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L'autobiographie de l'agent très spécial Dale Cooper
Découvrez Dale Cooper avant son arrivée dans la petite ville de Twin Peaks grâce aux retranscriptions des cassettes audio qu'il avait enregistrées.
Tous les fans de la série Twin Peaks se demandent qui est la mystérieuse Diane à qui l'agent Cooper s'adresse en permanence dans son dictaphone. Or, depuis l'enfance, l'agent spécial du FBI Dale Cooper enregistre ainsi tous ses secrets. Des secrets qui nous parviennent enfin et qui nous permettent de mieux comprendre l'histoire de celui qui a réussi à percer les mystères de Twin Peaks. Ses aventures amoureuses, ses rapports familiaux, sa vie d'étudiant, la première fois qu'il découvre une jeune femme assassinée et bien d'autres événements qui vont construire son étrange et très attachante personnalité.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1991
125 people are currently reading
3262 people want to read
About the author
Scott Frost
26 books47 followersScott Frost is an American screen writer and novelist. He is the son of actor Warren Frost and the brother of Mark Frost and actress Lindsay Frost. He worked with his brother and David Lynch on the Twin Peaks television series, writing two episodes. Among others, he has also written episodes of Babylon 5 and Andromeda. In the early 1990s, he wrote the script for the mystery/thriller TV movie Past Tense with Miguel Tejada-Flores. He again worked with his brother on the 2001 series All Souls.
Series:
* Alex Delillo Mystery
Series contributed to:
* Babylon 5: Other Voices
Series:
* Alex Delillo Mystery
Series contributed to:
* Babylon 5: Other Voices
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews
May 5, 2017
Diane, I've just completed a book that has the complete title of The Autobiography of F.B.I. Special Agent Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes. The title page attributes authorship to one Scott Frost, brother of the Hollywood writer Mark Frost. Please make a note of the name and see what you can find about him. He appears to be well informed.
What we have here is a story in three parts, Diane. My early life, including the profound impact of several deaths, and my sexual misadventures laid bare. But as Hesiod once said: "Toil is no source of shame; idleness is shame." My career in the FBI is given a structurally sound summary, including the tragedy of my former friend and mentor Windom Earle. The third is something we will call intangible.
I note some inconsistencies with my biography. As you will recall, Diane, Agents Desmond and Stanley are on record as investigating the Teresa Banks case. I believe Chief Gordon Cole can attest to this. Yet on the balance I find this to be an illuminating summary of my formative years and recent past immediately prior to the Laura Palmer case. A damn good read. The only question remaining is 'How's Annie?'
What we have here is a story in three parts, Diane. My early life, including the profound impact of several deaths, and my sexual misadventures laid bare. But as Hesiod once said: "Toil is no source of shame; idleness is shame." My career in the FBI is given a structurally sound summary, including the tragedy of my former friend and mentor Windom Earle. The third is something we will call intangible.
I note some inconsistencies with my biography. As you will recall, Diane, Agents Desmond and Stanley are on record as investigating the Teresa Banks case. I believe Chief Gordon Cole can attest to this. Yet on the balance I find this to be an illuminating summary of my formative years and recent past immediately prior to the Laura Palmer case. A damn good read. The only question remaining is 'How's Annie?'
May 19, 2010
Reading an interview with Kyle MacLachlan recently, I remembered about this book and the Twin Peaks series I used to watch with my whole family on Saturday nights, eating home-made pizza. And I didn't mind cleaning the table because I imagined I was Shelly, the cute waitress. :)
As for the book, as far as I remember, focuses on Dale Cooper's life before he arrives in Twin Peaks, where the TV series begins. I guess the 90's weren't so bad after all! :))
As for the book, as far as I remember, focuses on Dale Cooper's life before he arrives in Twin Peaks, where the TV series begins. I guess the 90's weren't so bad after all! :))
November 11, 2018
Surprisingly entertaining and well-written, although will probably only be of interest to Twin Peaks nerds like myself. Written by the brother of show co-creator Mark Frost, this prequel is rich in detail, and provides a backstory that ties in superbly with the overarching TP mythos, and suggests that the occupants of the Black Lodge have been interested in and influencing Cooper's life long before he ever came to that little town in Washington.
February 16, 2022
i love dale cooper so much he is my best friend the love of my life the only man ever the greatest person to ever live
January 29, 2008
Diane I have just finished reading My Life My Tapes The Autobiography of FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper.
As a rule I don't read EU fiction as I see it as a silly waste of time at best, and corpse raping at the worst (I'm looking at you spawn of Herbert). However, as I am a Twin Peaks superfan, the book was only 200 pages long, and it cost me a grand total of 25 cents at the garage sale I bought it at, I figured there wasn't a whole lot to lose.
Over all it was a pleasant experience and went well with some good coffee and pie. There where even a few scenes that succeeded in imitating the inimitable Lynch. However, even at its relatively short length the book felt somewhat repetitive. On the whole a surprisingly pleasant experience. If not one I'm likely to revisit again.
As a rule I don't read EU fiction as I see it as a silly waste of time at best, and corpse raping at the worst (I'm looking at you spawn of Herbert). However, as I am a Twin Peaks superfan, the book was only 200 pages long, and it cost me a grand total of 25 cents at the garage sale I bought it at, I figured there wasn't a whole lot to lose.
