Twin Peaks may have been the greatest show of all time. Or the weirdest. Or both. It’s certainly one of my favorites – for all the traditional reasons. Let’s start with David Duchovny in drag, shall we? It just doesn’t get better. Or the log lady, who not only talks to a log, but listens when it answers. Special Agent Dale Cooper. Enough said. David Lynch. David Lynch is so great he’s spawned his own descriptive word – Lynchian. And my own personal weakness…donuts. Oh, and the cheesy, cheesy romance dialogue. You can’t beat sugary carbs, saccharine teenage romance, and David Duchovny – all with a Lynchian twist.
So if you’re like me and loved the show, you might want to give the following Lychian novels a chance.
01. Leather Maiden by Joe R. Lansdale. This novel has a very Twin Peaks feel – murdered, small town good girl tangled up in the wrong crowd…
02. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. This book is close to the eerie, dream-like quality David Lynch possesses.
03. Await Your Reply by Don Chaon. Questions of identity and who’s in control are pervasive throughout this novel. I find the lack of clarity to be reminiscent of David Lynch.
04. Sanctuary by William Faulkner. Lycnhian before David Lynch existed.
05. Hemlock Grove by Brian McGreevy. As much as I want to like this show, I can’t, but the book is not so bad.
06. The Rathbones by Janice Clark. If Tim Burton collaborated with Charles Addams and David Lynch to rewrite and combine The Odyssey and Moby-Dick, you would get The Rathbones.
07. Revenge by Yoko Ogawa. A dreadful (yet only tinged with horror), meticulous, singular short story experience.
08. Save Yourself by Kelly Braffet. The small town drama, the girl who grew up too fast, and the strange world the two inhabit.
(For fun.)
Do you love Twin Peaks as much as I do? What would you recommend?
flannel and folklore 
Love this!!
I watched a bit of Twin Peaks first run. I was ten. We were in the process of moving cities and I think my parents were a bit lax because of it. It scared the CRAP out of me and I have such vivid memories of the music, and those scenes with the midget. I had nightmares. I should really give it another try.
All these books sound great. I really have to get to The Rathbones.
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I did not watch Twin Peaks when it came out, I think I was too young at the time (although I did manage a lot of the X-Files, which I SOOOO wasn’t ready for, but LOVED).
The Rathbones is a weird, glorious must.
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Well here’s a weird thing… I never watched Twin Peaks. I think it was because it started when I was near the end of my final year year of high school… exams, studying, exams, studying… and I was a conscientious student… By the time year 12 was over I had missed it and everyone said “You have to watch it from the start!” and at that time we didn’t have a video player yet (despite my brother and I telling my parents that we were the only people in the world without one!). So it all adds up to no Twin Peaks for me. Obviously I need to get it on DVD now.
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You’ve never watched Twin Peaks? Wow. 🙂
It’s weird. It’s odd. It’s totally worth it.
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I have never seen Twin Peaks. I KNOW. BUT. My rather eccentric dance instructor used to play the theme song while we did barre exercises, so… Yeah. That’s really all I have to add.
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But that’s so worth adding. Also, your dance instructor must have been interesting, to say the least.
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Amazingly, I never watched Twin Peaks. I know, I know. I don’t know why I never watched it.
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Wow…really? Just, wow. I say go for it if you ever get the chance.
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I’ve never seen Twin Peaks, but my husband and I were thinking about giving it a try (I think I noticed it on Netflix streaming). I always love the way you connect books with music, TV, etc. Cool post!
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Thank you.
It is streaming on Netflix. I say go for it, everyone needs a little David Lynch in their life.
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I love Twin Peaks real hard. I read Hemlock Grove when it came out and I remember being less than impressed by it; the show was okay and then I rewatched the first season a few months ago and liked it so much better the second time around. I guess I was prepared for the ridiculousness of it all and just rolled with its schlock. Have you watched Lynch’s Blue Velvet? It’s pretty weird, too (although, completely less approachable than Twin Peaks).
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The show…I don’t even know what to do with the show. So bad it’s good? I thought the book was trying too hard to be what it was, but I liked it.
I have not seen Blue Velvet. I will have to give it a try. Eraserhead sort of own the title of unapproachable and weird, for me.
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thought you might like this
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THANK YOU!
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Ooh, I will have to check out some of these books. Mad for Twin Peaks and Fire Walk With Me! I loved both soundtracks too. Do you have a Twin Peaks inspired playlist?
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No, I do not. Why don’t I have one of those?
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