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袣褨屑薪邪褌邪 褋薪褨胁
欧宝娱乐 Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Memoir & Autobiography (2018)袉屑鈥櫻� 袛械胁褨写邪 袥褨薪褔邪 写邪胁薪芯 褋褌邪谢芯 褋懈屑胁芯谢芯屑 褍薪褨泻邪谢褜薪芯谐芯, 薪褨 薪邪 泻芯谐芯 薪械 褋褏芯卸芯谐芯 屑懈褌褑褟, 泻芯卸薪邪 薪芯胁邪 褉芯斜芯褌邪 褟泻芯谐芯 芯写褉邪蟹褍 蟹写芯斜褍胁邪褦 褋褌邪褌褍褋 泻褍谢褜褌芯胁芯褩. 校胁褨泄褕芯胁褕懈 胁 邪胁邪薪谐邪褉写 褋胁褨褌芯胁芯谐芯 泻褨薪械屑邪褌芯谐褉邪褎褍 1977 褉芯泻褍 蟹 胁懈褏芯写芯屑 褎褨谢褜屑褍 芦覑褍屑泻芯谐芯谢芯胁懈泄禄, 蟹 泻芯卸薪芯褞 薪邪褋褌褍锌薪芯褞 褋褌褉褨褔泻芯褞 袛械胁褨写 蟹邪胁芯泄芯胁褍胁邪胁 褍褋械 薪芯胁褨 薪芯屑褨薪邪褑褨褩 褌邪 薪邪谐芯褉芯写懈, 邪 褉邪蟹芯屑 蟹 薪懈屑懈 鈥� 褨 褋械褉褑褟 褎邪薪邪褌褨胁 泄芯谐芯 褌胁芯褉褔芯褋褌褨. 袟邪锌褍褋褌懈胁褕懈 褋械褉褨邪谢 芦孝胁褨薪 袩褨泻褋禄 褍 1990 褉芯褑褨, 袛械胁褨写 袥褨薪褔 褋褌邪胁, 斜械蟹 锌械褉械斜褨谢褜褕械薪薪褟, 胁褨写芯屑懈屑 薪邪 褍胁械褋褜 褋胁褨褌, 邪 褎褉邪蟹懈 芦啸褌芯 褍斜懈胁 袥芯褉褍 袩邪谢屑械褉?禄, 芦袛芯 斜褨褋邪 褋屑邪褔薪邪 泻邪胁邪禄 褌邪 芦小芯胁懈 薪械 褌械, 褔懈屑 蟹写邪褞褌褜褋褟禄 锌械褉械褌胁芯褉懈谢懈褋褟 薪邪 锌芯锌褍谢褟褉薪褨 屑械屑懈. 袙褨写褌芯写褨 邪褉屑褨褟 泄芯谐芯 锌褉懈褏懈谢褜薪懈泻褨胁 谢懈褕械 蟹褉芯褋褌邪褦, 褌邪泻 褋邪屑芯 褟泻 褨 褖懈褉械 蟹邪褏芯锌谢械薪薪褟 泄芯谐芯 写懈胁薪懈屑懈, 褌邪谢邪薪芯胁懈褌懈屑懈, 褏懈屑械褉薪懈屑懈, 芯褉懈谐褨薪邪谢褜薪懈屑懈 褨 褋锌褉邪胁写褨 谐械薪褨邪谢褜薪懈屑懈 褋褌褉褨褔泻邪屑懈.
笑褟 邪胁褌芯斜褨芯谐褉邪褎褨褔薪邪 褨 胁芯写薪芯褔邪褋 斜褨芯谐褉邪褎褨褔薪邪 泻薪懈卸泻邪 邪胁褌芯褉褋褌胁邪 褋邪屑芯谐芯 袛械胁褨写邪 袥褨薪褔邪, 邪 褌邪泻芯卸 胁褨写芯屑芯褩 卸褍褉薪邪谢褨褋褌泻懈 褌邪 泻褉懈褌懈泻懈薪褨 袣褉褨褋褌褨薪 袦邪泻袣械薪薪懈 写邪褦 蟹屑芯谐褍 写褨蟹薪邪褌懈褋褟 锌褉芯 卸懈褌褌褟 褨 褋褌邪薪芯胁谢械薪薪褟 袛械胁褨写邪 袥褨薪褔邪 褟泻 屑懈褌褑褟, 锌褉芯 褉械褔褨, 褖芯 胁锌谢懈薪褍谢懈 薪邪 薪褜芯谐芯 褨 胁 锌芯写邪谢褜褕芯屑褍 蟹薪邪泄褕谢懈 胁褨写芯斜褉邪卸械薪薪褟 褍 泄芯谐芯 褋胁褨褌芯谐谢褟写褨 褌邪 泄芯谐芯 泻褨薪芯褋褌褉褨褔泻邪褏, 邪 褌邪泻芯卸 蟹邪蟹懈褉薪褍褌懈 蟹邪 谢邪褕褌褍薪泻懈 斜械蟹屑械卸薪芯褩 胁薪褍褌褉褨褕薪褜芯褩 褨屑锌械褉褨褩 袛械胁褨写邪 袥褨薪褔邪.
袩械褉械泻谢邪写 蟹 邪薪谐谢褨泄褋褜泻芯褩 袆胁谐械薪邪 袥褨褉邪 褌邪 袨褋褌邪锌邪 校泻褉邪褩薪褑褟.
笑褟 邪胁褌芯斜褨芯谐褉邪褎褨褔薪邪 褨 胁芯写薪芯褔邪褋 斜褨芯谐褉邪褎褨褔薪邪 泻薪懈卸泻邪 邪胁褌芯褉褋褌胁邪 褋邪屑芯谐芯 袛械胁褨写邪 袥褨薪褔邪, 邪 褌邪泻芯卸 胁褨写芯屑芯褩 卸褍褉薪邪谢褨褋褌泻懈 褌邪 泻褉懈褌懈泻懈薪褨 袣褉褨褋褌褨薪 袦邪泻袣械薪薪懈 写邪褦 蟹屑芯谐褍 写褨蟹薪邪褌懈褋褟 锌褉芯 卸懈褌褌褟 褨 褋褌邪薪芯胁谢械薪薪褟 袛械胁褨写邪 袥褨薪褔邪 褟泻 屑懈褌褑褟, 锌褉芯 褉械褔褨, 褖芯 胁锌谢懈薪褍谢懈 薪邪 薪褜芯谐芯 褨 胁 锌芯写邪谢褜褕芯屑褍 蟹薪邪泄褕谢懈 胁褨写芯斜褉邪卸械薪薪褟 褍 泄芯谐芯 褋胁褨褌芯谐谢褟写褨 褌邪 泄芯谐芯 泻褨薪芯褋褌褉褨褔泻邪褏, 邪 褌邪泻芯卸 蟹邪蟹懈褉薪褍褌懈 蟹邪 谢邪褕褌褍薪泻懈 斜械蟹屑械卸薪芯褩 胁薪褍褌褉褨褕薪褜芯褩 褨屑锌械褉褨褩 袛械胁褨写邪 袥褨薪褔邪.
袩械褉械泻谢邪写 蟹 邪薪谐谢褨泄褋褜泻芯褩 袆胁谐械薪邪 袥褨褉邪 褌邪 袨褋褌邪锌邪 校泻褉邪褩薪褑褟.
640 pages, Hardcover
First published June 19, 2018
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21.4k people want to read
About the author
David Lynch
153听books1,677听followersDavid Keith Lynch was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. He received acclaim for his films, which are often distinguished by their surrealist, dreamlike qualities. In a career spanning more than fifty years, he was awarded numerous accolades, including the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 2006 and an Honorary Academy Award in 2019. Described as a "visionary", Lynch was considered one of the most important filmmakers of his era.
Lynch studied painting before he began making short films in the late 1960s. His first feature-length film was the independent surrealist film Eraserhead (1977), which saw success as a midnight movie. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for the biographical drama The Elephant Man (1980), the neo-noir thriller Blue Velvet (1986), and the surrealist mystery Mulholland Drive (2001). His romantic crime drama Wild at Heart (1990) won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He also directed the space opera adaptation Dune (1984), the surrealist neo-noir Lost Highway (1997), the biographical drama The Straight Story (1999), and the experimental film Inland Empire (2006).
Lynch and Mark Frost created the ABC series Twin Peaks (1990鈥�91), for which he was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Lynch co-wrote and directed its film prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), and a third season in 2017. He also portrayed FBI agent Gordon Cole in Twin Peaks and John Ford in Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans (2022), and guest-starred in shows such as The Cleveland Show (2010鈥�13) and Louie (2012).
Lynch also worked as a musician, recording the albums BlueBOB (2001), Crazy Clown Time (2011), and The Big Dream (2013), as well as painting and photography. He wrote the books Images (1994), Catching the Big Fish (2006), and Room to Dream (2018). He directed several music videos, for artists such as X Japan, Moby, Interpol, Nine Inch Nails, and Donovan, and commercials for Dior, YSL, Gucci, and the NYC Department of Sanitation. A practitioner of Transcendental Meditation (TM), he founded the David Lynch Foundation to fund meditation lessons for students, veterans, and other "at-risk" populations. Lynch died on January 15, 2025, after being evacuated from his home due to the wildfires that started in Southern California earlier that month.
Lynch studied painting before he began making short films in the late 1960s. His first feature-length film was the independent surrealist film Eraserhead (1977), which saw success as a midnight movie. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for the biographical drama The Elephant Man (1980), the neo-noir thriller Blue Velvet (1986), and the surrealist mystery Mulholland Drive (2001). His romantic crime drama Wild at Heart (1990) won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He also directed the space opera adaptation Dune (1984), the surrealist neo-noir Lost Highway (1997), the biographical drama The Straight Story (1999), and the experimental film Inland Empire (2006).
Lynch and Mark Frost created the ABC series Twin Peaks (1990鈥�91), for which he was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Lynch co-wrote and directed its film prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), and a third season in 2017. He also portrayed FBI agent Gordon Cole in Twin Peaks and John Ford in Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans (2022), and guest-starred in shows such as The Cleveland Show (2010鈥�13) and Louie (2012).
Lynch also worked as a musician, recording the albums BlueBOB (2001), Crazy Clown Time (2011), and The Big Dream (2013), as well as painting and photography. He wrote the books Images (1994), Catching the Big Fish (2006), and Room to Dream (2018). He directed several music videos, for artists such as X Japan, Moby, Interpol, Nine Inch Nails, and Donovan, and commercials for Dior, YSL, Gucci, and the NYC Department of Sanitation. A practitioner of Transcendental Meditation (TM), he founded the David Lynch Foundation to fund meditation lessons for students, veterans, and other "at-risk" populations. Lynch died on January 15, 2025, after being evacuated from his home due to the wildfires that started in Southern California earlier that month.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,060 reviews
January 18, 2025
I鈥檝e always admired Lynch鈥檚 work, I remember being awed, surprised, and sometimes shocked by his early films: The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet and Wild at Heart. And his somewhat surreal television series Twin Peaks was so different to anything else I鈥檇 seen (perhaps anyone had seen) before. But I鈥檇 lost track of where his career had taken him since, so I saw this book as a welcome opportunity to learn more about the man and catch up on what he鈥檇 been up to before and since I鈥檇 briefly tuned into him.
It鈥檚 a biography but, unsurprisingly, structured unconventionally. In alternating sections, his story is told by a writer, Kristine McKenna, and Lynch himself, who adds some colour to the same time period through a series of reflections and anecdotes. I purchased an audio copy, and it鈥檚 narrated by the authors. McKenna鈥檚 sections are a little dry in places but very informative 鈥� she鈥檇 interviewed over one hundred of Lynch鈥檚 friends, family, and acquaintances to compile her material. Her voice is somewhat lacking in personality, but I did warm to her as I made my way through the book, and some humour started to peep through. Lynch, on the other hand, has a voice that is both soft and sincere, his slowly lilting diction immediately making me feel at home with him; I liked him immediately, just based on how he spoke!
A few things come across very clearly:
- Lynch is a born artist, a painter, photographer, film director, script writer, and songwriter. And no doubt a few more I鈥檝e neglected to list.
- He鈥檚 a worker. No, he鈥檚 actually a workaholic.
- He likes people, and people really like him. But he鈥檚 not good at balancing his work and home life 鈥� he鈥檚 worked his way through quite a few wives.
- He鈥檚 into transcendental meditation in a very big way.
I was really sad to finish this one, I could happily have listened to Lynch, in particular, for endless hours. If you are interested in filmmaking or if you just enjoy biographies, I鈥檇 suggest this is a book you should not miss.
It鈥檚 a biography but, unsurprisingly, structured unconventionally. In alternating sections, his story is told by a writer, Kristine McKenna, and Lynch himself, who adds some colour to the same time period through a series of reflections and anecdotes. I purchased an audio copy, and it鈥檚 narrated by the authors. McKenna鈥檚 sections are a little dry in places but very informative 鈥� she鈥檇 interviewed over one hundred of Lynch鈥檚 friends, family, and acquaintances to compile her material. Her voice is somewhat lacking in personality, but I did warm to her as I made my way through the book, and some humour started to peep through. Lynch, on the other hand, has a voice that is both soft and sincere, his slowly lilting diction immediately making me feel at home with him; I liked him immediately, just based on how he spoke!
A few things come across very clearly:
- Lynch is a born artist, a painter, photographer, film director, script writer, and songwriter. And no doubt a few more I鈥檝e neglected to list.
- He鈥檚 a worker. No, he鈥檚 actually a workaholic.
- He likes people, and people really like him. But he鈥檚 not good at balancing his work and home life 鈥� he鈥檚 worked his way through quite a few wives.
- He鈥檚 into transcendental meditation in a very big way.
I was really sad to finish this one, I could happily have listened to Lynch, in particular, for endless hours. If you are interested in filmmaking or if you just enjoy biographies, I鈥檇 suggest this is a book you should not miss.
July 5, 2018
鈥淲hen I picture Boise in my mind, I see euphoric 1950s
chrome optimism鈥�, David Lynch said.
When he was 14, his family moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Though Lynch flourished as a high school student in Alexandria...leaving Boise is when the music stopped...
but the 1950鈥檚 never really ever went away for David....
girls in bobby sox and saddle shoes, classic rock 鈥榥鈥� roll, smoking cigarettes, BBQ鈥檚 - most: the *mood* of the time.... the innocence & goodness....and the dark forces pulsing beneath it.
The neighborhood where 鈥楤lue Velvet鈥� was shot looks much like his old neighborhood in Boise.
God - I鈥檒l never forget watching that film.
I can鈥檛 express how much I enjoyed this book - reflecting memories into my own-David Lynch-entertainment-history...
( my daughter, Ali, and I watched Mulholland Drive together at 鈥榣east鈥� 5 times)....
While Twin Peaks got David to the very center of television and popular culture, he didn鈥檛 want to be in the center.
I understand that!!!!
鈥淗e was most 鈥榟appy鈥� within the world he created for himself鈥�.
Damn, I adore this man!
Gobbling up details about David鈥檚 personal/work/and spiritual life...from many people who were interviewed to David sharing himself, was simply heartwarming delicious.
A biography/memoir combination ... which I thought worked perfectly.
NOTE: if you google David Lynch 鈥榩aintings鈥�... you鈥檒l be amazed of how much he has done - subconscious surreal bizarre paintings!!!!
