The Poet in Exile

by Ray Manzarek

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

Genres: Music, Fiction

210 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Ray Manzarek was an American musician, best known as one of the founders, and keyboardist for the rock group 'The Doors'.

Reviews

[Bram De Vriese · Rating 5 out of 5]

A warm light-hearted 'what if' story. Actually quite realistic and a lot of fun to read.

[William Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gift to the world of Doors and rock fans this book was! Ray Manzarek had fun with this story, but it was also a healing process for him. The story really tested the what if theories and formed an alternative narrative that brought much of the grief to closure. Sure, it's just a novel. If anyone knew J, it was Ray. Most fun I've had reading a book in a long time!!

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very interesting concept, but I think Ray is a terrible writer. Just stick to the music Ray :(

[kesseljunkie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Every time I revisit Jim Morrison by way of Ray Manzarek’s writings, there’s a willful dissembling on his part that angers me. We’ve all had pain and we’ve all had loss, but it doesn’t give us the right to mythologize and fetishize the dead.

I *love* The Doors. They are forever my favorite band. I will love each band member and session musician and producer for bringing them to the world. And I love Ray for who he was, and how hard he worked to keep the broken wreck that was Jim Morrison focused and together.

But Manzarek spent his life attempting to elevate terrific music into some new religion. It permitted Morrison to lead a horrifically abusive life, and later for teenagers who felt pain and sorrow to look up to a damaged man as if he were an example and not a warning. This book is an extension of that, and the Boomer mindset that all of their works were magical.

I love and miss Ray Manzarek, and appreciate his most enduring lesson as laid out here: watch out for delusion and hero worship. It’s not what he meant to say, but say it he did.

[Kit★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Star rating based solely on fond remembrance, subject to change if/when I go in for a re-read. Originally read this book back in high school, over a decade ago, at the height of my Doors obsession, and I absolutely LOVED it. It was sad, and sweet, I thought it was a nice tribute to Jim, and an intriguing idea. It's been years since I've read it, so most of the details are foggy, but if I ever come across a copy, it will definitely be added to my collection.
Copy obtained, yay!

[Dominique Aguilera · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd always known of The Doors' music, and Jim Morrison's death in particular, but it wasn't until Ray Manzarek passed away in 2013 that I began listening to the entirety of their first album.



Along the way, I discovered that Manzarek published this novel--a re-imagining if Morrison had faked his own death and traveled abroad, meeting up with his former bandmate decades later.

When I found a copy from my library and read it the first few chapters, I knew that Manzarek wasn't an experienced author (despite being praised for the way he'd recall his days with The Doors). So, of course, I initially found the dialogue between Roy (Ray's fictional counterpart) and his wife to feel unnatural.

Picking it up again years later, however, I went into this with a more open mind. I liked the fact that Manzarek took the time to explore this idea of Morrison trying to sober up and finding enlightenment; you can tell that he was doing this out of love.

When Roy gets to meet Jordan (Jim) again, I found myself wondering: if a friend of mine faked their death and it turns out that all those years of mourning were for nothing, wouldn't I feel more angry than Roy did? Instead, Roy cries and laughs with him. Plus, Jordan explains that it was his wife who sent the notes without his knowledge, but is content to see Roy unannounced, nevertheless. But, like I said before, Ray did this out of love, and was simply projecting scenarios of what he'd like to converse with Jim.

A large chunk of the book consists of Jordan telling his tale of journey to sobriety and self-discovery. I felt that this bogged down the story (even thinking that Jordan should've been the main character instead!), and what I thought was going to be a 4-star read ended up being a 3--though what truly cemented my rating was the circumstances of Jordan meeting his future wife. She's a 14-year-old girl who intrigues the former singer, and their encounter only has her advising him to go to India. Then it's later revealed that this same young girl is now his wife! Not only that, the wife, Angelique, says that she fell in love with this grown man since she first saw him (who in return, says he'd have dreams of Angelique), and prayed that they would meet again. This reminded me of Sayuri's years-long obsession with the middle-aged Chairman from Memoirs of a Geisha.
What's even more disappointing is that I'd expected Morrison's girlfriend, Pamela Courson (re-named Kimberly here) to have faked her death as well, and joined him in Seychelles. Not only was she considered his soulmate, but was closer in age, too!

And then we reach a bittersweet conclusion. Angelique informs Roy that her husband is going to die from cancer. Manzarek envisions his friend as someone who, though he'll die in his 50s, he at least got a second chance to live past 27 and find true peace and happiness.

[Manon · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️+

L'intrigue est sympathique mais je ne recommande pas le livre. L'enrobage n'est pas à la hauteur.