Over all it was a pleasant experience and went well with some good coffee and pie. There where even a few scenes that succeeded in imitating the inimitable Lynch. However, even at its relatively short length the book felt somewhat repetitive. On the whole a surprisingly pleasant experience. If not one I'm likely to revisit again.
July 20, 2017
Лора Палмър и Дейл Купър – двамата, които никога не се срещнаха: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/t...
Корицата на старото издание на “Тайният дневник на Лора Палмър” е една от мистериите на моето детство – стоеше си на библиотеката редом с останалите книги, но ме ужасяваше толкова, че така и не посегнах към нея. Преди да изгледам сериала наново, нямах спомени вън от спускащи се червени завеси и изстрела в края на първи сезон – но пък угнетяващото усещане за тъмни гори и някакви ужаси в тях присъстваше.
Тежестта на това ново издание определено е във втората част, посветена на дневника на Лора Палмър, който отвежда по тъмна спирала от страх, похот и грешни решения, които маркират пропадането на любимото момиче на Туин Пийкс.
Издателска къща БАРД
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/t...
Корицата на старото издание на “Тайният дневник на Лора Палмър” е една от мистериите на моето детство – стоеше си на библиотеката редом с останалите книги, но ме ужасяваше толкова, че така и не посегнах към нея. Преди да изгледам сериала наново, нямах спомени вън от спускащи се червени завеси и изстрела в края на първи сезон – но пък угнетяващото усещане за тъмни гори и някакви ужаси в тях присъстваше.
Тежестта на това ново издание определено е във втората част, посветена на дневника на Лора Палмър, който отвежда по тъмна спирала от страх, похот и грешни решения, които маркират пропадането на любимото момиче на Туин Пийкс.
Издателска къща БАРД
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/t...
Want to read
April 9, 2016My birthday is in NOVEMBER! That's only a little over 2 months away!! Who LOVES ME?
August 23, 2014
The last addition to the Twin Peaks book universe is more successful at capturing the voice of the series than The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, although it also takes a lot of liberties with the condensing of time like the former (instead of pages being ripped out, certain tapes have gone 'missing').
It will still hold interest for Twin Peaks fans, eager to have anything to do with the small town, and there are times when Frost pretty much nails the voice of Agent Cooper. There are also a few scenes which, while giving a mystery of their own, tie into the mysteries of the small town we love so much. Was Cooper's mother killed by BOB before he even knew who BOB was? We can only speculate, although that seems to be hinted at.
You can almost hear the Twin Peaks theme start up at the end of the book, when Dale announces that he is on his way to a small town in Washington State where a girl has been found wrapped in plastic. It's enough to make you want to put on the DVDs again.
It will still hold interest for Twin Peaks fans, eager to have anything to do with the small town, and there are times when Frost pretty much nails the voice of Agent Cooper. There are also a few scenes which, while giving a mystery of their own, tie into the mysteries of the small town we love so much. Was Cooper's mother killed by BOB before he even knew who BOB was? We can only speculate, although that seems to be hinted at.
You can almost hear the Twin Peaks theme start up at the end of the book, when Dale announces that he is on his way to a small town in Washington State where a girl has been found wrapped in plastic. It's enough to make you want to put on the DVDs again.
July 13, 2017
Ah, o Coop! Desde a adolescência ele é muito fofo e inteligente, aliás, ao ler este livro dá até um aperto no coração de tudo que o que aconteceu depois que ele entrou no lodge. Enfim, eu não diria que este seja especialmente um bom livro, mas é o Coop e o Coop sempre vale a pena.
January 28, 2019
Въздържам се, но имам чувството, че всеки момент ще ревна! :D
Съвсем наскоро сериалът завладя сърцето ми и съм толкова силно впечатлен, че както се изрази някой, сигурно съм заченат на twin peaks & chill.
Първо прочетох дневника на Лора Палмър, макар той да е във втората част на изданието. Понеже всичко това ми е за пръв път, си намерих специална схема, която да следвам - гледам няколко епизода, чета дневника, гледам още епизоди, чета автобиографията на Дейл Купър (обожавам го, толкова е... аполдйкййхф <3 ).
За Лора ми се късаше сърцето първоначално, толкова емоционално е всичко, още от момента, в който Дона се разплака в гимназията... а и този саундтрак, ТОЗИ САУНДТРАК БОЖЕСТВЕН!.. после, обаче, цялата история с наркотиците и безразборния секс леко ме отблъсна.
(Държа да кажа, че свръхестествените елементи не ми допадат особено, историята около Боб и т.н., макар и те да са в основата на всичко).
Купър.
Само заради него давам тези пет звездички. Толкова е забавен и много успя да ми приповдигне настроението.
Сега ми предстоят последните два епизода от втори сезон, двата филма, книгата "Тайната история на Туин Пийкс" и едва тогава трети сезон. Както казах, въздържам се, но имам чувството, че всеки момент ще ревна. Това е една от маниите ми, за която искам никога да не свършва.
Съвсем наскоро сериалът завладя сърцето ми и съм толкова силно впечатлен, че както се изрази някой, сигурно съм заченат на twin peaks & chill.
Първо прочетох дневника на Лора Палмър, макар той да е във втората част на изданието. Понеже всичко това ми е за пръв път, си намерих специална схема, която да следвам - гледам няколко епизода, чета дневника, гледам още епизоди, чета автобиографията на Дейл Купър (обожавам го, толкова е... аполдйкййхф <3 ).