Fascinating!!!
chrome optimism鈥�, David Lynch said.
When he was 14, his family moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Though Lynch flourished as a high school student in Alexandria...leaving Boise is when the music stopped...
but the 1950鈥檚 never really ever went away for David....
girls in bobby sox and saddle shoes, classic rock 鈥榥鈥� roll, smoking cigarettes, BBQ鈥檚 - most: the *mood* of the time.... the innocence & goodness....and the dark forces pulsing beneath it.
The neighborhood where 鈥楤lue Velvet鈥� was shot looks much like his old neighborhood in Boise.
God - I鈥檒l never forget watching that film.
I can鈥檛 express how much I enjoyed this book - reflecting memories into my own-David Lynch-entertainment-history...
( my daughter, Ali, and I watched Mulholland Drive together at 鈥榣east鈥� 5 times)....
While Twin Peaks got David to the very center of television and popular culture, he didn鈥檛 want to be in the center.
I understand that!!!!
鈥淗e was most 鈥榟appy鈥� within the world he created for himself鈥�.
Damn, I adore this man!
Gobbling up details about David鈥檚 personal/work/and spiritual life...from many people who were interviewed to David sharing himself, was simply heartwarming delicious.
A biography/memoir combination ... which I thought worked perfectly.
NOTE: if you google David Lynch 鈥榩aintings鈥�... you鈥檒l be amazed of how much he has done - subconscious surreal bizarre paintings!!!!
Fascinating!!!
February 10, 2023
Many books have been written about Lynch and his work. If you ask me, he is the most interesting filmmaker still alive for a number of reasons. I will always sing the praises of Kurosawa, Kubrick, Jarmusch, Gilliam and the dozen or so other directors I purposefully rewatch, but Lynch is a revolutionary artist, even as he brought his raw nightmares and flawed dreams to the cinematic world. If you don't like Lynch films, it might help to watch them again, and to read what many fans have excavated from his multi-layered imagery, which can come off as pretentious nonsense to the uninitiated.
Are you still wondering about that awful-looking stuffed robin at the end of Blue Velvet, or the way certain characters disappear into thin air on screen for no apparent reason, or the dancing midget, or the girl in the radiator, or the life-size bunnies, or the 1001 other anomalies? You are not alone. The hallmarks of Lynch's work are so memorable because they are so ridiculous. He talks about a few of those quirks in this book, but not all of them.
This is a hybrid memoir biography. A combo of Lynch talking about his life and the people he worked with and knew discussing his work and their relationship with him. Lynch has four kids and was married four times. He began making short films and progressed to the big time after Elephant Man. His start was rocky. He moved around constantly, went to AFI, and it took 5 years to complete Eraserhead. Living expenses were always an issue, funding was an even bigger impediment. But Lynch had a way of getting his vision onto the screen despite all the obstacles. He was a paper boy well into adulthood and had odd jobs, spent 2 hours a night sitting in a coffee shop for a chunk of his life and at one point was sleeping 18 hours per day. He settled into a rhythm of productivity after discovering Transcendental Meditation and produced hundreds of abstract paintings and experimental short films for his membership website.
He believes that through meditation, humans can unlock happiness and improvement in every aspect of life by submerging themselves in the sea of consciousness. His book Catching the Big Fish is a condensation of his talks, which relate to the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi of whom Lynch was a protege. Lynch went on to found a TM foundation for world peace, which he stresses is not a religion but a mindset. The final component of this system is the belief that one can reach ultimate enlightenment through meditation and so awaken from the eternal wheel of reincarnation. Unsurprisingly, many of these concepts subtly make their way into his work.
Dune was a major disappointment to him and I think most people, but it remains a watchable film with great music and some startling visuals. Think about the fact that he made Dune to get out of the offer of directing Return of the Jedi. Thank the lord for that.
We get to hear his journey through every film he made in this book along with his artistic insights, his struggles and triumphs. He is constantly touted by the co-authors as a genuine, likable, relatable, down-to-earth genius who respects and loves everyone. He was also an absentee father and husband, so devoted to his projects that his personal life was a shambles, with lengthy respites when he wasn't shooting when he actually lived a balanced life.
Having watched all of his features and all seasons of Twin Peaks, I consider myself a fan. I am most fascinated by his artistic methodologies and the obsession with coding imagery and abstraction he employs, the organic vision he translates to moving pictures, which coalesces into emotional and moving scenes with unpredictable dialogue and striking visual composition. You get the super dark, visceral absurdist Eraserhead. A trip from beginning to end. Then the moody Elephantman - which is just a good film. Enough standard fare to fulfill most peoples' storytelling expectations. Then the impeccable and disturbing Blue Velvet (the best entry point into his work)鈥攖he beginning of the dichotomies. Lynch films often contain some of the best and worst acting, purposefully awkward scenes, and a glacially slow pace. Think of each frame as a painting, one containing many layers, and you will begin to appreciate the dedication he puts into the directing art.
After that, the wild and questionable Wild at Heart, famous for the Nick Cage freak-out trend. The film was actually a lot more bloody, brutal, and vicious before they produced the final cut. It's really pushing the envelope as is, and somehow won the Palm D'Or at Cannes. A highly unconventional road movie, to say the least. Then the twisted and riveting Lost Highway, a noir experiment that holds up really well to rewatchings.
Then began the near religious experience of Twin Peaks season 1, the hot mess WTF of season 2, and the convoluted visual labyrinth of subtext of season 3. The third season was filmed 25 years after the second and couldn't be more different in tone and atmosphere. Yet the whole series coheres and contains an impressive array of character development and an incredible synthesis of visually compelling ideas. You will never forget Twin Peaks, and it remains one of the most influential shows of all time. To fully appreciate the easter eggs and hidden meanings, watch the videos uploaded by Twin Perfect on Youtube: Over 6 hours of footage interpreting the mysteries in Lynch's magnum opus.
In between you get the Disney G-rated perfectly moving Straight Story, easy to recommend to anyone who appreciates a quiet, simple film. Finally the masterpiece of Mulholland Dr. 鈥� the pinnacle of his artistry and a powerful, timeless classic.
And lastly there is the uncalled-for trashterpiece of Inland Empire. I have yet to read the hundreds of pages of fan interpretation on this mystically weird 3-hour shaky-cam film, but it combines Lynchian archetypes into a melange of horripilating interwoven stories reminiscent of Mulholland, but without the pleasing cinematography. It is profoundly upsetting and possibly evil, but you can be the judge. I may revise my summation after thorough research but I believe it contains utterly revolting and unnecessary scenes alongside some breathtaking feats of acting and obvious subconscious associations I've yet to comprehend.
Apart from that the assorted shorts I have never really cared about and his multiple books of visual art. Studying Lynch's life, methods, and production is a worthy endeavor in my estimation. Not only is the pursuit entertaining and rich, it is addictive and easy to discuss with others. I have yet to try his two other short television series, which no one talks about: Motel Room and On the Air. But I look forward to reading the Twin Peaks books, watching the deleted scenes, and rewatching Fire Walk with Me, which I didn't like the first time.
To be fair, this book must be rented or bought in audiobook form to gain the full value. David Lynch's voice is perfectly attuned to his wacky brand of madness and hearing him talk is enough to hook anybody. You must also be well-versed in his films to get the most out of this memoir. If you are a devotee or a mildly enthused fan I highly recommend this book and consider it the most fascinating autobiography I have ever read.
Are you still wondering about that awful-looking stuffed robin at the end of Blue Velvet, or the way certain characters disappear into thin air on screen for no apparent reason, or the dancing midget, or the girl in the radiator, or the life-size bunnies, or the 1001 other anomalies? You are not alone. The hallmarks of Lynch's work are so memorable because they are so ridiculous. He talks about a few of those quirks in this book, but not all of them.
This is a hybrid memoir biography. A combo of Lynch talking about his life and the people he worked with and knew discussing his work and their relationship with him. Lynch has four kids and was married four times. He began making short films and progressed to the big time after Elephant Man. His start was rocky. He moved around constantly, went to AFI, and it took 5 years to complete Eraserhead. Living expenses were always an issue, funding was an even bigger impediment. But Lynch had a way of getting his vision onto the screen despite all the obstacles. He was a paper boy well into adulthood and had odd jobs, spent 2 hours a night sitting in a coffee shop for a chunk of his life and at one point was sleeping 18 hours per day. He settled into a rhythm of productivity after discovering Transcendental Meditation and produced hundreds of abstract paintings and experimental short films for his membership website.
He believes that through meditation, humans can unlock happiness and improvement in every aspect of life by submerging themselves in the sea of consciousness. His book Catching the Big Fish is a condensation of his talks, which relate to the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi of whom Lynch was a protege. Lynch went on to found a TM foundation for world peace, which he stresses is not a religion but a mindset. The final component of this system is the belief that one can reach ultimate enlightenment through meditation and so awaken from the eternal wheel of reincarnation. Unsurprisingly, many of these concepts subtly make their way into his work.
Dune was a major disappointment to him and I think most people, but it remains a watchable film with great music and some startling visuals. Think about the fact that he made Dune to get out of the offer of directing Return of the Jedi. Thank the lord for that.
We get to hear his journey through every film he made in this book along with his artistic insights, his struggles and triumphs. He is constantly touted by the co-authors as a genuine, likable, relatable, down-to-earth genius who respects and loves everyone. He was also an absentee father and husband, so devoted to his projects that his personal life was a shambles, with lengthy respites when he wasn't shooting when he actually lived a balanced life.
Having watched all of his features and all seasons of Twin Peaks, I consider myself a fan. I am most fascinated by his artistic methodologies and the obsession with coding imagery and abstraction he employs, the organic vision he translates to moving pictures, which coalesces into emotional and moving scenes with unpredictable dialogue and striking visual composition. You get the super dark, visceral absurdist Eraserhead. A trip from beginning to end. Then the moody Elephantman - which is just a good film. Enough standard fare to fulfill most peoples' storytelling expectations. Then the impeccable and disturbing Blue Velvet (the best entry point into his work)鈥攖he beginning of the dichotomies. Lynch films often contain some of the best and worst acting, purposefully awkward scenes, and a glacially slow pace. Think of each frame as a painting, one containing many layers, and you will begin to appreciate the dedication he puts into the directing art.
After that, the wild and questionable Wild at Heart, famous for the Nick Cage freak-out trend. The film was actually a lot more bloody, brutal, and vicious before they produced the final cut. It's really pushing the envelope as is, and somehow won the Palm D'Or at Cannes. A highly unconventional road movie, to say the least. Then the twisted and riveting Lost Highway, a noir experiment that holds up really well to rewatchings.
Then began the near religious experience of Twin Peaks season 1, the hot mess WTF of season 2, and the convoluted visual labyrinth of subtext of season 3. The third season was filmed 25 years after the second and couldn't be more different in tone and atmosphere. Yet the whole series coheres and contains an impressive array of character development and an incredible synthesis of visually compelling ideas. You will never forget Twin Peaks, and it remains one of the most influential shows of all time. To fully appreciate the easter eggs and hidden meanings, watch the videos uploaded by Twin Perfect on Youtube: Over 6 hours of footage interpreting the mysteries in Lynch's magnum opus.
In between you get the Disney G-rated perfectly moving Straight Story, easy to recommend to anyone who appreciates a quiet, simple film. Finally the masterpiece of Mulholland Dr. 鈥� the pinnacle of his artistry and a powerful, timeless classic.
And lastly there is the uncalled-for trashterpiece of Inland Empire. I have yet to read the hundreds of pages of fan interpretation on this mystically weird 3-hour shaky-cam film, but it combines Lynchian archetypes into a melange of horripilating interwoven stories reminiscent of Mulholland, but without the pleasing cinematography. It is profoundly upsetting and possibly evil, but you can be the judge. I may revise my summation after thorough research but I believe it contains utterly revolting and unnecessary scenes alongside some breathtaking feats of acting and obvious subconscious associations I've yet to comprehend.
Apart from that the assorted shorts I have never really cared about and his multiple books of visual art. Studying Lynch's life, methods, and production is a worthy endeavor in my estimation. Not only is the pursuit entertaining and rich, it is addictive and easy to discuss with others. I have yet to try his two other short television series, which no one talks about: Motel Room and On the Air. But I look forward to reading the Twin Peaks books, watching the deleted scenes, and rewatching Fire Walk with Me, which I didn't like the first time.
To be fair, this book must be rented or bought in audiobook form to gain the full value. David Lynch's voice is perfectly attuned to his wacky brand of madness and hearing him talk is enough to hook anybody. You must also be well-versed in his films to get the most out of this memoir. If you are a devotee or a mildly enthused fan I highly recommend this book and consider it the most fascinating autobiography I have ever read.
October 7, 2018
Room To Dream
This is a very enjoyable biography told with a dual perspective that I found very readable and descriptive. I鈥檓 not quite sure how it got lost in my TBR pile, as I should have read it much sooner and wish I had now, as much as I鈥檝e liked it. Filled with quirky stories about David Lynch as he grows up discovers what he鈥檚 about, moving from different places and the effects they had on him. When and how he got interested in art, and his near-obsession with art and painting that was such a part of his life for quite a while. Then the all-important point when David鈥檚 focus shifted from painting to making films. It also shares about his personal life too, his family and friends and many girlfriends until he marries and starts a family of his own. My thanks for the advance electronic copy that was provided by NetGalley, authors David Lynch & Kristine McKenna, and the publisher for my fair review.
The Author:
David Lynch听advanced to the front ranks of international cinema in 1977 with the release of his first film, the startlingly original听Eraserhead. Since then, Lynch has been nominated for two Best Director Academy Awards for听The Elephant Man听and听Blue Velvet,听was听awarded the Palme d鈥橭r for听Wild at Heart,听swept the country with听Twin Peaks听mania in 1990 when his groundbreaking television series premiered on ABC, and has established himself as an artist of tremendous range and wit. He is the author of a previous book,听Catching the Big Fish, on Transcendental Meditation.
Kristine McKenna听is a widely published critic and journalist who wrote for the听Los Angeles Times from 1976 through 1998 and has been a close friend and interviewer of David Lynch since 1979. Her profiles and criticism have appeared in听Artforum, The New York Times, ARTnews, Vanity Fair, The Washington Post,听and听Rolling Stone. Her books include听The Ferus Gallery: A Place to Begin听and two collections of interviews.
Random House 534 pages
Pub: June 19th, 2018
My BookZone blog:
This is a very enjoyable biography told with a dual perspective that I found very readable and descriptive. I鈥檓 not quite sure how it got lost in my TBR pile, as I should have read it much sooner and wish I had now, as much as I鈥檝e liked it. Filled with quirky stories about David Lynch as he grows up discovers what he鈥檚 about, moving from different places and the effects they had on him. When and how he got interested in art, and his near-obsession with art and painting that was such a part of his life for quite a while. Then the all-important point when David鈥檚 focus shifted from painting to making films. It also shares about his personal life too, his family and friends and many girlfriends until he marries and starts a family of his own. My thanks for the advance electronic copy that was provided by NetGalley, authors David Lynch & Kristine McKenna, and the publisher for my fair review.
