2014 10:01 pm
Contact:

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by Wonderful & Strange »

:)
Member of the Agent Tammy Preston Defense Lodge
User avatar
MoondogJR
RR Diner Member
Posts: 293
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 6:13 am
Location: Belgium

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by MoondogJR »

Saturn's child wrote:
Wonderful & Strange wrote:Who's saying the line about Pete not being a chess player? And why isn't this just the speaker telling us more about Pete's personality rather than saying he couldn't literally play chess well?
Yeah, going back & re-reading, the line can easily be read as a complete metaphor (albeit a sly one).
I think that's definately the case.
"Your log and I are on the same page."
User avatar
laughingpinecone
Great Northern Member
Posts: 725
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2016 6:45 am
Location: D'ni
Contact:

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by laughingpinecone »

Being a non-native speaker, I immediately googled the expression back in October and found out that it's an established saying. "Playing chess, not checkers" means being on a whole other level, so the opposite is a lovely pun in the context of a chess master who's currently out of his depth. In context, it really only makes sense as a metaphor. That sentence isn't telling us about Pete's tabletop game of choice, it's telling us that he's inadequate.

Except Frost later confirmed in an AMA that Pete does indeed play checkers. Make of it what you will. Either he forgot the context and was just nodding along with every alarmed question about canon deviations or that metaphor now applies to a checkers master who's currently out of his depth (it doesn't work as well tho).
] The gathered are known by their faces of stone.
4815162342
RR Diner Member
Posts: 137
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2014 9:46 am

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by 4815162342 »

Wonderful & Strange wrote:Who's saying the line about Pete not being a chess player? And why isn't this just the speaker telling us more about Pete's personality rather than saying he couldn't literally play chess well?
Yeah, but, the metaphor sucks when he's literally a great chess player who studies Capablanca...
User avatar
Wonderful & Strange
Great Northern Member
Posts: 513
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2014 10:01 pm
Contact:

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by Wonderful & Strange »

I don't think the metaphor has anything to do with his chess or checkers ability (that's the literal meaning). It's just saying Pete's a down to earth sort of guy. He doesn't come off like a fancy chess player, even if he is.
Member of the Agent Tammy Preston Defense Lodge
billloomis
New Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2017 9:37 am

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by billloomis »

I remember reading somewhere that David had no interest in reading THE SECRET HISTORY OF TWIN PEAKS. I cannot find that interview with him. Anyone know what I'm talking about? Wish i could find his comments on the book. I remember him saying something of this nature but for the life of me i can't locate it.
User avatar
Twink Peaks
RR Diner Member
Posts: 169
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2017 2:01 pm

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by Twink Peaks »

billloomis wrote:I remember reading somewhere that David had no interest in reading THE SECRET HISTORY OF TWIN PEAKS. I cannot find that interview with him. Anyone know what I'm talking about? Wish i could find his comments on the book. I remember him saying something of this nature but for the life of me i can't locate it.
“I’d always wanted to do a Twin Peaks book myself, so that was my first impulse once I knew we were gonna go ahead and do the (new) series,” says Frost, who penned the book after co-writing season three with Lynch, and suggests that some of The Secret History is more relevant to the next season than the previous ones. “Particularly at the mythological level, I was guided by some of the areas that we delve into in the new show. Without going into any detail, a rigorous examination of the book will not hurt your appreciation of what’s to come.”
User avatar
secretlettermkr
RR Diner Member
Posts: 191
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2016 11:14 am

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by secretlettermkr »

billloomis wrote:I remember reading somewhere that David had no interest in reading THE SECRET HISTORY OF TWIN PEAKS. I cannot find that interview with him. Anyone know what I'm talking about? Wish i could find his comments on the book. I remember him saying something of this nature but for the life of me i can't locate it.
http://ew.com/tv/2017/01/09/twin-peaks- ... onference/
claaa7
Great Northern Member
Posts: 715
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2014 2:47 am

Re: 'Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier' Novel by Mark Frost 10/31

Post by claaa7 »

while i understand Lynch is a busy man it's a bit strange that he's so "dismissive" of TSHOTP imo. sure it's Frost's work but it's an important part of the world and mythology that they have created together.
Post Reply