За Лора ми се късаше сърцето първоначално, толкова емоционално е всичко, още от момента, в който Дона се разплака в гимназията... а и този саундтрак, ТОЗИ САУНДТРАК БОЖЕСТВЕН!.. после, обаче, цялата история с наркотиците и безразборния секс леко ме отблъсна.
(Държа да кажа, че свръхестествените елементи не ми допадат особено, историята около Боб и т.н., макар и те да са в основата на всичко).
Купър.
Само заради него давам тези пет звездички. Толкова е забавен и много успя да ми приповдигне настроението.
Сега ми предстоят последните два епизода от втори сезон, двата филма, книгата "Тайната история на Туин Пийкс" и едва тогава трети сезон. Както казах, въздържам се, но имам чувството, че всеки момент ще ревна. Това е една от маниите ми, за която искам никога да не свършва.
October 18, 2022
Diane, mă așteptam la ceva mai mult, recunosc.
September 27, 2025
Wat ik heb bijgeleerd:
- Dale is geil 24/7
- Dale is geil 24/7
October 1, 2021
Para los muy frikis de TP.
Aquí el hermano de Frost haciendo caja, claro que sí, nadie sin su tajada.
Si creíamos que nos iba a dar una pista sobre cómo Cooper es Cooper, aquí no conseguimos prácticamente nada. No está su viaje al Tibet, que sería lo más interesante. Nos cuenta un poco como fue el asunto de Philadelphia y cómo conoció a Denis, que no Denisse...
Nada nuevo ni interesante ni sustancial. Como curiosidad, las grabaciones consiguieron un Emmy especial. Viva el merchan salvaje!
Aquí el hermano de Frost haciendo caja, claro que sí, nadie sin su tajada.
Si creíamos que nos iba a dar una pista sobre cómo Cooper es Cooper, aquí no conseguimos prácticamente nada. No está su viaje al Tibet, que sería lo más interesante. Nos cuenta un poco como fue el asunto de Philadelphia y cómo conoció a Denis, que no Denisse...
Nada nuevo ni interesante ni sustancial. Como curiosidad, las grabaciones consiguieron un Emmy especial. Viva el merchan salvaje!
April 3, 2020
Recently I read (well, listened to) "Diane..." - The Twin Peaks Tapes of Agent Cooper and absolutely loved it, so I was really excited to pick up this one, also written by Scott Frost (Twin Peaks co-creator Mark Frost's brother).
To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.
There were a few good points: this is alive with little eccentricities of the type that make the original TV show so good, there's one scene where Cooper goes to a gay bar dressed in a tight-fitting leather outfit which was amusing to picture. and Frost is very good at capturing Cooper's voice.
However, the fact that Frost captures Cooper's voice so accurately makes this book all the more jarring: this is not Cooper.
I can't believe this is a sentence I have to type but this Cooper is a sex-obsessed lothario, constantly talking about how horny he is and how attractive he finds all the women he meets (there are only about two women in the whole book he isn't romantically involved with in some way and these are his father's girlfriends). Nowhere is his sense of honour (which, in the show, prevents him from engaging in a relationship with 18 year old Audrey Horne for the sake of her young age) when he colludes in multiple infidelities.
That's the worst of it. But there were other aspects which just didn't make sense. First, I have to explain that this novel chapters Cooper's life up to the point he prepares to depart for Twin Peaks -- the last entry is him declaring his intention to journey there. If you've watched the show, you might, as I do, fondly remember Cooper's childlike delight in the natural beauty of the town and its surroundings. In this book, Cooper takes many, many trips into nature before this point which means that his over-the-top enthusiasm doesn't make sense: why is he so enthralled into nature, amazed by the thought of Douglas Firs and rabbits, if it's all things he's seen before?
The last third of the novel, once he starts working for the FBI, was slightly more enjoyable, with a selection of intriguing cases which drew me in -- but here's the thing: only one of them is ever conclusively solved. The reader is introduced to all these interesting crimes which really pique the curiosity but are never wrapped up, which became frustrating, especially as the case descriptions became more and more rushed.
I could go on but I think that's enough ranting from me. If you are a Twin Peaks fan, avoid this and listen to "Diane..." - The Twin Peaks Tapes of Agent Cooper instead. There's a reason it's hard to find a copy of this book.
To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.
There were a few good points: this is alive with little eccentricities of the type that make the original TV show so good, there's one scene where Cooper goes to a gay bar dressed in a tight-fitting leather outfit which was amusing to picture. and Frost is very good at capturing Cooper's voice.
However, the fact that Frost captures Cooper's voice so accurately makes this book all the more jarring: this is not Cooper.
I can't believe this is a sentence I have to type but this Cooper is a sex-obsessed lothario, constantly talking about how horny he is and how attractive he finds all the women he meets (there are only about two women in the whole book he isn't romantically involved with in some way and these are his father's girlfriends). Nowhere is his sense of honour (which, in the show, prevents him from engaging in a relationship with 18 year old Audrey Horne for the sake of her young age) when he colludes in multiple infidelities.
That's the worst of it. But there were other aspects which just didn't make sense. First, I have to explain that this novel chapters Cooper's life up to the point he prepares to depart for Twin Peaks -- the last entry is him declaring his intention to journey there. If you've watched the show, you might, as I do, fondly remember Cooper's childlike delight in the natural beauty of the town and its surroundings. In this book, Cooper takes many, many trips into nature before this point which means that his over-the-top enthusiasm doesn't make sense: why is he so enthralled into nature, amazed by the thought of Douglas Firs and rabbits, if it's all things he's seen before?