The Author:
David Lynch听advanced to the front ranks of international cinema in 1977 with the release of his first film, the startlingly original听Eraserhead. Since then, Lynch has been nominated for two Best Director Academy Awards for听The Elephant Man听and听Blue Velvet,听was听awarded the Palme d鈥橭r for听Wild at Heart,听swept the country with听Twin Peaks听mania in 1990 when his groundbreaking television series premiered on ABC, and has established himself as an artist of tremendous range and wit. He is the author of a previous book,听Catching the Big Fish, on Transcendental Meditation.
Kristine McKenna听is a widely published critic and journalist who wrote for the听Los Angeles Times from 1976 through 1998 and has been a close friend and interviewer of David Lynch since 1979. Her profiles and criticism have appeared in听Artforum, The New York Times, ARTnews, Vanity Fair, The Washington Post,听and听Rolling Stone. Her books include听The Ferus Gallery: A Place to Begin听and two collections of interviews.
Random House 534 pages
Pub: June 19th, 2018
My BookZone blog:
August 27, 2021
What makes for a good biography? I have been pondering that question since reading the utterly beguiling 鈥楻oom to Dream鈥�. Interestingly, Kristine McKenna鈥檚 name on the author page is accompanied by that of David Lynch himself, which makes one wonder if this doesn鈥檛 stray into autobiographical territory rather. It does. But in a very 鈥楲ynchian鈥� sense, as McKenna allows Lynch to comment on each chapter she has written, in a free-form, often contradictory and totally dreamy kind of way that adds anecdotes and layers of hidden depths to her carefully reconstructed facts.
That sensibility is evident right from the evocative cover, featuring a picture of a very young Lynch sitting quite formally on a step and looking off to the side at something that has grabbed his attention. In fact, Lynch the auteur has spent his entire career looking to the side, wondering what lies behind the billowing curtains of both his mind and our collective subconscious.
All the hand lettering in this book is by Lynch himself, who is an incredibly gifted artist in a range of media, including lithographs and even furniture making. If you watch his wonderful weather reports on his YouTube channel, you will see he is reporting from the workshop on his LA compound (part of which was used as a location for 鈥楲ost Highway鈥� [1997]). McKenna also reports that said workshop lacks a toilet, but instead of going through to the main house, Lynch has a small sink that he pees in when he is working, presumably so as not to distract the Muse.
Whether or not you find the latter fact gross or charming will, I think, largely determine your reaction to Lynch the filmmaker. My first exposure to Lynch was 鈥楧une鈥� (1984), which made a huge impression on me as a 15-year-old. As far as I can recall, 鈥楤lue Velvet鈥� (1986) was released in South Africa with a 2-21 age restriction, which meant I only got to watch it on VHS cassette tape. I have been following Lynch鈥檚 work sporadically ever since, and ended up watching all 18 hours of 鈥楾win Peaks: The Return鈥� twice.
Lynch has been notoriously reticent to comment on his experience making and filming 鈥楧une鈥�, but there is an entire chapter on that much-maligned movie in this book. While not an entirely successful adaptation, mainly due to how much material it tries to compress into a couple of hours, I still think it holds up as one of the most iconoclastic SF movies ever made, definitely on par with 鈥�2001: A Space Odyssey鈥�, 鈥楢lien鈥�, 鈥楤lade Runner鈥� and, of course, 鈥楽tar Wars鈥�. There wasn鈥檛, and simply hasn鈥檛, been anything as deliberately opaque, baroque and grotesquely weird ever since.
Lynch famously met George Lucas to discuss directing 鈥楻eturn of the Jedi鈥�, which he turned down. Lord, we probably would have ended up with Ewok orgies if Lynch had gone anywhere near the 鈥楽tar Wars鈥� franchise. Despite the disaster that was 鈥楧une鈥�, producer Dino De Laurentiis was good to his word and allowed Lynch to make 鈥楤lue Velvet鈥�, selected by the American Film Institute in 2008 as one of the greatest mystery films ever made.
McKenna makes a crucial observation about Lynch鈥檚 reputation in the wake of the 鈥榃ild at Heart鈥� controversy when that thoroughly demented road-rage-trip movie won the Palme d鈥橭r at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival: 鈥淪uddenly you could describe something as 鈥楲ynchian鈥� and people knew what you meant. This level of success has its pros and cons, of course. When you permeate popular culture completely it responds by absorbing you, then assuming it knows you, then assuming it has rights where you鈥檙e concerned.鈥�
Despite loathing the spotlight and always operating on the outskirts of what we perceive to be the 鈥楬ollywood film industry鈥�, Lynch has consistently remained ahead of his time. Fans expecting a quirkily weird 鈥楾win Peaks鈥� movie experience were traumatised when 鈥楩ire Walk With Me鈥� (1992) turned out to be a shot of 100% Lynch straight to the limbic system.
鈥業NLAND EMPIRE鈥� (2006) was filmed entirely on a Sony DSR-PD150 camera: 鈥淭he transition to digital was happening, people weren鈥檛 interested in cinema, and the art houses were dying like the plague. Eventually there will be no theatres and the majority of people will see films on their computers or on their phones.鈥�
鈥淚 want the crudest camera and I wanna do something that any seventeen-year-old sitting in Phoenix with their grandparents can do with a camcorder. Why can鈥檛 I just grab a camera and see what that looks like? What is digital? How can we take it further? How are we blending these new and old technologies?鈥�
As star Laura Dern said about Lynch鈥檚 intent with the movie: 鈥淚f you鈥檙e in it for the result then you can鈥檛 experiment, but if you鈥檙e there to redefine art you can do anything.鈥� Oh, and the release of 鈥業NLAND EMPIRE鈥� coincided with the launch of the David Lynch Signature Cup Coffee. See, far ahead of the curve.
Lynch has always been interested in doppelg盲ngers, or most famously the tulpas of 鈥楾win Peaks鈥�, which in psychological terms implies an acknowledgement of binary oppositions like good and evil and black and white. Maybe Lynch himself is some saint incarnate, because many actors and artists who have worked with him have commented on his innate energy, positivity and spirituality. He cites the launch of the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace in 2005 as one of his most enduring achievements:
鈥滻f we humans 鈥� or even a few of us 鈥� work together on this, we can speed through this transition and the goals will be a living reality. Enlightenment for the people and real peace on earth. Real peace is not just the absence of war, but the absence of all negativity. Everyone wins.鈥�
If it seems a complete contradiction that one of cinema鈥檚 greatest auteurs, responsible for some of the most bizarre imagery ever projected onto a film or television screen, is a lifelong practitioner of Transcendental Meditation [not to mention being 鈥榗atnip to women鈥�, after four marriages and who knows how many affairs], and just a real nice, down-to-earth, 鈥榩eachy keen鈥� kind of guy 鈥� well. Welcome to the world of David Lynch, where there is always room to love, to create, and to dream.
That sensibility is evident right from the evocative cover, featuring a picture of a very young Lynch sitting quite formally on a step and looking off to the side at something that has grabbed his attention. In fact, Lynch the auteur has spent his entire career looking to the side, wondering what lies behind the billowing curtains of both his mind and our collective subconscious.
All the hand lettering in this book is by Lynch himself, who is an incredibly gifted artist in a range of media, including lithographs and even furniture making. If you watch his wonderful weather reports on his YouTube channel, you will see he is reporting from the workshop on his LA compound (part of which was used as a location for 鈥楲ost Highway鈥� [1997]). McKenna also reports that said workshop lacks a toilet, but instead of going through to the main house, Lynch has a small sink that he pees in when he is working, presumably so as not to distract the Muse.
Whether or not you find the latter fact gross or charming will, I think, largely determine your reaction to Lynch the filmmaker. My first exposure to Lynch was 鈥楧une鈥� (1984), which made a huge impression on me as a 15-year-old. As far as I can recall, 鈥楤lue Velvet鈥� (1986) was released in South Africa with a 2-21 age restriction, which meant I only got to watch it on VHS cassette tape. I have been following Lynch鈥檚 work sporadically ever since, and ended up watching all 18 hours of 鈥楾win Peaks: The Return鈥� twice.
Lynch has been notoriously reticent to comment on his experience making and filming 鈥楧une鈥�, but there is an entire chapter on that much-maligned movie in this book. While not an entirely successful adaptation, mainly due to how much material it tries to compress into a couple of hours, I still think it holds up as one of the most iconoclastic SF movies ever made, definitely on par with 鈥�2001: A Space Odyssey鈥�, 鈥楢lien鈥�, 鈥楤lade Runner鈥� and, of course, 鈥楽tar Wars鈥�. There wasn鈥檛, and simply hasn鈥檛, been anything as deliberately opaque, baroque and grotesquely weird ever since.
Lynch famously met George Lucas to discuss directing 鈥楻eturn of the Jedi鈥�, which he turned down. Lord, we probably would have ended up with Ewok orgies if Lynch had gone anywhere near the 鈥楽tar Wars鈥� franchise. Despite the disaster that was 鈥楧une鈥�, producer Dino De Laurentiis was good to his word and allowed Lynch to make 鈥楤lue Velvet鈥�, selected by the American Film Institute in 2008 as one of the greatest mystery films ever made.
McKenna makes a crucial observation about Lynch鈥檚 reputation in the wake of the 鈥榃ild at Heart鈥� controversy when that thoroughly demented road-rage-trip movie won the Palme d鈥橭r at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival: 鈥淪uddenly you could describe something as 鈥楲ynchian鈥� and people knew what you meant. This level of success has its pros and cons, of course. When you permeate popular culture completely it responds by absorbing you, then assuming it knows you, then assuming it has rights where you鈥檙e concerned.鈥�
Despite loathing the spotlight and always operating on the outskirts of what we perceive to be the 鈥楬ollywood film industry鈥�, Lynch has consistently remained ahead of his time. Fans expecting a quirkily weird 鈥楾win Peaks鈥� movie experience were traumatised when 鈥楩ire Walk With Me鈥� (1992) turned out to be a shot of 100% Lynch straight to the limbic system.
鈥業NLAND EMPIRE鈥� (2006) was filmed entirely on a Sony DSR-PD150 camera: 鈥淭he transition to digital was happening, people weren鈥檛 interested in cinema, and the art houses were dying like the plague. Eventually there will be no theatres and the majority of people will see films on their computers or on their phones.鈥�
鈥淚 want the crudest camera and I wanna do something that any seventeen-year-old sitting in Phoenix with their grandparents can do with a camcorder. Why can鈥檛 I just grab a camera and see what that looks like? What is digital? How can we take it further? How are we blending these new and old technologies?鈥�
As star Laura Dern said about Lynch鈥檚 intent with the movie: 鈥淚f you鈥檙e in it for the result then you can鈥檛 experiment, but if you鈥檙e there to redefine art you can do anything.鈥� Oh, and the release of 鈥業NLAND EMPIRE鈥� coincided with the launch of the David Lynch Signature Cup Coffee. See, far ahead of the curve.
Lynch has always been interested in doppelg盲ngers, or most famously the tulpas of 鈥楾win Peaks鈥�, which in psychological terms implies an acknowledgement of binary oppositions like good and evil and black and white. Maybe Lynch himself is some saint incarnate, because many actors and artists who have worked with him have commented on his innate energy, positivity and spirituality. He cites the launch of the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace in 2005 as one of his most enduring achievements:
鈥滻f we humans 鈥� or even a few of us 鈥� work together on this, we can speed through this transition and the goals will be a living reality. Enlightenment for the people and real peace on earth. Real peace is not just the absence of war, but the absence of all negativity. Everyone wins.鈥�
If it seems a complete contradiction that one of cinema鈥檚 greatest auteurs, responsible for some of the most bizarre imagery ever projected onto a film or television screen, is a lifelong practitioner of Transcendental Meditation [not to mention being 鈥榗atnip to women鈥�, after four marriages and who knows how many affairs], and just a real nice, down-to-earth, 鈥榩eachy keen鈥� kind of guy 鈥� well. Welcome to the world of David Lynch, where there is always room to love, to create, and to dream.
January 17, 2025
Farewell, David Lynch... 馃挃
鈥淣obody is neutral on the subject of Lynch.鈥�
Truer words have never been written!
Do you ever watch INLAND EMPIRE two or three times in a row and feel like you don鈥檛 understand the world anymore? Yeah, me neither鈥� Then, reading this book, you鈥檒l come across Noriko Miyakawa鈥檚 words - 鈥淭he parts of the film you don鈥檛 understand point to places in yourself that need examining鈥� - and feel you need to do some more soul searching, because nowhere in here is this bad boy explained. Simply that 鈥渋t鈥檚 deep in interesting ways, and it goes into different places and has different textures that hook together. You enter the film in one place and you come out in another,鈥� which is what I always loved about David Lynch when asked to talk about his films: abstract 础贵鈥�
I loved the behind the scenes of Twin Peaks: The Return and it saddens me there won鈥檛 be any more episodes! Oh, well鈥�
鈥淚f I look at any page of this book, I think, Man, that鈥檚 just the tip of the iceberg; there鈥檚 so much more, so many more stories. You could do an entire book on a single day and still not capture everything. It鈥檚 impossible to really tell the story of somebody鈥檚 life, and the most we can hope to convey here is a very abstract 鈥淩osebud.鈥� Ultimately, each life is a mystery until we each solve the mystery, and that鈥檚 where we are all headed whether we know it or not.鈥�
鈥淣obody is neutral on the subject of Lynch.鈥�
Truer words have never been written!
Do you ever watch INLAND EMPIRE two or three times in a row and feel like you don鈥檛 understand the world anymore? Yeah, me neither鈥� Then, reading this book, you鈥檒l come across Noriko Miyakawa鈥檚 words - 鈥淭he parts of the film you don鈥檛 understand point to places in yourself that need examining鈥� - and feel you need to do some more soul searching, because nowhere in here is this bad boy explained. Simply that 鈥渋t鈥檚 deep in interesting ways, and it goes into different places and has different textures that hook together. You enter the film in one place and you come out in another,鈥� which is what I always loved about David Lynch when asked to talk about his films: abstract 础贵鈥�
I loved the behind the scenes of Twin Peaks: The Return and it saddens me there won鈥檛 be any more episodes! Oh, well鈥�
鈥淚f I look at any page of this book, I think, Man, that鈥檚 just the tip of the iceberg; there鈥檚 so much more, so many more stories. You could do an entire book on a single day and still not capture everything. It鈥檚 impossible to really tell the story of somebody鈥檚 life, and the most we can hope to convey here is a very abstract 鈥淩osebud.鈥� Ultimately, each life is a mystery until we each solve the mystery, and that鈥檚 where we are all headed whether we know it or not.鈥�
March 27, 2025
This was so much fun in the beginning and I got teary-eyes multiple times, laughed on the street while listening, felt serotonin for the first time since forever, etc etc, but by the end of it, the book got to a place where it significantly complicated my relationship to David Lynch and his work. And for that, I think it deserves 5-stars!
It's been quite a few years since I decided to never idolize anyone ever again, after a string of fucking disappointments, but I think to a degree I did hold David Lynch on a pedestal. And I'm happy (and feel a lot of uncomfortable emotions and annoyances to process, but I do love being challenged), that I am taking him down, while still loving him as an amazing, yet complicated artist and someone who has inadvertently shaped my life and my personality in unquantifiable ways ever since that day in 1990 or 1991 when I first saw an episode of Twin Peaks. I was 5 (or 6). We were just after the fall of the communist regime so it's hard to say exactly when that happened.