Personnages :
- Roy : le cofondateur et clavieriste d'un groupe de rock ultra connu. Il reçoit des lettres anonymes et fait le lien avec l'ancien chanteur du groupe, déclaré décédé à paris quelques années plus tôt. Il part à sa recherche.
- Dianne : sa femme (qui a été là dès le démarrage du groupe)
- le poète : aussi appelé l'homme serpent. Chanteur du groupe de rock. Après sa "mort" il est parti aux Seychelles, puis en Inde faire un voyage introspectif (mais ce n'est pas vraiment dit comme ça. Il veut retrouver un état second qu'il a vécu une fois quand il se baignait..). Il est retourné aux Seychelles où il est devenu journaliste local et a eu une vie simple et paisible
- Angelique : sa femme, avec qui il a eu deux enfants.

Quand Roy arrive aux Seychelles, il retrouve assez rapidement son ami dans un bar. Son ami lui raconte toute l'histoire depuis sa soit-disant mort. Ils finissent par aller manger chez lui, où sa femme a préparé le repas. Ils rêvent un instant de réformer le groupe, mais cela n'arrivera pas.

Ce que j'ai bien aimé : l'intrigue
Ce que je n'ai pas aimé : le livre est un peu trop perché tout en étant écrit dans un style parfois enfantin
A peine arrivé : il essaie de le ramener aux états-unis, sans même savoir quelle vie il a ici. Et même après, il n'a de cesse d'essayer de les embarquer là-bas alors que leur vie est harmonieuse et paisible ici.
On se doute qu'il a un cancer des poumons assez rapidement.
Ils se passent un peu trop de pommade l'un envers l'autre. Livre un peu lent

---
L'histoire fait référence au groupe the Doors et à Jim Morrison.

[Mike Walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good. I felt like it coulda been great but that’s a flaw of mine when I read a book sometimes I want it to go in a different direction and that stops me from loving it.

Manzarek did a good job changing just enough of the facts that this wasn’t about Jim Morrison and the Doors (in the book the fictional band played at Woodstock for example). Still, there are enough similarities to know this was inspired by real life. And the great “what if” with Morrison.

If you’re a Doors fan this should be required reading.

[Ilena Holder · Rating 5 out of 5]

so bittersweet and lovely yet it made my heart ache. Ray wrote a fiction book that has Jim Morrison still alive and living in a tropical jungle somewhere. You can tell he still wishes his friend Jim was still around. I do too. Jim went and faked his death in Paris and escaped the maddening crowd. And they all fell for it, until one day Ray went and searched for him.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

1 point for angel wearing a Led Zeppelin shirt
1 point for believing the jim is not dead theories
-1 point for being a little too preachy
1 point for the One, we are all God idea

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really did not enjoy this book. I felt it was pure indulgence for Manzarek, wanting the Poet to still be alive. The writing was not that great, and was just waffle.

[Victoria Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for the book. A billion stars for Ray Manzarek and his friend "J". I hope their true reunion was unimaginably blissful.

[Lacey Stairs · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only reason I enjoyed this book is that I've always been obsessed with legends and this adds to the all the mystery that surrounds Jim Morrison and the doors. Is any of it fact? Is it all fiction? We will never know. I thought that it took longer that it should have to read this book. Some of the chapters were so long and dragged out that it was hard to keep going.
I probably would have never made it through this book if I didn't have such a love for the Doors. Loved ya Ray but Novels are not for you!

[Jim Cherry · Rating 2 out of 5]

In The Poet In Exile there are two fictions playing off each other. Both are the fiction that Jim Morrison faked his death in Paris in 1971. Unfortunately, the fictions presented aren’t because of the complexities built into the story by Ray Manzarek. While reading The Poet In Exile it’s hard not to read this either as non-fiction or trying to superimpose The Doors story over a work of fiction. Ray Manzarek, is after, all the keyboardist and along with Jim Morrison founded the rock group, The Doors. Manzarek has been flogging some version of this story since Morrison’s death.

The Poet In Exile is about Roy who was in a legendary 60’s rock band with Jody the “Snake Man.” As you can see there’s no great effort at fictionalizing the names of characters, Ray=Roy, Jody=Jim=Snake Man=The Lizard King. Doors drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger are referred to only as “The Drummer“ and “The Guitarist.“ Manzarek might have been trying here to present them as archetypes, but it only seems to minimize them in the overall story. Roy starts receiving mysterious postcards from the Seychelles Island signed only by “J.” With little need for any more motivation, Roy takes off to the Seychelles in search of Jody. It’s at this point that we run into the first missed opportunity of this novel. On the plane trip to Seychelles, Roy has time to reflect on his past. Ray Manzarek is one of the most uniquely positioned people to not observe but comment on the inner workings of a successful band, the 60’s, and Jim Morrison, but he offers no unique insight on any of these.