The last third of the novel, once he starts working for the FBI, was slightly more enjoyable, with a selection of intriguing cases which drew me in -- but here's the thing: only one of them is ever conclusively solved. The reader is introduced to all these interesting crimes which really pique the curiosity but are never wrapped up, which became frustrating, especially as the case descriptions became more and more rushed.
I could go on but I think that's enough ranting from me. If you are a Twin Peaks fan, avoid this and listen to "Diane..." - The Twin Peaks Tapes of Agent Cooper instead. There's a reason it's hard to find a copy of this book.
September 24, 2024
pretty good. i like dale cooper and his autism swag
July 26, 2025
Nostalgia and love of hearing Kyle MacLachlan’s “voice” as Dale Cooper evolve, and that he’s been recording tapes of his life since childhood, make me want to give this book a huge nudge. It’s honestly less than a trifle and it’s so much fun, but ultimately it doesn’t even move the character of Cooper outside this idea that he’s always been the Dale Cooper from the TV show since he was conceived, and was observing life like that since the beginning. Obviously contrived just to give fans like me a giggle in the moment.
In short: highly recommend for die hard fans. Don’t recommend for anyone else.
In short: highly recommend for die hard fans. Don’t recommend for anyone else.
July 26, 2017
This “Twin Peaks” train keeps on chugging along!!! And while the revival of the show has been both wonderful and absolutely confounding, I have also been turning to the books that came before it. This time instead of focusing on poor dead Laura Palmer, we are getting to know a little bit more about the always optimistic, super enthusiastic, but also ultimately a bit tragic, Dale Cooper, the main protagonist of the show. Dale Cooper is one of my favorite characters of all time, his bubbly earnestness completely charming and absolutely adorable. I was a little skeptical that this book would be able to do him justice, as Kyle Maclachlan just brings him to complete and total life. BUT, I have GREAT news. This book pretty much manages to do it. A warning, though, if you want to see anything else about the town itself and it’s inhabitants, sadly it ends right before Cooper arrives. This is all Cooper, all the time, and while that was totally fine by me, it’s good to know that this is his story, not that of the beloved town.
Much like “The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer”, you have to go into this book with the knowledge of the show to really get anything from it. We get to see Dale Cooper’s life through his ‘tapes’, transcribed audio recordings that start at his thirteenth birthday. And boy, did it just sound like good ol’ Coop to me as I read them. It really shouldn’t surprise me, as Scott Frost was a writer on the show, but I found myself smiling and cackling with glee as I read this book, it’s content far less heavy than “The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer”. Even thirteen year old Dale Cooper is filled with joy and wonder for the world around him, as well as picking up on little hints and details about the people in his life that sheds a little light on things that happen to him later in life. This book explores more of the theory that Cooper is deeply intuitive to the point of being a bit psychic, and expands upon it through his childhood and his family members (specifically his mother; seems that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree in this regard). I enjoyed reading about how he saw the changing times of the 1960s, how he viewed his coming of age, and what life was like for him when he first came to the F.B.I. I was ESPECIALLY waiting for mention of one of my other favorite characters on the show, Albert Rosenfield, because boy do I kind of ship the two of them, and without spoiling anything I can tell you that THIS BOOK DID NOT DISAPPOINT!
But along with the fan service that felt totally designed for me, this book also gave me a dark side of Coop that isn’t seen as much in the original series. His tapes do serve as his own diary in spite of the fact that he’s sending a fair number of them to Diane, and there were moments of despair and existential angst that I’m not as used to seeing in my man Cooper. He did have his darker moments in Season 2, and in the revival BOY are things bleak for him, but in this book I felt like we got to see a whole other side to Cooper that I tend to forget, or did even know, existed. He expounds upon the losses of the important women in his life with a subtle grief, or will disappear for months at a time, and I just felt like this book does add a new darkness to the character who can be seen holding chocolate bunnies or gleefully experiencing coniferous trees with childlike wonder. Sometimes this could be a bit too much, especially when we get to the Wyndam and Caroline Earle part of his life, but in the right amounts it was very pathos ridden and melancholy.
Plus, there were genuine moments of creepiness that I thoroughly enjoyed. Be it the brutal natures of some of the crimes that Dale investigated, or the weird moments of odd rambling that he would do with his tapes in darker, more harried mind spaces, there were parts of this book that gave me chills down my spine. Nothing was totally scary or freaky, but there would be moments that were turned just a little bit odd, and that when I thought about it for a moment I just felt weirded out. That’s the power of “Twin Peaks”, the little moments that are just a bit askew, but completely set you on edge. This book is filled with them.
Do you have to read this book if you are a “Twin Peaks” fan? Probably not. It didn’t give me any new insights into anything, really. But it’s a fun little bonus that can be put to the mythos of the series as a whole, especially seeing some of these things being played out or alluded to in the new revival. If you can’t get enough of “Twin Peaks” and are still scratching your head over some of the stuff in the new series, “The Autobiography of F.B.I. Special Agent Dale Cooper” will probably suit you just fine.