The book is a really fun format and I very much recommend the audiobook. There's an alternation between the classically biographical writing (by McKenna) about stages of DL's life and Lynch reacting to these biographical parts with anecdotes, feelings, vibes, in such a raw, improvised way. I loved listening to him and the way he described things - jumping from one thing to the other, going either uber-detailed or minimal about certain things. Sometimes it feels like he is avoiding commenting on some parts, like breaking up over the telephone with Isabella Rossellini, he doesn't really talk about all his affairs and divorces. The last little bit is a sort of 'Acknowledgments' bit, where he talks about his four kids and the movies they made, but then he goes like: well, Lula draws very well, but she hasn't made a movie yet, since she's only 5 and a half years old. Which was hilarious.
I probably have a lot of stuff to comment on, but not the energy to do so on a large scale, so let's just leave it at 'he feels very much like the consummate artist genius who rather neglects everything else but the art, while the women do a lot of organizing labor'.
But I think my main critique is about his obsession with the idea of Transcendental Meditation (TM) changing the world. I read his other book back in 2011 (!!) and I remember wanting to get into TM immediately, but ofc no options in Romania that I could find or the disposable income! Because that's what pisses me off about this type of meditation - it is heavily gatekept, you can only learn the technique with a certified instructor (so ofc it's a business). It just really annoys me, you know? It's like poor people or working class people aren't allowed access to this enlightenment method, even though they might need it the most, and so who actually gets to change the world? People who already have financial power.
There's other stuff there too, to criticize, but I think I'm okay for now. This was an absolutely beautiful & complicated experience and I appreciate it. Do I wish there had been more Lynch talking about Twin Peaks? For sure. But still happy with what I got and will probably rewatch TP now, lol. {It. Is. Happening. Again}
It's been quite a few years since I decided to never idolize anyone ever again, after a string of fucking disappointments, but I think to a degree I did hold David Lynch on a pedestal. And I'm happy (and feel a lot of uncomfortable emotions and annoyances to process, but I do love being challenged), that I am taking him down, while still loving him as an amazing, yet complicated artist and someone who has inadvertently shaped my life and my personality in unquantifiable ways ever since that day in 1990 or 1991 when I first saw an episode of Twin Peaks. I was 5 (or 6). We were just after the fall of the communist regime so it's hard to say exactly when that happened.
The book is a really fun format and I very much recommend the audiobook. There's an alternation between the classically biographical writing (by McKenna) about stages of DL's life and Lynch reacting to these biographical parts with anecdotes, feelings, vibes, in such a raw, improvised way. I loved listening to him and the way he described things - jumping from one thing to the other, going either uber-detailed or minimal about certain things. Sometimes it feels like he is avoiding commenting on some parts, like breaking up over the telephone with Isabella Rossellini, he doesn't really talk about all his affairs and divorces. The last little bit is a sort of 'Acknowledgments' bit, where he talks about his four kids and the movies they made, but then he goes like: well, Lula draws very well, but she hasn't made a movie yet, since she's only 5 and a half years old. Which was hilarious.
I probably have a lot of stuff to comment on, but not the energy to do so on a large scale, so let's just leave it at 'he feels very much like the consummate artist genius who rather neglects everything else but the art, while the women do a lot of organizing labor'.
But I think my main critique is about his obsession with the idea of Transcendental Meditation (TM) changing the world. I read his other book back in 2011 (!!) and I remember wanting to get into TM immediately, but ofc no options in Romania that I could find or the disposable income! Because that's what pisses me off about this type of meditation - it is heavily gatekept, you can only learn the technique with a certified instructor (so ofc it's a business). It just really annoys me, you know? It's like poor people or working class people aren't allowed access to this enlightenment method, even though they might need it the most, and so who actually gets to change the world? People who already have financial power.
There's other stuff there too, to criticize, but I think I'm okay for now. This was an absolutely beautiful & complicated experience and I appreciate it. Do I wish there had been more Lynch talking about Twin Peaks? For sure. But still happy with what I got and will probably rewatch TP now, lol. {It. Is. Happening. Again}
October 7, 2018
鈥淚鈥檓 gonna tell you a story.鈥� Those are the first words David Keith Lynch says in this audio edition of his biography/memoir hybrid. And over the course of 13 CDs, that鈥檚 what he does鈥攕tory after story, charting the shape of his life from childhood to the present. I don鈥檛 often listen to audiobooks (I find it much harder to focus on spoken words than on printed words), but when I learned that the audio version of Lynch鈥檚 book is read (in part) by Lynch himself, I thought that would probably be the best way to experience it. And though I have mixed feelings about the book, I still believe that listening to Lynch read it is far better than just reading the words on the page.
Room to Dream is an odd book in its structure: Kristine McKenna writes biographical chapters about Lynch, and after each chapter, Lynch then writes his own response or reflection on that period of his life. Because of that format, Lynch himself isn鈥檛 a contributor to McKenna鈥檚 chapters (though she draws on interviews with just about everyone who has ever known or worked with Lynch), but what he says rarely contradicts or corrects McKenna鈥檚 sketches.
I loved the first half of this book. Hearing Lynch tell stories about growing up in the 1950s and 60s in Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Virginia, is delightful. He has a fantastic memory, and he鈥檚 a great storyteller. He had a stable, loving family, a lot of good friends, and survived quite a few adventures. What became clear from listening to Lynch talk about his youth is that he has long had the ability to see both the shiny surface of life and the unsettling darkness underneath. The interesting thing is that his awareness of lingering darkness doesn鈥檛 at all take away from his pure pleasure in the shiny surface. He seems to be able to keep hold of all of that, and it drives him to joy rather than despair.
I didn鈥檛 know a lot about Lynch鈥檚 early film career, so it was interesting to learn how Eraserhead transpired, and how he was then launched (by Mel Brooks, of all people) into Hollywood with The Elephant Man and then Dune. McKenna and Lynch also give a lot of behind-the-scenes information about Blue Velvet, including how Lynch first met Angelo Badalamenti, which would become one of the great director鈥揷omposer collaborations.
Making Blue Velvet is about the halfway point in this book, and I felt like after that, McKenna might as well have said, 鈥淎nd then Lynch made some more movies and stuff.鈥� Because it鈥檚 somewhere around this part of the book that the narrative becomes very monotonous, going over minute details of movie-making but not giving us so much of the interesting stories. Lynch seems somewhat uninterested in talking very much about Twin Peaks (or maybe he feels he鈥檚 already told all those stories; which is probably true, and I already know a lot of those stories anyway).
At first, as the book was growing more dull, I thought, 鈥淢aybe he just doesn鈥檛 feel as much like talking about things that happened more recently. Maybe they鈥檙e too close to have become great stories yet.鈥� But as the book continued, I saw another possibility. I think that as Lynch has isolated himself more and more from 鈥渞eal life鈥� and has arranged an everyday existence that is totally under his control, free of any demands on him that he hasn鈥檛 himself voluntarily accepted, he has lost the kind of life that makes great stories. I think the full realization of 鈥渢he art life鈥� that he has long pursued has drained him of the stories that initially brought him here. It鈥檚 sad and ironic. I almost feel bad for him by the end of the book鈥攖his 鈥減erfectly artistic鈥� man who at the end of his life is living in a small outbuilding with blackout curtains permanently covering the windows, sleeping by himself on a twin bed, urinating in the sink, and having all meals delivered to him so he doesn鈥檛 have to do anything but 鈥渇ocus on his art.鈥�
The reason I don鈥檛 actually feel sad for him is that he has made some choices that I don鈥檛 respect at all. In his pursuit of the art life and, ironically, 鈥渇inding the transcendent within鈥� and world peace through transcendental meditation, he has left behind three wives and one partner, and his current wife is not very connected to him anymore (when she wanted to have children, he told her, 鈥淲hy do you want children? Am I not enough for you? Well, if you want a child, then that鈥檚 up to you, but don鈥檛 expect me to be very involved with any of it.鈥� She had a child and, true to his word, he disappeared into his work and pulled far away from the family.). His exes seem extraordinarily gracious toward him (and since all of them after the first one were the woman he left the previous one for, they certainly had some idea what they were getting into), but that doesn鈥檛 change the fact鈥攗nstated in the book, of course鈥攖hat Lynch is a self-centered, immature person.
Given all of this, I find it really sad to listen to Lynch鈥檚 multiple earnest pleas to all his listeners to 鈥渏ust get with the program鈥� and start meditating because that鈥檚 the only way we鈥檙e going to end suffering and have world peace. My idea of non-suffering and peace does not involve breaking so many relationships and leaving hurt people in my trail. All of us make mistakes, of course, so I鈥檓 not demanding perfection of Lynch. But I would like to have seen some hint of sorrow, remorse, apology. In the current cultural climate, some remark like 鈥淵ou know, what I did to that woman was terrible, and I wish I would have made different choices鈥� would be very appropriate. But there is none of that evident in this book. What does Lynch have to say to us in films when he has so broken away from real human community?
As those poor choices add up, Lynch鈥檚 boyish charm begins to wear thin on me. I鈥檓 baffled by the way he can go from something terrible (鈥淪o I knew that I wanted to end our marriage鈥�) to one of his trademark flippant responses (鈥淏ut I was really in love with [the next woman], and it was so byootiful. It was just inncrredible.鈥�). To me, the relentless pursuit of the 鈥渂eautiful,鈥� the pleasure in each situation as it happens, seemed rather thoughtless and shallow, perhaps even an escape from having to confront the difficulties of life.
I also find his initial justification for transcendental meditation completely bizarre. As a teen, Lynch left his Christian church upbringing because he was frustrated with the hypocrisy he saw in the church. Later on, he discovers meditation, and with boyish glee proclaims that transcendental meditation is the real deal, because 鈥済et this, what it teaches us it that we should treat other people the way we鈥檇 like to be treated ourselves!鈥� ?? He seems entirely unaware that what he鈥檚 just said is the words of Jesus (from Matthew 7:12), which Christians regard as 鈥渢he golden rule.鈥� I find Lynch to be a really odd spokesperson for meditation.
When I was younger, I thought much more highly of Lynch and saw him as an intriguing, visionary auteur. This book has been a splash of cold water on that youthful idealism. It鈥檚 sad in a way, but probably for the best. I will always hold Twin Peaks close to my heart, and there are other Lynch projects I also enjoy a lot. But I can鈥檛 say that I鈥檓 a 鈥淒avid Lynch fan鈥� in general. I鈥檇 like to have seen more thoughtfulness, intellectual growth, and a well-lived life. What I鈥檝e seen instead is a very inwardly focused artist who has removed himself further and further from what makes not an 鈥渁rt life鈥� but a 鈥済ood life.鈥� I pray that he will find the true healing and community that will bring him out of his 鈥渁rt life鈥� and back into the world.
Room to Dream is an odd book in its structure: Kristine McKenna writes biographical chapters about Lynch, and after each chapter, Lynch then writes his own response or reflection on that period of his life. Because of that format, Lynch himself isn鈥檛 a contributor to McKenna鈥檚 chapters (though she draws on interviews with just about everyone who has ever known or worked with Lynch), but what he says rarely contradicts or corrects McKenna鈥檚 sketches.
I loved the first half of this book. Hearing Lynch tell stories about growing up in the 1950s and 60s in Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Virginia, is delightful. He has a fantastic memory, and he鈥檚 a great storyteller. He had a stable, loving family, a lot of good friends, and survived quite a few adventures. What became clear from listening to Lynch talk about his youth is that he has long had the ability to see both the shiny surface of life and the unsettling darkness underneath. The interesting thing is that his awareness of lingering darkness doesn鈥檛 at all take away from his pure pleasure in the shiny surface. He seems to be able to keep hold of all of that, and it drives him to joy rather than despair.
I didn鈥檛 know a lot about Lynch鈥檚 early film career, so it was interesting to learn how Eraserhead transpired, and how he was then launched (by Mel Brooks, of all people) into Hollywood with The Elephant Man and then Dune. McKenna and Lynch also give a lot of behind-the-scenes information about Blue Velvet, including how Lynch first met Angelo Badalamenti, which would become one of the great director鈥揷omposer collaborations.
Making Blue Velvet is about the halfway point in this book, and I felt like after that, McKenna might as well have said, 鈥淎nd then Lynch made some more movies and stuff.鈥� Because it鈥檚 somewhere around this part of the book that the narrative becomes very monotonous, going over minute details of movie-making but not giving us so much of the interesting stories. Lynch seems somewhat uninterested in talking very much about Twin Peaks (or maybe he feels he鈥檚 already told all those stories; which is probably true, and I already know a lot of those stories anyway).
At first, as the book was growing more dull, I thought, 鈥淢aybe he just doesn鈥檛 feel as much like talking about things that happened more recently. Maybe they鈥檙e too close to have become great stories yet.鈥� But as the book continued, I saw another possibility. I think that as Lynch has isolated himself more and more from 鈥渞eal life鈥� and has arranged an everyday existence that is totally under his control, free of any demands on him that he hasn鈥檛 himself voluntarily accepted, he has lost the kind of life that makes great stories. I think the full realization of 鈥渢he art life鈥� that he has long pursued has drained him of the stories that initially brought him here. It鈥檚 sad and ironic. I almost feel bad for him by the end of the book鈥攖his 鈥減erfectly artistic鈥� man who at the end of his life is living in a small outbuilding with blackout curtains permanently covering the windows, sleeping by himself on a twin bed, urinating in the sink, and having all meals delivered to him so he doesn鈥檛 have to do anything but 鈥渇ocus on his art.鈥�
The reason I don鈥檛 actually feel sad for him is that he has made some choices that I don鈥檛 respect at all. In his pursuit of the art life and, ironically, 鈥渇inding the transcendent within鈥� and world peace through transcendental meditation, he has left behind three wives and one partner, and his current wife is not very connected to him anymore (when she wanted to have children, he told her, 鈥淲hy do you want children? Am I not enough for you? Well, if you want a child, then that鈥檚 up to you, but don鈥檛 expect me to be very involved with any of it.鈥� She had a child and, true to his word, he disappeared into his work and pulled far away from the family.). His exes seem extraordinarily gracious toward him (and since all of them after the first one were the woman he left the previous one for, they certainly had some idea what they were getting into), but that doesn鈥檛 change the fact鈥攗nstated in the book, of course鈥攖hat Lynch is a self-centered, immature person.
Given all of this, I find it really sad to listen to Lynch鈥檚 multiple earnest pleas to all his listeners to 鈥渏ust get with the program鈥� and start meditating because that鈥檚 the only way we鈥檙e going to end suffering and have world peace. My idea of non-suffering and peace does not involve breaking so many relationships and leaving hurt people in my trail. All of us make mistakes, of course, so I鈥檓 not demanding perfection of Lynch. But I would like to have seen some hint of sorrow, remorse, apology. In the current cultural climate, some remark like 鈥淵ou know, what I did to that woman was terrible, and I wish I would have made different choices鈥� would be very appropriate. But there is none of that evident in this book. What does Lynch have to say to us in films when he has so broken away from real human community?
