Lizard King (Paperback)

by Jerry Hopkins (Author) "Jim's Father, Steve, was from Lessburg, Florida, and when he was in high school in the 1930s he was too small for football, so he..." (more)
Key Phrases: contemporary community standards, Los Angeles, Jim Morrison, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
"He was rolling along, drunk much of the time, putting himself out there, pretty much letting life happen to him," writes Hopkins of rock star Morrison (1943-1971) in this refreshing addition to the already large shelf of books about The Doors and their lead singer. Neither mythmaker nor debunker, Hopkins ( No One Here Gets Out Alive ) views Morrison as a talented yet disturbed person, easy to dislike but impossible to dismiss. In particular Morrison fans will welcome the most vivid descriptions of the star's death ever published, an unusually sensitive treatment of his first wife, Pam Coruson, and a previously unpublished interview. Hopkins also dispels the rumors about Morrison's possible survival and describes the making of the Oliver Stone film that sparked a resurgence of The Doors' popularity. His polished style and sense of balance, evident throughout, add luster to this well-explored subject. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
It seems appropriate that Hopkins, who coauthored No One Here Gets Out Alive ( LJ 9/15/80), offered the first mainstream Morrison biography and the basis for Oliver Stone's 1991 film The Doors . This effort, Hopkins assures us, is not a No One Here Gets Out Alive reclamation project, but rather "another attempt to capture, and perhaps get closer to explaining, the mystery and the mystique." Hopkins hits all the biographical high-water marks and provides new information regarding Morrison's family, the infamous Miami trial, and, most importantly, Morrison's death, which was ambiguously treated in the previous book. However, Hopkins's big kicker--that Morrison died of a heroin overdose--was previously espoused in Patricia Kennealy's Strange Days ( LJ 3/15/92). Ultimately, the explication of the man who would be Lizard King is best left to Morrison himself, and the collection of seven interviews that follow the narrative yields the most insight. For larger popular music collections, this is a solid contribution to the burgeoning Morrison/Doors canon.
-Barry X. Miller, Austin P.L., Tex.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Fireside (October 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684818663
• ISBN-13: 978-0684818665
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,283,245 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well-researched and presented biography, August 6, 2002

By A Customer

What I like so much about this book is that Jerry Hopkins shows determination to present as much truth as possible by considering and reconsidering the facts that he uncovered regarding Jim's life. He does this particularly well by presenting his findings and impressions on Jim's family life, Pamela Courson and the circumstances regarding Jim's mysterious death. Hopkins manages to stay clear from idolizing and inscribing Jim with projected fantasies of who he thought Jim was, and stays close to considering the evidence that he acquired from interviews with Jim and Jim's associates, along with other discovered facts.

My overall impression of this book is that it is definitely well researched. Hopkins truly attempts to give Jim a fair representation. He obviously wants to present the facts, but not in a manner that would disparage Jim in any way. Subsequently, Hopkins manages to stay adroitly clear of purulent interest in Jim's private life while managing to be informative. This is refreshing. Hopkins does not appear to be cashing in on Jim's fame, but seems rather totally committed to presenting a well-researched biography of an extraordinary man.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great primer for new Morrison junkies, April 3, 1999

By	Greg Seupaul (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

Hopkins gives a great synopsis of the life and time of rock poet Morrison. If you've read "No One Here Gets Out Alive" then you've read this material through and through, but the additional insights and the commentary on the Oliver Stone movie (including Hopkins' reactions to meeting Val Kilmer for the first time) are worth a read. Hopkins' style is fluid and easy to follow.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Is it good? It depends., February 20, 2001

By A Customer

If you've read Noone Here Gets Out Alive, you don't really need to read this book. It gives some new facts and stories, but not many. It sheds new light on his death which is very interesting, but is it worth buying? It has much better photographs than Alive and the interviews at the end are OK. However, if you've never read Alive, buy this one instead. I would have loved this book had I never read Alive. Just remember, the Doors are known for glamourizing everything they say.