Much like “The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer”, you have to go into this book with the knowledge of the show to really get anything from it. We get to see Dale Cooper’s life through his ‘tapes’, transcribed audio recordings that start at his thirteenth birthday. And boy, did it just sound like good ol’ Coop to me as I read them. It really shouldn’t surprise me, as Scott Frost was a writer on the show, but I found myself smiling and cackling with glee as I read this book, it’s content far less heavy than “The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer”. Even thirteen year old Dale Cooper is filled with joy and wonder for the world around him, as well as picking up on little hints and details about the people in his life that sheds a little light on things that happen to him later in life. This book explores more of the theory that Cooper is deeply intuitive to the point of being a bit psychic, and expands upon it through his childhood and his family members (specifically his mother; seems that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree in this regard). I enjoyed reading about how he saw the changing times of the 1960s, how he viewed his coming of age, and what life was like for him when he first came to the F.B.I. I was ESPECIALLY waiting for mention of one of my other favorite characters on the show, Albert Rosenfield, because boy do I kind of ship the two of them, and without spoiling anything I can tell you that THIS BOOK DID NOT DISAPPOINT!
But along with the fan service that felt totally designed for me, this book also gave me a dark side of Coop that isn’t seen as much in the original series. His tapes do serve as his own diary in spite of the fact that he’s sending a fair number of them to Diane, and there were moments of despair and existential angst that I’m not as used to seeing in my man Cooper. He did have his darker moments in Season 2, and in the revival BOY are things bleak for him, but in this book I felt like we got to see a whole other side to Cooper that I tend to forget, or did even know, existed. He expounds upon the losses of the important women in his life with a subtle grief, or will disappear for months at a time, and I just felt like this book does add a new darkness to the character who can be seen holding chocolate bunnies or gleefully experiencing coniferous trees with childlike wonder. Sometimes this could be a bit too much, especially when we get to the Wyndam and Caroline Earle part of his life, but in the right amounts it was very pathos ridden and melancholy.
Plus, there were genuine moments of creepiness that I thoroughly enjoyed. Be it the brutal natures of some of the crimes that Dale investigated, or the weird moments of odd rambling that he would do with his tapes in darker, more harried mind spaces, there were parts of this book that gave me chills down my spine. Nothing was totally scary or freaky, but there would be moments that were turned just a little bit odd, and that when I thought about it for a moment I just felt weirded out. That’s the power of “Twin Peaks”, the little moments that are just a bit askew, but completely set you on edge. This book is filled with them.
Do you have to read this book if you are a “Twin Peaks” fan? Probably not. It didn’t give me any new insights into anything, really. But it’s a fun little bonus that can be put to the mythos of the series as a whole, especially seeing some of these things being played out or alluded to in the new revival. If you can’t get enough of “Twin Peaks” and are still scratching your head over some of the stuff in the new series, “The Autobiography of F.B.I. Special Agent Dale Cooper” will probably suit you just fine.
May 28, 2017
Never review yourself. That's one of the basic rules of semi-professional criticism. But a wise man once said to us, approximately 27 years ago,
The Autobiography of Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes, seemed to have only one printing, in 1991 - just before the final episodes of the second season of Twin Peaks made it to air. It's reasonable to expect that you would never actually spot it in the wild; unlike The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, which has lived to fight another day, this book was never reprinted.
And so it was that I, Alex Doenau, the generally invisible author of hundreds of Goodreads reviews, went to the theatre one day in March 2017 to see a rather dull and indulgent play. In a relatively obscure location in the playhouse, they have a book swap library, and on those shelves I found a near mint edition of The Autobiography of Dale Cooper: My Life, My TapesThe Autobiography of Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes. The chances of this happening are astronomically minuscule. You're more likely to solve a murder by throwing rocks at bottles than you are to ever see this book.
And so it was that The Autobiography of Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes was the present that I gave to myself. I let it happen. It was the best thing that ever could have happened.
As to the book itself: it's short, and it was published as Twin Peaks fever was dying, unlike The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, which was published at the fever's peak, and was also rather integral to the overall cohesion of the saga (although, of course, one can get by without having read it, it genuinely lends flavour and substance to the overall work). Dale Cooper, by comparison, is more of a curio than a vitally important document, but that does not make it trivial.
This book covers multiple stages of Cooper's life, from his teenage experimentations with the tape form to just before he traveled to Twin Peaks. Written by series creator Mark Frost's brother Scott, some of Cooper's life reads in quite an affecting manner: you feel sympathy for the loss of his mother, and a mixture of worry and good humour at the trials and tribulations of his father. At times you wonder how such an optimistic man could have sprung from such darkness, but it is clear that Cooper has a very clear conception of what it means to meditate on the natures of good and evil.
There is some slightly contradictory overlap with the contents of Fire Walk With Me, which would be made a year after Twin Peaks' premature conclusion with minimal involvement from a MacLachlan who didn't want to be typecast (a decision that he may have come to regret had he not been granted another chance just this year).
The Autobiography of Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes deserves another shot at life, a reprint so that people just discovering or rediscovering Twin Peaks for the first time can learn more of the enigmatic nature of the man who would become Mister Jackpots. This is a TV tie-in done right: somewhat content rich with none of the hallmarks of a cheap cash-in.
Thank you, universe, for bestowing this damn fine book upon me for the princely sum of another book sacrificed at your altar.
Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it. Don't wait for it. Just let it happen. It could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot black coffee.
The Autobiography of Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes, seemed to have only one printing, in 1991 - just before the final episodes of the second season of Twin Peaks made it to air. It's reasonable to expect that you would never actually spot it in the wild; unlike The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, which has lived to fight another day, this book was never reprinted.