As those poor choices add up, Lynch鈥檚 boyish charm begins to wear thin on me. I鈥檓 baffled by the way he can go from something terrible (鈥淪o I knew that I wanted to end our marriage鈥�) to one of his trademark flippant responses (鈥淏ut I was really in love with [the next woman], and it was so byootiful. It was just inncrredible.鈥�). To me, the relentless pursuit of the 鈥渂eautiful,鈥� the pleasure in each situation as it happens, seemed rather thoughtless and shallow, perhaps even an escape from having to confront the difficulties of life.
I also find his initial justification for transcendental meditation completely bizarre. As a teen, Lynch left his Christian church upbringing because he was frustrated with the hypocrisy he saw in the church. Later on, he discovers meditation, and with boyish glee proclaims that transcendental meditation is the real deal, because 鈥済et this, what it teaches us it that we should treat other people the way we鈥檇 like to be treated ourselves!鈥� ?? He seems entirely unaware that what he鈥檚 just said is the words of Jesus (from Matthew 7:12), which Christians regard as 鈥渢he golden rule.鈥� I find Lynch to be a really odd spokesperson for meditation.
When I was younger, I thought much more highly of Lynch and saw him as an intriguing, visionary auteur. This book has been a splash of cold water on that youthful idealism. It鈥檚 sad in a way, but probably for the best. I will always hold Twin Peaks close to my heart, and there are other Lynch projects I also enjoy a lot. But I can鈥檛 say that I鈥檓 a 鈥淒avid Lynch fan鈥� in general. I鈥檇 like to have seen more thoughtfulness, intellectual growth, and a well-lived life. What I鈥檝e seen instead is a very inwardly focused artist who has removed himself further and further from what makes not an 鈥渁rt life鈥� but a 鈥済ood life.鈥� I pray that he will find the true healing and community that will bring him out of his 鈥渁rt life鈥� and back into the world.
July 7, 2018
In depth analysis of David Lynch and his creative processes. Each section is composed of two parts, one a biography, the other, a memoir illuminating the former. I've always been curious as to why someone who hit it out of the park with Eraserhead and Elephant Man was such a poor choice for Dune, but with subsequent work illustrating his influences more strategically, he redeemed himself. His small town upbringing is twisted on its ear (literally) with Blue Velvet, and his memory of going hunting with his father through nighttime Idaho, where all was black illuminated by headlights, shows up repeatedly most notably in the opening sequences of Lost Highway and Mulhulland Drive. He continues to find new ways of expressing himself, even in a cartoon titled "Angriest Dog in the World," and in producing his own coffee to go with superior pie. A true original.
June 30, 2018
I adore David Lynch; he is without doubt my favourite film maker and probably my biggest idol so it鈥檚 not surprising that I loved this book. David comes across as charming, unusual and creative and this is conveyed in the book really well and you get some wonderful insight in to his unique mind.
I liked the style of the book as well, Kristine McKenna produced a biography based on interviews with over 100 people and after each section David adds to this and expands the facts further with a personal touch.
Despite all the compliments I probably wouldn鈥檛 recommend this to someone unfamiliar with Lynch as this book feels like it was produced for fans not for those new to him and his work. If you are a fan I'd say that this is a must read and I'd give it my highest recommendation.
I liked the style of the book as well, Kristine McKenna produced a biography based on interviews with over 100 people and after each section David adds to this and expands the facts further with a personal touch.
Despite all the compliments I probably wouldn鈥檛 recommend this to someone unfamiliar with Lynch as this book feels like it was produced for fans not for those new to him and his work. If you are a fan I'd say that this is a must read and I'd give it my highest recommendation.
August 16, 2018
Wonderful book about a national treasure. Since Eraserhead I've been a fan of Lynch but not a fanatic, so there's tons of stuff I didn't know about. The format is great. While reading it I've been re-watching everything in order. Except for the parts of season two of Twin Peaks in which he wasn't involved or couldn't redeem, all of Lynch's film and tv work seems better with age and not only do repeat viewings always offer new insights and feels, watching it all chronologically showcases the incredible synergy of his oevre. I've also watched as many of the shorts as I could find, as they're new to me. "The Cowboy and The Frenchman" -- wow!!! Reading and watching and reading and watching again, it's been a joyful experience.
I especially loved the parts about his process as a director and what the actors had to say about him. And about his art studies, mentored by a man named Bushnell. (!!!!) I had no idea how much he creates, not just paintings and drawings and sound but also furniture and sculpture and all kinds of things. The statue that so intrigues Dougie, Lynch made it. Helloooooooooooo! He's so gifted and so wonderfully weird. The book is filled with nuggets of his eccentricity, And his personal life, full of tics and odd habits and always women, he's so irresistible.
Read it! In a million years I never would have guessed that Naomi Watts and Laura Harring were actually wearing the rabbit suits. They did it for David! People who work with Lynch love him and will give him whatever he wants creatively, and it's so clear why that is when you read the book. This close-up reveals that David Lynch himself is, to use one of his expressions, "beyond the beyond."
I especially loved the parts about his process as a director and what the actors had to say about him. And about his art studies, mentored by a man named Bushnell. (!!!!) I had no idea how much he creates, not just paintings and drawings and sound but also furniture and sculpture and all kinds of things. The statue that so intrigues Dougie, Lynch made it. Helloooooooooooo! He's so gifted and so wonderfully weird. The book is filled with nuggets of his eccentricity, And his personal life, full of tics and odd habits and always women, he's so irresistible.
Read it! In a million years I never would have guessed that Naomi Watts and Laura Harring were actually wearing the rabbit suits. They did it for David! People who work with Lynch love him and will give him whatever he wants creatively, and it's so clear why that is when you read the book. This close-up reveals that David Lynch himself is, to use one of his expressions, "beyond the beyond."
July 24, 2018
Repetitive and somewhat boring, though there are great anecdotes sprinkled throughout. I think the problem is Lynch has never really changed since he was a kid, which is a good thing because Lynch as he is is great, but it makes for a rather boring and repetitive memoir/biography - everybody from childhood friends to Hollywoodians saying the same things about him - and since Lynch is not very self-reflective or self-analytical, his portions also tread the same ground, with variations, over and over.
June 28, 2020
袧邪锌懈褋邪褌懈 锌褉芯 褑褞 泻薪懈谐褍 屑芯卸薪邪 斜邪谐邪褌芯, 邪谢械 褩褩 薪邪褋褌褉褨泄 褟 胁褋械 芯写薪芯 薪械 蟹屑芯卸褍 锌械褉械写邪褌懈. 孝芯屑褍 锌褉芯褋褌芯 薪邪胁械写褍 褑懈褌邪褌褍 袛械胁褨写邪 袥褨薪褔邪, 褨 胁懈 胁褋械 褋邪屑褨 蟹褉芯蟹褍屑褨褦褌械.
芦袙邪褉褌芯 屑械薪褨 谐谢褟薪褍褌懈 薪邪 斜褍写褜-褟泻褍 褋褌芯褉褨薪泻褍 褑褨褦褩 泻薪懈卸泻懈, 褨 褟 写褍屑邪褞: 袚芯褋锌芯写懈, 褑械 卸 褌褨谢褜泻懈 胁械褉褏褨胁泻邪 邪泄褋斜械褉覒邪, 薪邪褋锌褉邪胁写褨 胁褋褜芯谐芯 蟹薪邪褔薪芯 斜褨谢褜褕械, 褦 褖械 褋褌褨谢褜泻懈 薪械褉芯蟹泻邪蟹邪薪懈褏 褨褋褌芯褉褨泄. 袦芯卸薪邪 薪邪锌懈褋邪褌懈 褑褨谢褍 泻薪懈卸泻褍 锌褉芯 芯写懈薪-褦写懈薪懈泄 写械薪褜, 邪谢械 芯写薪邪泻芯胁芯 薪械 芯褏芯锌懈褌懈 胁褋褜芯谐芯. 袧械屑芯卸谢懈胁芯 薪邪褋锌褉邪胁写褨 褉芯蟹锌芯胁褨褋褌懈 锌褉芯 褔懈褦褋褜 卸懈褌褌褟, 褨 褌褍褌 屑懈 褖芯薪邪泄斜褨谢褜褕械 屑芯卸械屑芯 锌褉芯屑芯胁懈褌懈 写褍卸械 邪斜褋褌褉邪泻褌薪褍 褎褉邪蟹褍: 芦孝褉芯褟薪写芯胁懈泄 锌褍锌'褟薪芯泻禄. 袟褉械褕褌芯褞, 泻芯卸薪械 卸懈褌褌褟 褦 褌邪褦屑薪懈褑械褞, 褨 褋邪屑械 写芯 褉芯蟹泻褉懈褌褌褟 褑褨褦褩 褌邪褦屑薪懈褑褨 屑懈 胁褋褨 锌褉褟屑褍褦屑芯 - 斜邪泄写褍卸械, 蟹薪邪褦屑芯 屑懈 锌褉芯 褑械 褔懈 薪褨.禄
芦袣褨屑薪邪褌褍 褋薪褨胁禄 褉邪写卸褍 薪械 褌褨谢褜泻懈 褎邪薪邪褌邪屑 袥褨薪褔邪 (褟 泄芯谐芯 褎邪薪邪褌泻芯褞 薪械 褦; 薪褍 芯泻, 薪邪 锌芯褔邪褌泻褍 泻薪懈谐懈 薪械 斜褍谢邪), 邪 泄 屑懈褌褑褟屑, 褟泻褨 褕褍泻邪褞褌褜 褋胁褨泄 褕谢褟褏 褍 屑懈褋褌械褑褌胁褨. 袪邪写卸褍 泻薪懈卸泻褍 胁褋褨屑 褌懈屑, 褏褌芯 薪邪屑邪谐邪褦褌褜褋褟 泻褉邪褖械 蟹褉芯蟹褍屑褨褌懈 褌胁芯褉褔懈褏 谢褞写械泄. 孝懈屑, 褏褌芯 褑褨泻邪胁懈褌褜褋褟 泻褨薪械屑邪褌芯谐褉邪褎芯屑 褨 褌懈屑, 褏褌芯 谢褞斜懈褌褜 褔懈褌邪褌懈 锌褉芯 写芯褋胁褨写 胁褨写芯屑懈褏 芯褋芯斜懈褋褌芯褋褌械泄.
袧械泄屑芯胁褨褉薪芯 泻褉邪褋懈胁械 胁懈写邪薪薪褟 胁褨写 芦袙懈写邪胁薪懈褑褌胁邪 袞褍锌邪薪褋褜泻芯谐芯禄 褖械 斜褨谢褜褕械 蟹邪芯褏芯褔褍褦 写芯 褔懈褌邪薪薪褟. 笑褨 褔芯褉薪芯-斜褨谢褨 褎芯褌芯, 斜褨谢械褋械薪褜泻懈泄 锌邪锌褨褉 褌邪 胁械谢懈泻懈泄 褔芯褉薪懈泄 褕褉懈褎褌 馃槏. 袙褋械 褌邪泻 褍 褋褌懈谢褨 袥褨薪褔邪!
芦袙邪褉褌芯 屑械薪褨 谐谢褟薪褍褌懈 薪邪 斜褍写褜-褟泻褍 褋褌芯褉褨薪泻褍 褑褨褦褩 泻薪懈卸泻懈, 褨 褟 写褍屑邪褞: 袚芯褋锌芯写懈, 褑械 卸 褌褨谢褜泻懈 胁械褉褏褨胁泻邪 邪泄褋斜械褉覒邪, 薪邪褋锌褉邪胁写褨 胁褋褜芯谐芯 蟹薪邪褔薪芯 斜褨谢褜褕械, 褦 褖械 褋褌褨谢褜泻懈 薪械褉芯蟹泻邪蟹邪薪懈褏 褨褋褌芯褉褨泄. 袦芯卸薪邪 薪邪锌懈褋邪褌懈 褑褨谢褍 泻薪懈卸泻褍 锌褉芯 芯写懈薪-褦写懈薪懈泄 写械薪褜, 邪谢械 芯写薪邪泻芯胁芯 薪械 芯褏芯锌懈褌懈 胁褋褜芯谐芯. 袧械屑芯卸谢懈胁芯 薪邪褋锌褉邪胁写褨 褉芯蟹锌芯胁褨褋褌懈 锌褉芯 褔懈褦褋褜 卸懈褌褌褟, 褨 褌褍褌 屑懈 褖芯薪邪泄斜褨谢褜褕械 屑芯卸械屑芯 锌褉芯屑芯胁懈褌懈 写褍卸械 邪斜褋褌褉邪泻褌薪褍 褎褉邪蟹褍: 芦孝褉芯褟薪写芯胁懈泄 锌褍锌'褟薪芯泻禄. 袟褉械褕褌芯褞, 泻芯卸薪械 卸懈褌褌褟 褦 褌邪褦屑薪懈褑械褞, 褨 褋邪屑械 写芯 褉芯蟹泻褉懈褌褌褟 褑褨褦褩 褌邪褦屑薪懈褑褨 屑懈 胁褋褨 锌褉褟屑褍褦屑芯 - 斜邪泄写褍卸械, 蟹薪邪褦屑芯 屑懈 锌褉芯 褑械 褔懈 薪褨.禄
芦袣褨屑薪邪褌褍 褋薪褨胁禄 褉邪写卸褍 薪械 褌褨谢褜泻懈 褎邪薪邪褌邪屑 袥褨薪褔邪 (褟 泄芯谐芯 褎邪薪邪褌泻芯褞 薪械 褦; 薪褍 芯泻, 薪邪 锌芯褔邪褌泻褍 泻薪懈谐懈 薪械 斜褍谢邪), 邪 泄 屑懈褌褑褟屑, 褟泻褨 褕褍泻邪褞褌褜 褋胁褨泄 褕谢褟褏 褍 屑懈褋褌械褑褌胁褨. 袪邪写卸褍 泻薪懈卸泻褍 胁褋褨屑 褌懈屑, 褏褌芯 薪邪屑邪谐邪褦褌褜褋褟 泻褉邪褖械 蟹褉芯蟹褍屑褨褌懈 褌胁芯褉褔懈褏 谢褞写械泄. 孝懈屑, 褏褌芯 褑褨泻邪胁懈褌褜褋褟 泻褨薪械屑邪褌芯谐褉邪褎芯屑 褨 褌懈屑, 褏褌芯 谢褞斜懈褌褜 褔懈褌邪褌懈 锌褉芯 写芯褋胁褨写 胁褨写芯屑懈褏 芯褋芯斜懈褋褌芯褋褌械泄.
袧械泄屑芯胁褨褉薪芯 泻褉邪褋懈胁械 胁懈写邪薪薪褟 胁褨写 芦袙懈写邪胁薪懈褑褌胁邪 袞褍锌邪薪褋褜泻芯谐芯禄 褖械 斜褨谢褜褕械 蟹邪芯褏芯褔褍褦 写芯 褔懈褌邪薪薪褟. 笑褨 褔芯褉薪芯-斜褨谢褨 褎芯褌芯, 斜褨谢械褋械薪褜泻懈泄 锌邪锌褨褉 褌邪 胁械谢懈泻懈泄 褔芯褉薪懈泄 褕褉懈褎褌 馃槏. 袙褋械 褌邪泻 褍 褋褌懈谢褨 袥褨薪褔邪!
April 23, 2021
Lovely!
