The Poet in Exile: A Novel [Paperback]

Ray Manzarek (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 2002

Is the lead singer of America's most notorious rock and roll band really buried in Paris? Years after the Poet's apparent death, his longtime musical collaborator and friend Roy receives the first of several mysterious postcards bearing cryptic verse, signed only "J." Trusting his instinct that this is not a hoax, Roy traces the cards to their apparent source—a remote island in the Indian Ocean. There, to his amazement, he is re-united with the man once known as "the snake man," and hears the remarkable story of his faked death—and the rebirth it made possible. A happily married man, the father of two children, he has discovered the secret to life and is finally free of the demons that had driven him headlong through the American night. Now an enticing question arises: Would destiny smile upon the re-launch of one of the most influential rock and roll bands in history? "... a narrative that ends with a moment of authentic surprise and heart-tugging poignancy."—Los Angeles Times

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nearly three decades after Jim Morrison was buried in Paris, Manzarek asks: could Morrison be alive and living on a remote island after staging his own death? The former keyboard player for the Doors provides a mildly entertaining if rather implausible answer to that question in this earnest, clumsy rock novel. The story begins when Manzarek's alter ego, a keyboard player named Roy, receives a couple of cryptic letters from Morrison's fictional foil, the Poet; the letters are postmarked from an obscure island in the Indian Ocean. Despite his skepticism, Roy recognizes the handwriting and the tone of the messages, so he leaves his wife and sets out in search of his long-lost friend. Improbably, he finds his quarry without much trouble the Poet is living in paradise after surviving a nervous breakdown and then undergoing a spiritual recovery in which he managed to put the trauma of his hedonistic rock-star life behind him. What follows is Roy and the Poet's heartwarming reunion, and the telling of the Poet's familiar story: he went to India to meet a guru who saved his soul, then married in the Seychelles, had children and retreated into a peaceful, happy family life. The story of the fake death has its share of appealing moments, and Manzarek will doubtless enjoy tweaking the rock press as he delves once more into the Doors legacy. (Jan.)Forecast: This should be of some interest to rock fans especially Doors aficionados still waiting for Mr. Mojo to rise despite a very high Spinal Tap cliche factor.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Erstwhile Doors keyboardist Manzarek may have located the ostensibly dead Jim Morrison, alive and, well . . . When last on the mortal plain, Morrison was sorting out his life and career in Paris. Sporting pretensions to poetic talent, he had proceeded with the Doors from personifying the acid-drenched Aquarian era to being the ridiculed purveyor of such pop fluff as "Touch Me." The band was taking a break from touring and recording when Morrison died. Now Manzarek reports having found "the Poet" on an island in the Indian Ocean. His death was faked, and his graffiti-smeared monument in Pere Lachaise cemetery is a hollow receptacle of his fans' devotion. He is a philosophical Lizard King these days, hardly the swaggering leather-clad hellion of the Doors' salad days. But is the Poet, whom Manzarek also calls J, Joseph, and Jordan, really Morrison? Is this a memoir or a hoax--er, novel? Notice which section of Booklist this review is in? Very curious, but entertaining, especially for the fans. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Thunder's Mouth Press (October 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560254475
• ISBN-13: 978-1560254478
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #417,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Self-indulgent, January 31, 2002

By 

David Gerdner (Ridgewood, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Poet in Exile (Hardcover)

I expected this book to be a self-indulgent attempt by Manzarek to fulfill what is probably a huge fantasy for him. No problem, I wanted a little indulgence myself. But this book goes far overboard into nonstop self-congratulations.

Rather than simply embrace the fun notion that Morrison is still alive, Manzarek has Morrison apologize (over and over) for how poorly he treated the other band members while constantly giving them credit for making him the icon that he was. Manzarek even has Morrison compliment the albums that The Doors produced after his departure. It's actually a bit embarassing to read such a transparent attempt to assure the world that the rest of the band was worthy of Jim Morrison.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Pathetic and Predictable, March 21, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Poet in Exile (Hardcover)

Poet in Exile reads like a thearpy journal masked as fiction. It would seem that Ray manzarek is working out unresolved issues with Jim Morrison's death. Sadly it was a totally predictable book

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sad and Sappy, March 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Poet in Exile (Hardcover)

Being a life long doors fan I was greatly looking forward to reading this book. It was a total disappointment. The text is self indulgent and overly emotional to the point where it bores the reader. How the characters parallel those of the Doors is enough to enrage a true Doors fan and the events are totally unbelieveable. Ray Manzarek is a very talented musician and should stick with what he knows.