And so it was that I, Alex Doenau, the generally invisible author of hundreds of Goodreads reviews, went to the theatre one day in March 2017 to see a rather dull and indulgent play. In a relatively obscure location in the playhouse, they have a book swap library, and on those shelves I found a near mint edition of The Autobiography of Dale Cooper: My Life, My TapesThe Autobiography of Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes. The chances of this happening are astronomically minuscule. You're more likely to solve a murder by throwing rocks at bottles than you are to ever see this book.
And so it was that The Autobiography of Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes was the present that I gave to myself. I let it happen. It was the best thing that ever could have happened.
As to the book itself: it's short, and it was published as Twin Peaks fever was dying, unlike The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, which was published at the fever's peak, and was also rather integral to the overall cohesion of the saga (although, of course, one can get by without having read it, it genuinely lends flavour and substance to the overall work). Dale Cooper, by comparison, is more of a curio than a vitally important document, but that does not make it trivial.
This book covers multiple stages of Cooper's life, from his teenage experimentations with the tape form to just before he traveled to Twin Peaks. Written by series creator Mark Frost's brother Scott, some of Cooper's life reads in quite an affecting manner: you feel sympathy for the loss of his mother, and a mixture of worry and good humour at the trials and tribulations of his father. At times you wonder how such an optimistic man could have sprung from such darkness, but it is clear that Cooper has a very clear conception of what it means to meditate on the natures of good and evil.
There is some slightly contradictory overlap with the contents of Fire Walk With Me, which would be made a year after Twin Peaks' premature conclusion with minimal involvement from a MacLachlan who didn't want to be typecast (a decision that he may have come to regret had he not been granted another chance just this year).
The Autobiography of Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes deserves another shot at life, a reprint so that people just discovering or rediscovering Twin Peaks for the first time can learn more of the enigmatic nature of the man who would become Mister Jackpots. This is a TV tie-in done right: somewhat content rich with none of the hallmarks of a cheap cash-in.
Thank you, universe, for bestowing this damn fine book upon me for the princely sum of another book sacrificed at your altar.
August 5, 2018
Лековато четиво, запознаващо ни с детството на чешита от добилия култов статут сериал. Харесах, особено на фона на куцата Кунцова Фалшива памет ;)
March 27, 2023
i am being so normal about this show. i love you coop you strange and unusual little man
March 4, 2025
Dale cooper would go to Haverford college and be obsessed with Bryn Mawr instead — my autistic king
January 21, 2024
Net zoals Twin Peaks zelf heeft dit boek alles: dromen, mysterie, romantiek, erotiek, actie, het leven (en de dood) van alledag en humor, heel veel humor. Ik heb vaak hardop gelachen, bijvoorbeeld bij D.H. Lawrence en Coops eerste eigen gedicht.
Die humor zit wel vooral in de regelrechte coming of age van het eerste deel, part 1 (13-16 jaar). Ik heb Adrian Mole niet gelezen, maar ik stel me voor dat het zoiets is. De herkenbare puberale overpeinzingen, de oprechte naïviteit, maar ook de harde momenten van afscheid die bij het leven horen.
Gaandeweg komt er zo meer focus op de donkerdere kanten van het leven. De jeugdige verbazing rond de geur van aspergepipi (naar verluidt een verzoek van Lynch) maakt stilaan plaats voor een gedesillusioneerde volwassenheid. Aanrakingen met de duistere kanten van het leven stapelen zich op, die veelal te maken hebben met zijn werk als FBI-agent, maar ook met de hamartia die we kennen uit seizoen 2: de liefde.
Alles tezamen is het boek een mooie uitbreiding van de lore, temeer omdat er ook veel TP-personages terugkeren: Gordon Cole en Window Earle, natuurlijk, maar ook Albert, Denis en Caroline. Wie dus niet alleen meer wil weten over Cooper, maar ook over de andere personages, leze dit boek. De waarde van Twin Peaks’ transmedialiteit is niet te onderschatten. Ik heb nu bijna alles achter de kiezen (The Secret Diary, The Secret History, The Final Dossier en deze autobiografie), maar het is nog lang niet gedaan en het voelt alsof het alsmaar beter wordt. (Interessant trouwens dat Laura’s dagboek door Lynch’ dochter is geschreven en deze autobiografie door Frosts broer.) Het volgende en laatste boek op de lijst is Welcome to Twin Peaks, en dan volgt nog het audioboek Diane en ten slotte de verzamelkaartjes, die gelukkig ook op de Blu-ray te vinden zijn. De autobiografie lijkt tegen het einde overigens tegenstrijdig, m.n. wat betreft informatie over Teresa Banks, maar dat komt omdat men nadien voor Fire Walk With Me andere keuzes heeft gemaakt. Dit boekje is dus wel degelijk canoniek.
Om tot slot nog iets te zeggen over hoe de tekst in dit boek op zichzelf staat: sommige ‘opnamen’ zijn bijna kortverhalen. ‘July 21 [1969], 2 A.M.’ (p. 32) over Armstrong en Aldrin op de maan en Dale en Marie samen op aarde; ‘June 18 [1973], 1 A.M.’ (p. 62) over Jims kamer vol papier; of ‘October 22 [1973], 5.30 A.M.’ (p. 68) over Dale, Andy en de zon ... En net zoals in de serie zijn ook hier weer talloze memorabele quotes te vinden, e.g. ‘There is no more focused mind than the one that has created its own reality.’ (p. 117)
Die humor zit wel vooral in de regelrechte coming of age van het eerste deel, part 1 (13-16 jaar). Ik heb Adrian Mole niet gelezen, maar ik stel me voor dat het zoiets is. De herkenbare puberale overpeinzingen, de oprechte naïviteit, maar ook de harde momenten van afscheid die bij het leven horen.