Loved reading Lynch's parts the most鈥攔ead like he's talking directly to you, and I heard it in his voice <3
Twin Peaks: The Return is the best piece of art made in my lifetime. And is a sign of what happens if you are a genius and devote yourself to art for decades. Pretty sure Jodorowsky's Dune would've turned out the same :) Like, you have to make an incredible TV series, then let its world percolate for years and years afterwards... Laura Palmer says "I'll see you in 25 years" 25 years ago... What the fuck is Lynch tapped into, honestly!? It's something else. How did he turn Mulholland Drive, which was supposed to be a TV series, into a self-contained feature film that shows no signs of having ever been anything else!?
Seems like he was at times a bit of a dick to women and I don't want to say "such is the art life", I think we're beyond that鈥攂ut genius or not, he is just a complex, fleshy little human. The forces of love and addiction and grief and... IDK, gravity, they're bigger than anyone. If you're lucky enough to have a constitution that can resist these forces throughout your life, you're just that: lucky.
Loved reading Lynch's parts the most鈥攔ead like he's talking directly to you, and I heard it in his voice <3
Twin Peaks: The Return is the best piece of art made in my lifetime. And is a sign of what happens if you are a genius and devote yourself to art for decades. Pretty sure Jodorowsky's Dune would've turned out the same :) Like, you have to make an incredible TV series, then let its world percolate for years and years afterwards... Laura Palmer says "I'll see you in 25 years" 25 years ago... What the fuck is Lynch tapped into, honestly!? It's something else. How did he turn Mulholland Drive, which was supposed to be a TV series, into a self-contained feature film that shows no signs of having ever been anything else!?
Seems like he was at times a bit of a dick to women and I don't want to say "such is the art life", I think we're beyond that鈥攂ut genius or not, he is just a complex, fleshy little human. The forces of love and addiction and grief and... IDK, gravity, they're bigger than anyone. If you're lucky enough to have a constitution that can resist these forces throughout your life, you're just that: lucky.
July 6, 2020
"袦邪泄卸械 薪械屑芯卸谢懈胁芯 写褨褋褌邪褌懈褋褟 胁械褉褕懈薪懈 斜械蟹 写芯锌芯屑芯谐懈 褨薪褕懈褏 袗褞写械泄, 褨 蟹邪褉邪蟹 褟 褉芯蟹褍屑褨褞, 薪邪褋泻褨谢褜泻懈 屑械薪褨 锌芯褖邪褋褌懈谢芯."
写芯胁谐械 褔懈褌邪薪薪褟 褕械褋褌懈褋褌邪 褋褌芯褉褨薪芯泻. 写芯胁谐械 褨 褋屑邪褔薪械.
泻褨屑薪邪褌邪 褋薪褨胁 - 褑械 锌械褉械写芯胁褋褨屑 褉芯蟹锌芯胁褨写褜 锌褉芯 屑懈褌褑褟 褨 屑懈褌褑褟.
泻褉褨褋褌褨薪 屑邪泻泻械薪邪 胁懈泻谢邪写邪褦 褏褉芯薪芯谢芯谐褨褟 锌芯写褨泄 褌邪 泻芯屑械薪褌邪褉褨 谢褞写械泄, 褖芯 斜褉邪谢懈 褍褔邪褋褌褜.
邪 锌芯褨褌屑 褋邪屑 袛械胁褨写 褉芯蟹锌芯胁褨写邪褦 薪邪屑 褟泻 褑械 胁褋械 斜褍谢芯 蟹 泄芯谐芯 锌芯谐谢褟写褍. 褖芯 胁褨薪 胁褨写褔褍胁邪胁, 褟泻 写褍屑邪胁.
褌懈 薪械 褍褟胁谢褟褦褕 褟泻 袥褨薪褔 斜邪褔懈褌褜 褍褋褞 泻邪褉褌懈薪褍 褑褨谢泻芯屑 褨 写芯胁芯写懈褌褜 褑械 写芯 锌褍褌褌褟 写谢褟 褨薪褕懈褏.
胁 褌械泻褋褌褨 褔邪褋褌芯 蟹褍褋褌褉褨褔邪褦褌褜褋褟 褖芯褋褜 褌懈锌褍: 屑械薪褨 蟹写邪胁邪谢芯褋褟 褖芯 褑械 斜褍写械 锌芯胁薪械 谢邪泄薪芯, 邪谢械 泻芯谢懈 褟 锌芯斜邪褔懈胁 薪邪 械泻褉邪薪褨, 薪械 屑褨谐 锌芯胁褨褉懈褌懈 褖芯 褑械 褌邪泻.
锌褉芯 袥褨薪褔邪 谐芯胁芯褉褟褌褜 褨薪褕褨 褟泻 写褍卸械 锌芯蟹懈褌懈胁薪褍, 写芯斜褉褍 褌邪 褍胁邪卸薪褍 谢褞写懈薪褍.
袙褨薪 蟹邪泄屑邪褦褌褜褋褟 屑械写懈褌邪褑褨褦褞 褌邪 褉芯斜懈褌褜 褋胁褨泄 肖芯薪写. 袛械胁褨写 袥褨薪褔 - 谢褞斜懈褌褜 斜褍褌懈 胁写芯屑邪 褨 褌胁芯褉懈褌懈, 邪谢械 褉邪蟹芯屑 蟹 褌懈屑 胁褨薪 写芯胁芯谢褨 褌芯胁邪褉懈褋褜泻懈泄. 袪邪写芯 锌褉懈泄屑邪褦 写芯 褋械斜械 薪械蟹薪邪泄芯屑褑褨胁.
写芯胁谐械 褔懈褌邪薪薪褟 褕械褋褌懈褋褌邪 褋褌芯褉褨薪芯泻. 写芯胁谐械 褨 褋屑邪褔薪械.
泻褨屑薪邪褌邪 褋薪褨胁 - 褑械 锌械褉械写芯胁褋褨屑 褉芯蟹锌芯胁褨写褜 锌褉芯 屑懈褌褑褟 褨 屑懈褌褑褟.
泻褉褨褋褌褨薪 屑邪泻泻械薪邪 胁懈泻谢邪写邪褦 褏褉芯薪芯谢芯谐褨褟 锌芯写褨泄 褌邪 泻芯屑械薪褌邪褉褨 谢褞写械泄, 褖芯 斜褉邪谢懈 褍褔邪褋褌褜.
邪 锌芯褨褌屑 褋邪屑 袛械胁褨写 褉芯蟹锌芯胁褨写邪褦 薪邪屑 褟泻 褑械 胁褋械 斜褍谢芯 蟹 泄芯谐芯 锌芯谐谢褟写褍. 褖芯 胁褨薪 胁褨写褔褍胁邪胁, 褟泻 写褍屑邪胁.
褌懈 薪械 褍褟胁谢褟褦褕 褟泻 袥褨薪褔 斜邪褔懈褌褜 褍褋褞 泻邪褉褌懈薪褍 褑褨谢泻芯屑 褨 写芯胁芯写懈褌褜 褑械 写芯 锌褍褌褌褟 写谢褟 褨薪褕懈褏.
胁 褌械泻褋褌褨 褔邪褋褌芯 蟹褍褋褌褉褨褔邪褦褌褜褋褟 褖芯褋褜 褌懈锌褍: 屑械薪褨 蟹写邪胁邪谢芯褋褟 褖芯 褑械 斜褍写械 锌芯胁薪械 谢邪泄薪芯, 邪谢械 泻芯谢懈 褟 锌芯斜邪褔懈胁 薪邪 械泻褉邪薪褨, 薪械 屑褨谐 锌芯胁褨褉懈褌懈 褖芯 褑械 褌邪泻.
锌褉芯 袥褨薪褔邪 谐芯胁芯褉褟褌褜 褨薪褕褨 褟泻 写褍卸械 锌芯蟹懈褌懈胁薪褍, 写芯斜褉褍 褌邪 褍胁邪卸薪褍 谢褞写懈薪褍.
袙褨薪 蟹邪泄屑邪褦褌褜褋褟 屑械写懈褌邪褑褨褦褞 褌邪 褉芯斜懈褌褜 褋胁褨泄 肖芯薪写. 袛械胁褨写 袥褨薪褔 - 谢褞斜懈褌褜 斜褍褌懈 胁写芯屑邪 褨 褌胁芯褉懈褌懈, 邪谢械 褉邪蟹芯屑 蟹 褌懈屑 胁褨薪 写芯胁芯谢褨 褌芯胁邪褉懈褋褜泻懈泄. 袪邪写芯 锌褉懈泄屑邪褦 写芯 褋械斜械 薪械蟹薪邪泄芯屑褑褨胁.
January 16, 2025
1.16.2025 RIP LEGEND.
I'm a huge David Lynch fan and this book was a real treat! The format of this book is unusual but it works well. It's a biography mixed with a memoir. Kristine McKenna's chapters employ the customary tools of biography, which include interviews with over one hundred people. David Lynch responds to McKenna's chapters with his own takes on what happened. What we get is David Lynch having a conversation with his own biography.
The book covers the life of David Lynch starting at his birth and his early years in Boise, Idaho and ending around 2017 with his Twin Peaks: The Return show. We delve deep into what happened behind the scenes of different productions and relive the highs and lows of David Lynch's career. I learned so much about what it took for Lynch to be recognized as one of the most interesting auteurs working in film industry. The book doesn't just cover Lynch's filmmaking career. We also learn about his endeavors in art and music. I found it all very interesting and the pacing of this biography/memoir was superb.
I would recommend this book to anyone who's interested in David Lynch and his art. If you have an iota of interest in his career, you should find this book informative and interesting. 5 stars.
I'm a huge David Lynch fan and this book was a real treat! The format of this book is unusual but it works well. It's a biography mixed with a memoir. Kristine McKenna's chapters employ the customary tools of biography, which include interviews with over one hundred people. David Lynch responds to McKenna's chapters with his own takes on what happened. What we get is David Lynch having a conversation with his own biography.
The book covers the life of David Lynch starting at his birth and his early years in Boise, Idaho and ending around 2017 with his Twin Peaks: The Return show. We delve deep into what happened behind the scenes of different productions and relive the highs and lows of David Lynch's career. I learned so much about what it took for Lynch to be recognized as one of the most interesting auteurs working in film industry. The book doesn't just cover Lynch's filmmaking career. We also learn about his endeavors in art and music. I found it all very interesting and the pacing of this biography/memoir was superb.
I would recommend this book to anyone who's interested in David Lynch and his art. If you have an iota of interest in his career, you should find this book informative and interesting. 5 stars.
July 9, 2018
It's a hagiography, but surely you need no convincing. Despite the often gushing biography narrative, there are some doozy anecdotes. Marlon Brando drives round hungry but there's only a tomato and a banana in the fridge: not to worry, Marlon tucks in. (Bit of salt on the tomato, sorted.) There's something called a 'Chair Pull', the description of which is unmissable. He kisses Elizabeth Taylor but doesn't want to marry her. He collects dental implements.
Plenty of great stuff on the films, with most of the players speaking at length, and some fantastic photos.
Plenty of great stuff on the films, with most of the players speaking at length, and some fantastic photos.
June 9, 2020
Pure delight <3
February 19, 2025
,,Svaki 啪ivot je misterija dok sami tu misteriju ne re拧imo, i u tom pravcu smo svi krenuli, znali to ili ne."
Soba za snove je vi拧e iskustvo nego knjiga koje nam omogu膰ava da bar malo poku拧amo da se pribli啪imo viziji sveta Dejvida Lin膷a. Slojevi njegovog fascinantnog univerzuma su beskona膷ni i privilegija je postojati u vremenu kada je on stvarao.
Soba za snove je vi拧e iskustvo nego knjiga koje nam omogu膰ava da bar malo poku拧amo da se pribli啪imo viziji sveta Dejvida Lin膷a. Slojevi njegovog fascinantnog univerzuma su beskona膷ni i privilegija je postojati u vremenu kada je on stvarao.
June 13, 2021
Iako sam oduvek bila skepti膷na po pitanju biografija, je knjiga koju sam jedva do膷ekala da pro膷itam. I malo je re膰i da sam odu拧evljena. Pod ogromnim sam utiskom i veoma inspirisana ovim 膷ovekom.
Lin膷 je po svemu sude膰i imao predivno detinjstvo. Njegovi nesta拧luci stvarno su zapanjuju膰i, ili je moje detinjstvo bilo malo dosadnije. Ili su de膷aci prosto takvi. U svakom slu膷aju, bio je presme拧an i pravi mali divljak! Dopao mi se na膷in na koji njegovi prijatelji, biv拧e 啪ene, ro膽aci, ma zapravo svi pri膷aju o njemu i deluje mi kao da je bilo veoma te拧ko naljutiti se takvom blesonji. Ili ne udovoljiti mu kad se zanese, makar od njih tra啪io da u膽u u rupu u zemlji zbog jedne scene, ili da menjaju ceo scenario zato 拧to 啪eli da u kadru mili buba po podu. U svakom slu膷aju, ono 拧to se od njega mo啪e nau膷iti o odnosu sa ljudima stvarno je ne拧to 拧to nema cenu. Jo拧 jedna zanimljiva 膷injenica je da Dejvid nikada nije prestajao da stvara - 拧to je meni zaprepa拧膰uju膰e i kako on ka啪e:
Ja ose膰am ogromnu zahvalnost 拧to je ova knjiga do拧la do mene u takvom trenutku mog 啪ivota kad mo啪e da uti膷e na mene. Ose膰ala sam kao da Lin膷 sedi ispred mene i pri膷a o svemu, a ja samo upijam kao sun膽er. Hvala, V. Tvoji pokloni su najbolji. 馃
Mr. David, the one and only, you forever #hotstuff.
Lin膷 je po svemu sude膰i imao predivno detinjstvo. Njegovi nesta拧luci stvarno su zapanjuju膰i, ili je moje detinjstvo bilo malo dosadnije. Ili su de膷aci prosto takvi. U svakom slu膷aju, bio je presme拧an i pravi mali divljak! Dopao mi se na膷in na koji njegovi prijatelji, biv拧e 啪ene, ro膽aci, ma zapravo svi pri膷aju o njemu i deluje mi kao da je bilo veoma te拧ko naljutiti se takvom blesonji. Ili ne udovoljiti mu kad se zanese, makar od njih tra啪io da u膽u u rupu u zemlji zbog jedne scene, ili da menjaju ceo scenario zato 拧to 啪eli da u kadru mili buba po podu. U svakom slu膷aju, ono 拧to se od njega mo啪e nau膷iti o odnosu sa ljudima stvarno je ne拧to 拧to nema cenu. Jo拧 jedna zanimljiva 膷injenica je da Dejvid nikada nije prestajao da stvara - 拧to je meni zaprepa拧膰uju膰e i kako on ka啪e:
"Dopadalo mi se, a i nije mi se dopadalo. ... Bio sam otpu拧ten sa svakog posla koji sam ikada imao."A da biste bili otpu拧teni morate prvo tra啪iti i na膰i sve te poslove, 拧to njemu nikada nije bilo te拧ko.
