The Lizard King: The Essential Jim Morrison

The Lizard King by Jerry Hopkins is a very interesting book. It is filled with wild stories of being on the road, performing at concerts, and taking part in the Los Angeles party scene. The book is well written, and really held my attention. Any person who enjoys a nostalgic trip through the groovy 60s will enjoy this book. It gives a sense of how society was affected by music and the changing times. The Lizard King clearly depicts Jim Morrison's entire life; starting with his fairly average childhood in a military family, his wild college years, and the fast paced years with his band, The Doors. All of the events that are chronicled lead up to his untimely demise, which is still somewhat of a mystery and is widely disputed. There are several interviews at the end of the book, collected from various magazines that were popular in the late 60s, which show the intellectual side of Jim Morrison. I highly recommend this book to all fans of The Doors, or anyone that is interested in Jim Morrison- the rock star poet. This page-turner is sure to captivate anyone who reads it.

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.

I loved the seven interviews. Especially the interview with Salli Stevenson. Salli: "What about you, though..."Jim Morrison: "I think of myself as an intelligent, sensitive human being with the soul of a clown, which always forces me to blow it at the most important moments."

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.

It tells the best story of his life without all the major hype and b.s. that are includedin a lot of the other publications. If you want good reading and good information read this