Gaandeweg komt er zo meer focus op de donkerdere kanten van het leven. De jeugdige verbazing rond de geur van aspergepipi (naar verluidt een verzoek van Lynch) maakt stilaan plaats voor een gedesillusioneerde volwassenheid. Aanrakingen met de duistere kanten van het leven stapelen zich op, die veelal te maken hebben met zijn werk als FBI-agent, maar ook met de hamartia die we kennen uit seizoen 2: de liefde.
Alles tezamen is het boek een mooie uitbreiding van de lore, temeer omdat er ook veel TP-personages terugkeren: Gordon Cole en Window Earle, natuurlijk, maar ook Albert, Denis en Caroline. Wie dus niet alleen meer wil weten over Cooper, maar ook over de andere personages, leze dit boek. De waarde van Twin Peaks’ transmedialiteit is niet te onderschatten. Ik heb nu bijna alles achter de kiezen (The Secret Diary, The Secret History, The Final Dossier en deze autobiografie), maar het is nog lang niet gedaan en het voelt alsof het alsmaar beter wordt. (Interessant trouwens dat Laura’s dagboek door Lynch’ dochter is geschreven en deze autobiografie door Frosts broer.) Het volgende en laatste boek op de lijst is Welcome to Twin Peaks, en dan volgt nog het audioboek Diane en ten slotte de verzamelkaartjes, die gelukkig ook op de Blu-ray te vinden zijn. De autobiografie lijkt tegen het einde overigens tegenstrijdig, m.n. wat betreft informatie over Teresa Banks, maar dat komt omdat men nadien voor Fire Walk With Me andere keuzes heeft gemaakt. Dit boekje is dus wel degelijk canoniek.
Om tot slot nog iets te zeggen over hoe de tekst in dit boek op zichzelf staat: sommige ‘opnamen’ zijn bijna kortverhalen. ‘July 21 [1969], 2 A.M.’ (p. 32) over Armstrong en Aldrin op de maan en Dale en Marie samen op aarde; ‘June 18 [1973], 1 A.M.’ (p. 62) over Jims kamer vol papier; of ‘October 22 [1973], 5.30 A.M.’ (p. 68) over Dale, Andy en de zon ... En net zoals in de serie zijn ook hier weer talloze memorabele quotes te vinden, e.g. ‘There is no more focused mind than the one that has created its own reality.’ (p. 117)
March 7, 2025
Much more entertaining, engaging, and well researched than I was expecting. The author is the brother of one of the Co-creators of Twin Peaks and his level of commitment to understanding the established lore of this character shows. Not one second went by where I didn’t hear the voice of Dale Cooper narrating every sentence of this in my head.
Definitely more for people who have seen the TV series and movie but this is a damn fine character study of one of my favorite characters to ever grace a TV screen. Damn fine.
Definitely more for people who have seen the TV series and movie but this is a damn fine character study of one of my favorite characters to ever grace a TV screen. Damn fine.
April 12, 2020
I really miss Twin Peaks
November 27, 2025
4,5
Peak! Zo leuk geschreven.
Erg leuk hoe je alle bizarre ervaringen van Cooper meekrijgt
Peak! Zo leuk geschreven.
Erg leuk hoe je alle bizarre ervaringen van Cooper meekrijgt
October 12, 2017
Мистериозните герои агент Купър и Лора Палмър
(Цялото ревю е тук: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)
Колкото и време да минава, емблематичните герои на сериала „Туин Пийкс“ все още са ярки и напомнят за щурите години, когато на хората им се виеше свят от неразгадаемите картини на Дейвид Линч. Всички сядахме пред телевизора и доброволно се подлагахме на хипноза, защото онова, които виждахме на екрана, не подлежеше на обяснение. Тогава бях хлапе, но никой не се и опита да ми забрани да гледам – просто липсваше причина. „Облъчването“ продължи доста дълго, комбинирано с две тънки книжки, които днес са събрани в едно красиво издание. „Автобиографията на специалния агент Дейл Купър“ („Бард“, 2017, с превод на Деляна Найденова и Яна Янева) не постигна много успех при мен, но затова пък „Тайният дневник на Лора Палмър“ („Бард“, 2017, с превод на Огняна Иванова) беше препрочетен десетина пъти, като ми остави дълбок отпечатък в съзнанието. Двайсет и пет години по-късно новият прочит не успя да ме стресира, но ми допълни впечатленията, вече под надзора на психическата ми твърдост. 🙂 Преди това се насладих на цяла една вселена – „Тайната история на Туин Пийкс“ (https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...) – много любопитно досие на градчето, чиято история не би могла да бъде описана по-добре. Но колкото и тайни да разкриват тези книги, едно продължение на сериала би доставило най-пълно удоволствие. Е, при мен това продължение не случи на зрител, но в един момент ще се върна към него и ще се опитам да навържа всичко видяно без истерии, но с прагматични въпроси и относителни отговори. Всъщност тези две книги, събрани в едно цяло, са истинското начало. Тук опознаването на главните действащи лица е сведено до най-личните им моменти, когато наоколо няма никой и те шептят тайните си, всеки по своя си начин.