"Dejvid veoma detalji拧e po produkciji i garderobi i se膰am ga se kako oprema set dok se pripremamo da snimimo neku scenu. Oti拧ao je u 膰o拧ak sobe i postavio ne拧to tamo - zrna kafe, mislim - koje kamera i publika nikada ne膰e videti, ali Dejvid ima svoj proces i njemu je bilo potrebno da to bude tamo." ... "Njegova nevinost se manifestovala kao kompletan entuzijazam - on je mogao da gleda u par patika i da se sasvim odu拧evi.."Ba拧 me briga 拧to je glupo da to spominjem, ali 膷ovek je najbolji znak u horoskopu i to naprosto obja拧njava sve, haha. Smatram da 膰e ljudi koji ga vole itekako u啪ivati u knjizi i dobiti mnogo vi拧e od obi膷ne biografije. A ni拧ta manje se ne膰e zabaviti ni oni koji prvi put 膷uju za njega.
Ja ose膰am ogromnu zahvalnost 拧to je ova knjiga do拧la do mene u takvom trenutku mog 啪ivota kad mo啪e da uti膷e na mene. Ose膰ala sam kao da Lin膷 sedi ispred mene i pri膷a o svemu, a ja samo upijam kao sun膽er. Hvala, V. Tvoji pokloni su najbolji. 馃
Mr. David, the one and only, you forever #hotstuff.
September 12, 2021
Note: this review is for the audiobook, read by Kristine McKenna and David Lynch. It seems to differ somewhat, perhaps dramatically, from the print version.
Kristine McKenna is just the right person to act as David Lynch's interlocutor and authorized biographer. She is a brilliant interviewer of artists, and if you are not familiar with her marvelous collection of interviews entitled The Book of Changes, I highly recommend you check it out. It's a veritable who's who of the deepest and greatest artists of our day, such as Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Werner Herzog, Nick Cave, James Brown, and, of course, David Lynch. As I once commented on her volume of interviews Talk to Her, the fact that she interviewed both Jacques Derrida and Johnny Rotten tells you a great deal about her.
She is also an art critic with decades of experience on the LA scene, and understands the deep roots of his craft in a way that prevents her from making the cardinal sin in misinterpreting Lynch's work as though it can be decoded or resolved into a set of literal meanings. Rather, it has to be judged by the effects that it has on the viewer.
With respect to effect, this is precisely where Lynch has an uncanny mastery, where he is capable of controlling mood and producing emotional effects that are as powerful as they are inexplicable. Take the scene behind the diner in Mulholland Drive after a bit character describes to his friend a nightmare he'd had the night before. As someone in this book points out, the scene is in the middle of LA during broad daylight, but it is immensely terrifying. But WHY is it so terrifying - what accounts for this effect? To paraphrase Wild at Heart, the way Lynch's head works is God's own private mystery.
I don't know if this is true for the print version, but the audiobook at least is divided into two chapters per period of Lynch's life. In the first, McKenna gives a fairly conventional biographical and critical account of the various stages of Lynch's life, often organized by film. In the second, Lynch provides an off-the-cuff, anecdotal account of the same period.
In theory the idea was to frame the book in terms of a core duality of subjective and objective treatment in a way that would reproduce one of the core concerns of Lynch's art, which often explores and deconstructs that same duality. In practice it often does not really function in that way, but as is so often the case with Lynch, there is in fact a curious question of effect that lingers, where you are confronted by many pressing questions about the book's subject by virtue of this inside/outside account.
To me the most salient example of this is with respect to spiritual insight. If you are a Lynch fan, you probably know that he is an enthusiastic advocate for the Transcendental Meditation(tm) technique of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and has zealously promoted this approach for many years. Indeed, he interrupts his reflection in this book several times to offer a pitch for the practice, which is, in his account, the only way we're going to turn this ship around and stop making a mess of the world.
It astonishes me that someone with his depth of character after decades of engagement with this tradition could still sound like the most zealous new recruit, fully abuzz with naive enthusiasm for this tradition, still convinced that this one technique with its dubious historical credentials is the right thing for all people in all places. He uses the term "Vedic" without giving much sense that he understands what the word means, and sounds in all seriousness like he's in spiritual kindergarten.
But then, at the end of this book, several actors weigh in on their experience working on "Twin Peaks; The Return," and Robert Cherry gives a rousing testimonial to the spiritual depth of the show, which deals with the mysteries of eternity that somehow exist, recognizable and immediate, within each human soul. And I think this is true, I think his films have a deeper psychological and spiritual insight that just about any I could name.
So I do not know how to account for the gulf that lies between the profoundly spiritual effect of his films and his utter lack of critical or historical engagement with his own central tradition, and I think it raises interesting questions about the relationship between the work of art and the artist. I increasingly believe that to study the artist's life is to study the wax and the wick, but to study their art is to study the flame and the light.
In any case, I found this an entertaining and enlightening book that deepened my knowledge and appreciation of Lynch and his work. At times I was disappointed by the reverential tone in which McKenna held her subject, and in which so many of the people around him seem to speak of him, and I think you have to read between the lines a bit to fully appreciate some of the other contradictions of its subject.
Kristine McKenna is just the right person to act as David Lynch's interlocutor and authorized biographer. She is a brilliant interviewer of artists, and if you are not familiar with her marvelous collection of interviews entitled The Book of Changes, I highly recommend you check it out. It's a veritable who's who of the deepest and greatest artists of our day, such as Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Werner Herzog, Nick Cave, James Brown, and, of course, David Lynch. As I once commented on her volume of interviews Talk to Her, the fact that she interviewed both Jacques Derrida and Johnny Rotten tells you a great deal about her.
She is also an art critic with decades of experience on the LA scene, and understands the deep roots of his craft in a way that prevents her from making the cardinal sin in misinterpreting Lynch's work as though it can be decoded or resolved into a set of literal meanings. Rather, it has to be judged by the effects that it has on the viewer.
With respect to effect, this is precisely where Lynch has an uncanny mastery, where he is capable of controlling mood and producing emotional effects that are as powerful as they are inexplicable. Take the scene behind the diner in Mulholland Drive after a bit character describes to his friend a nightmare he'd had the night before. As someone in this book points out, the scene is in the middle of LA during broad daylight, but it is immensely terrifying. But WHY is it so terrifying - what accounts for this effect? To paraphrase Wild at Heart, the way Lynch's head works is God's own private mystery.
I don't know if this is true for the print version, but the audiobook at least is divided into two chapters per period of Lynch's life. In the first, McKenna gives a fairly conventional biographical and critical account of the various stages of Lynch's life, often organized by film. In the second, Lynch provides an off-the-cuff, anecdotal account of the same period.
In theory the idea was to frame the book in terms of a core duality of subjective and objective treatment in a way that would reproduce one of the core concerns of Lynch's art, which often explores and deconstructs that same duality. In practice it often does not really function in that way, but as is so often the case with Lynch, there is in fact a curious question of effect that lingers, where you are confronted by many pressing questions about the book's subject by virtue of this inside/outside account.
To me the most salient example of this is with respect to spiritual insight. If you are a Lynch fan, you probably know that he is an enthusiastic advocate for the Transcendental Meditation(tm) technique of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and has zealously promoted this approach for many years. Indeed, he interrupts his reflection in this book several times to offer a pitch for the practice, which is, in his account, the only way we're going to turn this ship around and stop making a mess of the world.
It astonishes me that someone with his depth of character after decades of engagement with this tradition could still sound like the most zealous new recruit, fully abuzz with naive enthusiasm for this tradition, still convinced that this one technique with its dubious historical credentials is the right thing for all people in all places. He uses the term "Vedic" without giving much sense that he understands what the word means, and sounds in all seriousness like he's in spiritual kindergarten.
But then, at the end of this book, several actors weigh in on their experience working on "Twin Peaks; The Return," and Robert Cherry gives a rousing testimonial to the spiritual depth of the show, which deals with the mysteries of eternity that somehow exist, recognizable and immediate, within each human soul. And I think this is true, I think his films have a deeper psychological and spiritual insight that just about any I could name.
So I do not know how to account for the gulf that lies between the profoundly spiritual effect of his films and his utter lack of critical or historical engagement with his own central tradition, and I think it raises interesting questions about the relationship between the work of art and the artist. I increasingly believe that to study the artist's life is to study the wax and the wick, but to study their art is to study the flame and the light.
In any case, I found this an entertaining and enlightening book that deepened my knowledge and appreciation of Lynch and his work. At times I was disappointed by the reverential tone in which McKenna held her subject, and in which so many of the people around him seem to speak of him, and I think you have to read between the lines a bit to fully appreciate some of the other contradictions of its subject.
October 17, 2021
An enjoyable if somewhat anodyne trawl through the life and career of the wonderful . I listened to the audiobook which is enlivened by adding off the cuff memories and anecdotes to the more formal chapters of the print version of the book.
4/5
An unprecedented look into the personal and creative life of the visionary auteur David Lynch, through his own words and those of his closest colleagues, friends, and family - adapted by David Lynch from the print book especially for this audio program.
In this unique hybrid of biography and memoir, David Lynch opens up for the first time about a life lived in pursuit of his singular vision, and the many heartaches and struggles he鈥檚 faced to bring his unorthodox projects to fruition. Lynch鈥檚 lyrical, intimate, and unfiltered personal reflections riff off biographical sections written by close collaborator Kristine McKenna and based on more than 100 new interviews with surprisingly candid ex-wives, family members, actors, agents, musicians, and colleagues in various fields who all have their own takes on what happened.
4/5
An unprecedented look into the personal and creative life of the visionary auteur David Lynch, through his own words and those of his closest colleagues, friends, and family - adapted by David Lynch from the print book especially for this audio program.
In this unique hybrid of biography and memoir, David Lynch opens up for the first time about a life lived in pursuit of his singular vision, and the many heartaches and struggles he鈥檚 faced to bring his unorthodox projects to fruition. Lynch鈥檚 lyrical, intimate, and unfiltered personal reflections riff off biographical sections written by close collaborator Kristine McKenna and based on more than 100 new interviews with surprisingly candid ex-wives, family members, actors, agents, musicians, and colleagues in various fields who all have their own takes on what happened.
January 12, 2019
As an avid devotee of Lynch's works I'm glad this was published, but unsurprisingly there is little that is revelatory or of any interest to the merely curious and as usual absolutely no interpretations are proffered. Most of it is given to chronicling how the various projects came together or failed to; in that respect learning of the failures and what-could-have-been was intriguing--I'm looking at you, Ronnie Rocket!
Some anecdotes stood out to me: in particular, the man who knowingly sacrificed their friendship and threatened to sue Lynch over Mulholland Dr. deserves a place in heaven. Lynch was sulking because one deal didn't come out right and this guy put his feet to the fire. Of course Lynch hated him for it, but lo and behold he immediately comes up with solutions and proceeds to enthusiastically finish the project. It's clear that throughout the years Lynch has been humble enough to admit when he was wrong, but that he can't do it in this case is crazy: he needed a jolt to shake off the lethargy and get out of the doldrums of self-pity and his friend thought so highly of the work itself that he was willing take a cruelly necessary measure. Mulholland Dr. is the closest thing to filmic perfection and I'll fight anybody anywhere who disagrees.
The affable nimbus around Lynch is already well-established; nevertheless, the book ensures that you hear from everybody just how great he is. It's heartwarming and all, I'm glad he's like that and for the people he's helped, but it gets pretty repetitive. But then again you can't just assert "everybody loves David" without proving it, so it goes pretty far in that direction. Occasionally McKenna's tone becomes a bit too hagiographic, but so be it, I tend to do the same when talking about his actual works. You could read only the chapters by Lynch himself and that'd be fine, but I appreciate her research and presentation overall.
Last thing: Transcendental Meditation. Oh man. Lynch says that "the worst part of France is this certain smugness, and it says so much, those smiles. I got a lot of that in the early days talking about meditation. Journalists loved to talk to me about film, but once I brought up meditation, here come those smiles." Point taken... but practitioners are guaranteed to brandish their own smile of imperturbable, magnanimous serenity (after all, they've Transcended!) and wield their indifference like a divine cudgel in the face of any critique of the vacuous doggerel of their creed. Now is neither the time nor place to go into it; I don't doubt that TM has had salubrious effects for plenty of people, but that doesn't change its ultimate falsity. To be clear: TM is bogus. I'm willing to fight about that, too. Lynch closes one chapter with the myopic mantra of the woefully out of touch:
"It hit me that the trip we're on as human beings is so beautiful and it has the happiest of happy endings. Everything is okay. There's nothing to worry about. Everything is just beautiful."
Yep, that's exactly what it says. To his infinite credit, his spirituality is one thing and his art completely another. Were the latter the mere vehicle for the former he never would have made a goddamn thing worth a goddamn. That spirituality is the evidently the fetish he needs to approach the production of art with clarity, so fine, whatever works. His enfolding of the rigorous control of the smallest details with an open-ended process and product speak for themselves. The resulting aesthetic is one that integrates the contingent as necessary while also leveling the horrific, the banal, and the sublime. That, precisely, is why his work is powerful and exemplary, regardless of what he believes. Eastern mysticism has been called unconscious dialectics, Substance without Subject. That Lynch seeks to efface himself in and through his works attests to his greatness: he's doing all the right things despite all the wrong reasons. To repeat: "The man is nothing; the work, everything." Lynch knows this and proves it with every work, Substance and Subjectivity fomenting in disquiet, irreducible and inseparable.
Some anecdotes stood out to me: in particular, the man who knowingly sacrificed their friendship and threatened to sue Lynch over Mulholland Dr. deserves a place in heaven. Lynch was sulking because one deal didn't come out right and this guy put his feet to the fire. Of course Lynch hated him for it, but lo and behold he immediately comes up with solutions and proceeds to enthusiastically finish the project. It's clear that throughout the years Lynch has been humble enough to admit when he was wrong, but that he can't do it in this case is crazy: he needed a jolt to shake off the lethargy and get out of the doldrums of self-pity and his friend thought so highly of the work itself that he was willing take a cruelly necessary measure. Mulholland Dr. is the closest thing to filmic perfection and I'll fight anybody anywhere who disagrees.
The affable nimbus around Lynch is already well-established; nevertheless, the book ensures that you hear from everybody just how great he is. It's heartwarming and all, I'm glad he's like that and for the people he's helped, but it gets pretty repetitive. But then again you can't just assert "everybody loves David" without proving it, so it goes pretty far in that direction. Occasionally McKenna's tone becomes a bit too hagiographic, but so be it, I tend to do the same when talking about his actual works. You could read only the chapters by Lynch himself and that'd be fine, but I appreciate her research and presentation overall.
Last thing: Transcendental Meditation. Oh man. Lynch says that "the worst part of France is this certain smugness, and it says so much, those smiles. I got a lot of that in the early days talking about meditation. Journalists loved to talk to me about film, but once I brought up meditation, here come those smiles." Point taken... but practitioners are guaranteed to brandish their own smile of imperturbable, magnanimous serenity (after all, they've Transcended!) and wield their indifference like a divine cudgel in the face of any critique of the vacuous doggerel of their creed. Now is neither the time nor place to go into it; I don't doubt that TM has had salubrious effects for plenty of people, but that doesn't change its ultimate falsity. To be clear: TM is bogus. I'm willing to fight about that, too. Lynch closes one chapter with the myopic mantra of the woefully out of touch:
"It hit me that the trip we're on as human beings is so beautiful and it has the happiest of happy endings. Everything is okay. There's nothing to worry about. Everything is just beautiful."
