THE POET IN EXILE

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 cliché factor.