Beautiful Dark by Greg Olson
The Scarecrow Press, Inc. 752 Pages
Reviewed by Dugpa on October 8th, 2008
Simply put, the book, “Beautiful Dark” by Greg Olson is a work of art. Even though I had seen it coming for years now, I never expected it to affect me the way it did. I have to admit, that for years, being a long time fan of Lynch, I have read practically every Lynch related book, news article, and watched every interview that I could possibly get my hands on. After reading this book, I was overwhelmed to find out how much I didn’t know about the man, and how much more I have come to appreciate what a beautiful person David Lynch truly is.
The one thing that hits you about this book is the amount of passion that Olson has put into this work. From the first page, Olson brings the reader into the personal world of David Lynch. Through interviews and conversations with Lynch, his family members, close friends, romantic partners, and professional colleagues, the result is an unprecedented, up close and personal view of Lynch’s life that has never been seen before.
Olson crafts this work in a beautiful narrative that places the reader right up there with Lynch as he grows up and discovers art, film, music, life, and love. You are there beside Lynch through his relationships with his romantic partners, through his hardships, his pain, and his victories. At the same time, having written this book over the course of 10 years, Olson weaves seamlessly to narrate back to the perspective of a onlooker, detailing what it was like during various times over the years of how the public and media were reacting to Lynch’s work, and what it was like to be alive and experiencing Lynch’s work as it was happening.
Olson covers nearly every imaginable work that Lynch has ever done to date and does so with great enthusiasm and passion. He insightfully moves between Lynch’s works with a precision that is both refreshing and exhaustive at the same time.
The result is a chance between two worlds… into a place where no one has gone before. Olson brings you to a seat at a table in a New York restaurant owned by Dino Laurentiis where across from you Lynch is laying his eyes on Isabella Rossellini for the first time. You are given rare access to stories from the set of Twin Peaks where we are told where the idea of creamed corn came from and what Mark Frost’s reaction to it. Olson takes you on a magical journey to the set of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me as you watch Lynch gently kiss Sheryl Lee on the cheek. You become an onlooker of a tragic car crash that brings Lynch and his ex-wife together to care for their daughter, Jennifer through months of multiple back surgeries. As you listen to Jennifer, you come to realize why it is so important for Jennifer to follow in her father’s footsteps.
I won’t spoil the any more for you, however, I will say that this book gets my highest possible recommendation. Olson goes above and beyond to bring us a rare glimpse into the life of David Lynch and brings home the goods! So if you were hesitating picking this one up, as Coop would say… Every day, once a day, give yourself a present…. And grab this book today!