Yep, that's exactly what it says. To his infinite credit, his spirituality is one thing and his art completely another. Were the latter the mere vehicle for the former he never would have made a goddamn thing worth a goddamn. That spirituality is the evidently the fetish he needs to approach the production of art with clarity, so fine, whatever works. His enfolding of the rigorous control of the smallest details with an open-ended process and product speak for themselves. The resulting aesthetic is one that integrates the contingent as necessary while also leveling the horrific, the banal, and the sublime. That, precisely, is why his work is powerful and exemplary, regardless of what he believes. Eastern mysticism has been called unconscious dialectics, Substance without Subject. That Lynch seeks to efface himself in and through his works attests to his greatness: he's doing all the right things despite all the wrong reasons. To repeat: "The man is nothing; the work, everything." Lynch knows this and proves it with every work, Substance and Subjectivity fomenting in disquiet, irreducible and inseparable.
July 24, 2018
I鈥檝e been a big fan of David lynch since forever, seen his movies and twin peaks multiple times! There鈥檚 just so many layers in his work, and the mood you get when watching is something else!
So when this book came out, I just needed it! David is truly one of a kind,and getting the honor to learn a bit more about him and his journey was truly amazing!! 鉂わ笍
So when this book came out, I just needed it! David is truly one of a kind,and getting the honor to learn a bit more about him and his journey was truly amazing!! 鉂わ笍
Read
August 10, 2018鈥楢 fascinating look into an endlessly imaginative and alarming man.鈥�
Otago Daily Times
鈥榌A] memorable portrait of one of cinema鈥檚 great auteurs鈥t provides a remarkable insight into Lynch鈥檚 intense commitment to the 鈥渁rt life鈥�.鈥�
Guardian
鈥楾raditional and comprehensive on one side while whimsical and irreverent on the other, Room to Dream manages to have it both ways...[A]n enthusiastic, contagious tribute to creativity itself.鈥�
Brag
鈥楻oom to Dream is described as 鈥減art-颅memoir, part-biography鈥� and this duality proves to be extraordinarily productive鈥his enlightening and exhaustive book should be an essential way of discovering more about [Lynch] and his world.鈥�
Australian
鈥�...the blending of biography and memoir into a kind of biographical duet turns the whole project on its head, makes it different, stranger, more alive鈥xactly what Lynch always does in his art.鈥�
LA Times
鈥榌A] cubist portrait of the artist, body and mind on separate tracks鈥�Room to Dream offers countless new stories, even for Lynch fanatics.鈥�
Washington Post
鈥榃hat makes this book endearing is its chatty, calm...anti-Hollywood attitude鈥nd matter-of-fact defiance of reality.鈥�
San Francisco Chronicle
鈥楾he book doesn鈥檛 give us one focused view of Lynch, but a double vision, as though two similar but not quite exact portraits of the man have been projected onto one another鈥here is value, joy, and beauty in staying with Lynch and his cohorts for these 500-plus pages.鈥�
Los Angeles Times
鈥業ntimate and honest鈥cKenna鈥檚 interviewees unfailingly describe Lynch's charisma and warmth, and his methodical but instinctive dedication to craft.鈥�
NPR
鈥楢 strikingly multidimensional portrait of the artist鈥An] incandescently detailed and complexly enlightening chronicle of a fervent, uncompromising life devoted to 鈥減ure creativity鈥�.鈥�
Booklist
鈥業nsightful, well-researched鈥he book abounds in great stories and terrific movie trivia that will sate Lynch fans for years to come.鈥�
Kirkus Reviews
鈥業f you expected a David Lynch biography to be just like any other biography, you've never seen a David Lynch movie鈥ascinating.鈥�
New York Times
鈥楧avid Lynch鈥檚 memoir illuminates the origins of his art...the humour and eccentricity of Mr Lynch鈥檚 own reminiscences and observations are the book鈥檚 main pleasure.鈥�
The Economist
鈥楲ynch is the master of the perverse, the unsettling and the plain bonkers.鈥�
Sunday Times
鈥楻eassuringly unconventional鈥ngrossing...Lynch writes like he speaks. He's disarmingly direct, cheerfully profane and prone to bursts of giddy enthusiasm.鈥�
Big Issue
鈥楥aptivating...Gives the reader a panoramic insight into Lynch's impressive oeuvre, with sufficient time left to explore Lynch's childhood and coming of age.鈥�
Irish Independent on Sunday
鈥楢n intimate, humanising self-portrait...This wonderful new book is the most comprehensive overview of the filmmaker鈥檚 life and career to date.鈥�
Little White Lies
鈥楢 unique reading experience; more experimental novel than straight up biography. Which is most welcome and entirely appropriate...An endlessly fascinating work that invites multiple readings.鈥� Future of the Force
鈥楢 sunny, holistic portrait of a corn-fed American dreamer who simply likes to show his nightmares to the world. Lynch emerges from these pages as principled, flighty鈥e鈥檚 constantly chasing the next big idea.鈥�
Guardian
鈥楲ynch has stories to spare and it may be that this is the closest most of us get to spending time in his company...The book is both salve and distraction. All but essential for Lynch fans.鈥�
Bookmunch
鈥楢 tantalising hybrid of biography and autobiography鈥ilm buffs will delight in this compelling and illuminating memoir...Lynch casts aside his reticence to discuss his life and films in this wildly enjoyable, massive and bracingly candid memoir.鈥�
Shelf Awareness
鈥極ffers countless new stories, even for Lynch fanatics鈥ll is told with Lynch鈥檚 considerable charm.鈥�
Australian Financial Review
鈥楯ournalist Kristine McKenna maps a rich biography derived from extensive interviews鈥and] Lynch jumps in second. This two-pronged approach creates an accurate timeline and intimate self-portrait, but it鈥檚 what happens in the space between that鈥檚 special: a man engaging not with his own mythology, but rather his own personhood.鈥�
VICE
鈥楩ascinating insights into the director鈥檚 process.鈥�
New York Times
Otago Daily Times
鈥榌A] memorable portrait of one of cinema鈥檚 great auteurs鈥t provides a remarkable insight into Lynch鈥檚 intense commitment to the 鈥渁rt life鈥�.鈥�
Guardian
鈥楾raditional and comprehensive on one side while whimsical and irreverent on the other, Room to Dream manages to have it both ways...[A]n enthusiastic, contagious tribute to creativity itself.鈥�
Brag
鈥楻oom to Dream is described as 鈥減art-颅memoir, part-biography鈥� and this duality proves to be extraordinarily productive鈥his enlightening and exhaustive book should be an essential way of discovering more about [Lynch] and his world.鈥�
Australian
鈥�...the blending of biography and memoir into a kind of biographical duet turns the whole project on its head, makes it different, stranger, more alive鈥xactly what Lynch always does in his art.鈥�
LA Times
鈥榌A] cubist portrait of the artist, body and mind on separate tracks鈥�Room to Dream offers countless new stories, even for Lynch fanatics.鈥�
Washington Post
鈥榃hat makes this book endearing is its chatty, calm...anti-Hollywood attitude鈥nd matter-of-fact defiance of reality.鈥�
San Francisco Chronicle
鈥楾he book doesn鈥檛 give us one focused view of Lynch, but a double vision, as though two similar but not quite exact portraits of the man have been projected onto one another鈥here is value, joy, and beauty in staying with Lynch and his cohorts for these 500-plus pages.鈥�
Los Angeles Times
鈥業ntimate and honest鈥cKenna鈥檚 interviewees unfailingly describe Lynch's charisma and warmth, and his methodical but instinctive dedication to craft.鈥�
NPR
鈥楢 strikingly multidimensional portrait of the artist鈥An] incandescently detailed and complexly enlightening chronicle of a fervent, uncompromising life devoted to 鈥減ure creativity鈥�.鈥�
Booklist
鈥業nsightful, well-researched鈥he book abounds in great stories and terrific movie trivia that will sate Lynch fans for years to come.鈥�
Kirkus Reviews
鈥業f you expected a David Lynch biography to be just like any other biography, you've never seen a David Lynch movie鈥ascinating.鈥�
New York Times
鈥楧avid Lynch鈥檚 memoir illuminates the origins of his art...the humour and eccentricity of Mr Lynch鈥檚 own reminiscences and observations are the book鈥檚 main pleasure.鈥�
The Economist
鈥楲ynch is the master of the perverse, the unsettling and the plain bonkers.鈥�
Sunday Times
鈥楻eassuringly unconventional鈥ngrossing...Lynch writes like he speaks. He's disarmingly direct, cheerfully profane and prone to bursts of giddy enthusiasm.鈥�
Big Issue
鈥楥aptivating...Gives the reader a panoramic insight into Lynch's impressive oeuvre, with sufficient time left to explore Lynch's childhood and coming of age.鈥�
Irish Independent on Sunday
鈥楢n intimate, humanising self-portrait...This wonderful new book is the most comprehensive overview of the filmmaker鈥檚 life and career to date.鈥�
Little White Lies
鈥楢 unique reading experience; more experimental novel than straight up biography. Which is most welcome and entirely appropriate...An endlessly fascinating work that invites multiple readings.鈥� Future of the Force
鈥楢 sunny, holistic portrait of a corn-fed American dreamer who simply likes to show his nightmares to the world. Lynch emerges from these pages as principled, flighty鈥e鈥檚 constantly chasing the next big idea.鈥�
Guardian
鈥楲ynch has stories to spare and it may be that this is the closest most of us get to spending time in his company...The book is both salve and distraction. All but essential for Lynch fans.鈥�
Bookmunch
鈥楢 tantalising hybrid of biography and autobiography鈥ilm buffs will delight in this compelling and illuminating memoir...Lynch casts aside his reticence to discuss his life and films in this wildly enjoyable, massive and bracingly candid memoir.鈥�
Shelf Awareness
鈥極ffers countless new stories, even for Lynch fanatics鈥ll is told with Lynch鈥檚 considerable charm.鈥�
Australian Financial Review
鈥楯ournalist Kristine McKenna maps a rich biography derived from extensive interviews鈥and] Lynch jumps in second. This two-pronged approach creates an accurate timeline and intimate self-portrait, but it鈥檚 what happens in the space between that鈥檚 special: a man engaging not with his own mythology, but rather his own personhood.鈥�
VICE
鈥楩ascinating insights into the director鈥檚 process.鈥�
New York Times
July 11, 2019
1. I'm a big fan of David Lynch's work, with Mulholland Dr. being one of my top 5 favorite films and Twin Peaks being one of my favorite television series.
2. He narrates more than half of the audiobook in his charming off the cuff manner.
3. This book probably contains the most essential information and stories, and luckily I hadn't read many articles or interviews about him or his productions to spoil the stories. And he does tell some amazing stories, but acknowledges he can't tell them all or even get close.
4. No, you will not get any explicit dirt on him here or a detailed How-to guide to his success. That said, there is enough here to inspire any artist and give them some insight in what works for him and would for others. There also isn't a detailed explication of theories and explanations of his films. You can get enough of that by simply googling it or watching the films and making your own interpretation.
5. I'm suddenly excited to rewatch a handful of his films to re-experience the magic.
2. He narrates more than half of the audiobook in his charming off the cuff manner.
3. This book probably contains the most essential information and stories, and luckily I hadn't read many articles or interviews about him or his productions to spoil the stories. And he does tell some amazing stories, but acknowledges he can't tell them all or even get close.
4. No, you will not get any explicit dirt on him here or a detailed How-to guide to his success. That said, there is enough here to inspire any artist and give them some insight in what works for him and would for others. There also isn't a detailed explication of theories and explanations of his films. You can get enough of that by simply googling it or watching the films and making your own interpretation.
5. I'm suddenly excited to rewatch a handful of his films to re-experience the magic.
December 21, 2018
鈥楻oom to Dream鈥� is part biography, written by Kristine McKenna, and part David Lynch reflecting on that life . It鈥檚 a strange approach that somewhat delivers when focusing on the creative process (though much more space is given to talk about the problems with funding) , and yet falls short when focusing on the man. It is definitely worth reading for further insight into his movies, but don鈥檛 expect any explanations of those movies or startling revelations about his life.
March 22, 2022
went through this very leisurely so that i could let the wonderful world of david lynch cast a general hue over me. it's an inspiring presentation of The Art Life; i feel moved by an angel -- lynch approaches both his black lodge sensuousness and his white lodge lust for life with the same dewy eyed boyscout perspective so that i was just charmed ad nauseam throughout. there is a significant amount of hardship and personal failure here, yet not once did i feel as if it wasn't all stretching into a grand artistic scheme underneath the obliterating sunlight of lynch and his mission. truly beautiful. realigned my own worldview, kicked me into thinking seriously about my own art, imbued the world around me with that same amanda seyfriend grin from twin peaks the return. couldn't ask for more.
June 18, 2018
Absolutely a must read for Lynch fans. Totally absorbing. That said, it鈥檚 kind of hard to imagine anyone without a lot of admiration for and knowledge of Lynch loving this. For everyone else, an incredible read.
Truly an original American voice which, for all kinds of reasons (discussed here in oblique and not so oblique terms) seems harder and harder to come by. Lots of insights but no definitive answers; this is a David Lynch (semi) autobiography after all.
Truly an original American voice which, for all kinds of reasons (discussed here in oblique and not so oblique terms) seems harder and harder to come by. Lots of insights but no definitive answers; this is a David Lynch (semi) autobiography after all.
May 29, 2020
鈥� 斜褨芯谐褉邪褎褨褟, 邪谢械 写芯胁褨写薪懈泻, 褟泻 谢褞斜懈褌懈 袥褨薪褔邪
鈥� 褋锌械褉褕褍 袣褉褨褋褌褨薪 袦邪泻泻械薪邪 蟹褨斜褉邪谢邪 泻芯屑械薪褌邪褉褨 写邪谢械泻懈褏-斜谢懈蟹褜泻懈褏, 邪 锌芯褌褨屑 袥褨薪褔 胁褨写褉械褎谢械泻褋褍胁邪胁 泻芯卸械薪 褉芯蟹写褨谢
鈥� 褋锌芯泄谢械褉懈, 褌芯屑褍: 泻褍锌褨褌褜 泻薪懈卸泻褍, 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪泄褌械 锌械褉褕懈泄 褉芯蟹写褨谢, 谐谢褟薪褜褌械 褎褨谢褜屑芯谐褉邪褎褨褞, 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪泄褌械 泻薪懈卸泻褍
鈥� 写芯 锌械褉械写懈胁谢褟薪薪褟 褌胁褨薪 锌褨泻褋 褌褉懈... 写胁邪...
鈥� 褋锌械褉褕褍 袣褉褨褋褌褨薪 袦邪泻泻械薪邪 蟹褨斜褉邪谢邪 泻芯屑械薪褌邪褉褨 写邪谢械泻懈褏-斜谢懈蟹褜泻懈褏, 邪 锌芯褌褨屑 袥褨薪褔 胁褨写褉械褎谢械泻褋褍胁邪胁 泻芯卸械薪 褉芯蟹写褨谢
鈥� 褋锌芯泄谢械褉懈, 褌芯屑褍: 泻褍锌褨褌褜 泻薪懈卸泻褍, 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪泄褌械 锌械褉褕懈泄 褉芯蟹写褨谢, 谐谢褟薪褜褌械 褎褨谢褜屑芯谐褉邪褎褨褞, 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪泄褌械 泻薪懈卸泻褍
鈥� 写芯 锌械褉械写懈胁谢褟薪薪褟 褌胁褨薪 锌褨泻褋 褌褉懈... 写胁邪...
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