(Продължава в блога: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)
(Цялото ревю е тук: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)
Колкото и време да минава, емблематичните герои на сериала „Туин Пийкс“ все още са ярки и напомнят за щурите години, когато на хората им се виеше свят от неразгадаемите картини на Дейвид Линч. Всички сядахме пред телевизора и доброволно се подлагахме на хипноза, защото онова, които виждахме на екрана, не подлежеше на обяснение. Тогава бях хлапе, но никой не се и опита да ми забрани да гледам – просто липсваше причина. „Облъчването“ продължи доста дълго, комбинирано с две тънки книжки, които днес са събрани в едно красиво издание. „Автобиографията на специалния агент Дейл Купър“ („Бард“, 2017, с превод на Деляна Найденова и Яна Янева) не постигна много успех при мен, но затова пък „Тайният дневник на Лора Палмър“ („Бард“, 2017, с превод на Огняна Иванова) беше препрочетен десетина пъти, като ми остави дълбок отпечатък в съзнанието. Двайсет и пет години по-късно новият прочит не успя да ме стресира, но ми допълни впечатленията, вече под надзора на психическата ми твърдост. 🙂 Преди това се насладих на цяла една вселена – „Тайната история на Туин Пийкс“ (https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...) – много любопитно досие на градчето, чиято история не би могла да бъде описана по-добре. Но колкото и тайни да разкриват тези книги, едно продължение на сериала би доставило най-пълно удоволствие. Е, при мен това продължение не случи на зрител, но в един момент ще се върна към него и ще се опитам да навържа всичко видяно без истерии, но с прагматични въпроси и относителни отговори. Всъщност тези две книги, събрани в едно цяло, са истинското начало. Тук опознаването на главните действащи лица е сведено до най-личните им моменти, когато наоколо няма никой и те шептят тайните си, всеки по своя си начин.
(Продължава в блога: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)
February 22, 2024
I have read fanfiction that captured Coops voice better than this.
Also if I have to read one more sentence about how horny he is I will throw up. Like Jesus, yes he goes through puberty in this and all that and he is shown to have interest in women in the show but come on! One of the many brilliant things in Twin Peaks is the portrayal or masculinity. Cooper specifically is such a pleasant change from your typical macho men of the law and this book makes him feel so cliché in a way.
It’s still fun to have some background for a character that I deeply love but this felt very surface level and borderline flat at points. Very boring and for the most part did not feel like the Cooper we know from the show at all.
Also if I have to read one more sentence about how horny he is I will throw up. Like Jesus, yes he goes through puberty in this and all that and he is shown to have interest in women in the show but come on! One of the many brilliant things in Twin Peaks is the portrayal or masculinity. Cooper specifically is such a pleasant change from your typical macho men of the law and this book makes him feel so cliché in a way.
It’s still fun to have some background for a character that I deeply love but this felt very surface level and borderline flat at points. Very boring and for the most part did not feel like the Cooper we know from the show at all.
August 4, 2018
Another enjoyable walk down memory lane after having read The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer prior to this. I read this in about 1992 and loved it. It was less mysterious than The Secret Diary, but I thought Scott Frost captured the character of Dale Cooper even better than Jennifer Lynch did with Laura Palmer.
One problem was Cooper's investigation of Teresa Banks's murder in Deer Meadows, which we know didn't happen in Fire Walk With Me, where he was replaced by Chester Desmond because Kyle MacLachlan didn't want to commit to the whole film. The back story of Windom and Caroline Earle was great though, not to mention Cooper's history of investigations into the paranormal. A fun read.
One problem was Cooper's investigation of Teresa Banks's murder in Deer Meadows, which we know didn't happen in Fire Walk With Me, where he was replaced by Chester Desmond because Kyle MacLachlan didn't want to commit to the whole film. The back story of Windom and Caroline Earle was great though, not to mention Cooper's history of investigations into the paranormal. A fun read.
November 7, 2021
I did not believe my wife when she rated this five stars. "It's a dumb companion book to a TV series," I said. "Twin Peaks is great and Cooper's super cool, but COME ON," I said.
Wrong.
This is my favorite of the Twin Peaks universe material that I've read. Scott Frost captures Cooper's vibe so well that you can hear Kyle McLaughlan's delivery in your head. Adolescent Cooper manages to be laugh-out-loud funny without feeling like a caricature, and college-age Coop serves to deepen and humanize the guy you see on TV in a way that felt exactly right to me.
If you dig on twin peaks, I promise you're gonna dig on this.
Wrong.
This is my favorite of the Twin Peaks universe material that I've read. Scott Frost captures Cooper's vibe so well that you can hear Kyle McLaughlan's delivery in your head. Adolescent Cooper manages to be laugh-out-loud funny without feeling like a caricature, and college-age Coop serves to deepen and humanize the guy you see on TV in a way that felt exactly right to me.
If you dig on twin peaks, I promise you're gonna dig on this.
April 21, 2010
Obviously, this is required reading for any Twin Peaks fan! You gain all kinds of insight into Coop's life prior to his arrival in Twin Peaks. Find out all about his early encounters with Windham Earl, Diane, Gordon Cole, etc. Also, you get to witness that first sip of damn good coffee! This book is so cool!
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