When Roy arrives in the Seychelles he’s faced with not knowing where to find Jody, but through a clunky Deux ex-machina runs into Jody’s son. Compared with what’s to come, the reader is almost able to write it off to the Seychelles being a small island. The real problems with story start when Roy finds Jody and they start to catch up on the events of their lives. The dialogue sounds and reads more like a monologue. The philosophy and ideas presented are interchangeable between Roy and Jody. If you read this as a roman a’ clef it certainly isn’t true to Jim Morrison or his outlook on life. If you read this as straight fiction it’s a disservice to Jody’s character making him indistinguishable from Roy. The ending is totally predictable almost from the moment Jody enters the story is one of the most easily telegraphed resolutions I’ve ever read.

The Poet In Exile is easily one of the most linear novels I’ve ever read. This may be because Manzarek is used to the mathematical progression of playing the keyboards. If this were anyone else’s first novel, I doubt it would have been published.

[october · Rating 3 out of 5]

so.... they were gay

[Simone · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a fan of artistic failure, I had this book recommended to me for that reason and on that measure, it certainly delivers. I've always questioned my ability to critique writing and it isn't often I find writing to be so obviously bad. 'The Poet In Exile' showed me that I am able to identify truly bad writing after all. It reminded me a lot of half baked stories I would concoct in school with only one or two periods in which to fulfil the task.

By the time you reach the end of the book, you will forget that there was supposed to be a surprise ending as what shred of a story there is, is utterly predictable. The book consists mostly of a conversation between "Roy" and the Poet, though the characters are indistinguishable in their dialogue. Ray has no skills whatsoever in creating characters or dialogue. When the other characters are introduced toward the end, I nearly gagged at the ludicrous conversations that took place. When I said it reminded me of high school, I meant Year 8/8th grade writing.

Having said all that, the book was a quick read and entertaining for the tragedy of the whole piece, looking at what it was versus what it wanted to be. If you get a kick out of that sort of thing, then this is a must read!

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was pretty much one long conversation between Ray Manzarek and what he imagined Jim Morrison would be like if he had faked his death in Paris in 1971 and had been on a spiritual journey and become sober, very wise and mature. It was very romanticized, Ray's longing for what didn't happen, his fantasy of what could have been. It was sad. I started wanting it to end before it did and I guessed the big "surprise ending" the book cover promised before it ever happened. But I'm glad I read it because I love the Doors and it would be incredible if the coffin buried in Paris had sand and bricks instead of Morrison's dead body. I think a lot of people wish that. This book is about that wish.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ray Manzarek gives us a loving and heartwrenching tribute to his former bandmate. This novel is based on the premise "What if Jim Morrison had faked his death back in 1971." What would he have done with himself? Where would he go? How could he remain out of the public eye for 43 years? And, if Ray Manzarek could talk to him today, what would he say? Although the final third of the book gets into the downright metaphysical and esoteric, it is a well-written novel that any Doors fan will love. Non-Doors fans might get something out of the journey of self-awakening that the Poet goes through, even without getting the Doors references. Thanks, Ray! Good job. RIP. And many thanks to my son for the autographed copy!

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ouch. Manzarek was the keyboard player of the Doors, and just can't let go of that period of glory — I'm not sure I could have, either, I suppose. But in this novel, he sketches out his supposition/fantasy that Jim Morrison didn't die in a Paris bathtub, but faked it to escape the bonds of stardom and is now living in island paradise. Please, Ray, move on, if only for yourself. http://michaelprager.com/Ray-Manzarek...

[Max Nemtsov · Rating 4 out of 5]

по-человечески очень понятная книжка, хотя художественно состоятельна не очень, ибо есть не что иное, как акт литературного экзорцизма. вся эзотерика в ней - для _очень_ начинающего уровня, вплоть до того, что попахивает индоктринацией. но вместе с тем, она вполне обаятельна и, думается мне, для не очень подготовленного читателя может быть и вполне полезна. ну как полезен Коэльо или Бах

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

i actually got to see him in new york- he autographed my books and read from my copy!!! i was in heaven- i got to shake the hand of the legendary keyboardist of the doors. this book fed my fantasy that jim is still alive and living in peace.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this very much. As cheesy as the story & dialogue may be, it is a beautiful/hopeful fairytale in which the author re-writes his dear friend's tragic history. In his mind, Ray is giving Jim the inner peace that he so desperately searched for but never found.

[Mei · Rating 2 out of 5]

Totally self-indulgent BS! The beginning of this book was somewhat promising, and the end was okay, but the middle was a waste of time. Some of the book sounded eerily similar to Manzarek's previous book.

[Madison Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the poet in exhale was very good. I was really interested in learning about the fact that Jim morisson might still be alive. The doors is one of my favorite bands and I was not able to put the book down. This book will probably be one of the best books I will ever read.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

the concept is great, not so much with the forced imagery, 2 stars for the writing + 4 stars for the content divided by 2 = 3 stars

[micah · Rating 5 out of 5]

i adore this novel but more for its motifs and middles rather than its beginnings and ends. so much wisdom leaks from its pages.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Poet (always capitalized) with initial "J" is presumed to have died in Paris until he contacts his Keyboard player, "Roy." Kind of fun in a new-agey way.