Summer with Morrison: The Early Life and Times of James Douglas Morrison Paperback – 12 November 2015

A must read for Morrison fans. Highly recommended.

This is a difficult one to write about and rate. Reason being? Well, I am glad you asked.So, this is gonna be a reasonably long review since although it is a short read, there is a lot in it of interest for the average Doors fan. First, this guy is the guy who Jim slept on his roof before the Doors day, and secondly, he dedicates the book to Mary Frances Werbelow, Jim's first serious love. And for those who have read Love Her Madly by Bill Cosgrove will be very familiar with her.I did review it previously, so look it up if you are interested.It also covers the transition and then when Pam was in his life, although these are secondary points in the author's story. It is more about his experiences and friendship with Jim.The interesting and good thing about this book is that it attempts to explore Jim's nature, not the legend. And it talks about his interests, the books he read and his worldview. So Jim comes across as a highly intelligent character, not a clown looking to abuse and get some cheap sex which is the usual by-product of many books about him.The other fact that caught my attention is this. I recently read Judy Huddleston's book Love Him Madly and panned it in my review because she claimed he was a drunken zombie in effect. But I did say there that she was equally describing herself, and Jim was merely playing her mirror.This is the same thing; Dennis, the author, is smart, arrogant and assured and likes showing off his knowledge. He portrays Jim the same way. So, therefore, there is a pinch of salt involved here.Anyway, the book is an easy read, although delving into the high brow category of reading materials and how it presents the story. It doesn’t talk about experiences but experiences and how they relate to Nietzsche and other philosophers as if they moulded themselves after them. Or at least Dennis did, given this is his book and his views.The stories and tales are good though, covering some of those missing years before Jim became the Lizard King.We learn of his life with Mary and how demanding and Tyrannical she could be, which is a departure from Bills' view. He suggests many of Jim's later choices came from Dennis; make of that what you will.So the story tells of film school and the journey they took, each choosing a path, Jim on a course we all know. Dennis seems to have taken the approach of straight edge years before Minor Threat invented it.There is some weird stuff I could not work out like a story concerning Jim's dad, the Admiral and worms growing in his brother's nose, for example? WTF was that about??How at nights Jim would walk the streets as a Voyeur, sometimes watching scenes unfold in bedrooms and living rooms throughout the city while scribbling notes frantically.Dennis is a visuals man, so he describes in pictures and scenes where the people, to a degree, are all bit players, which can sometimes confuse.Interspersed through is links back to Mary and Pam taking up the future with a theory on why he and Pam were so perfect together. Jim needed a woman, Pam needed Jim, whereas Jim needed Mary; Mary needs a version of Jim, not Jim.This book is believable and interesting. It paints an image of Jim we don’t often see, albeit Dennis has gone for intellect over personality, but that also is a pleasant change.The final two sections of the book cover firstly discussion, on art, movies, Nietzsche and poetry, so is a bit heavy and not nec that interesting. The last section has never before seen images of Jim printed on low-quality paper.Anyway, this review is a bit of a mess as the book left me wanting more and yet disagreeing with some of Dennis`s views. And to be honest, I aint re-writing it. Take it as it is.If you’re a Doors / Morrison fan, it is worth the read; otherwise, forget it.

Very interesting account of Morrison's pre-Doors days at UCLA...

Rubbish.Thank heavens for Dennis Jakob, the Doors may never have existed without his influences on Jim.His ability to call to mind conversations that took place, between two sometimes less than straight young men, some 45 years earlier, involving deep philosophies and philosophers, is to say the least remarkable.The notion that they discussed starting a rock duo called, The Doors : Open and Closed, which Jim went on to appropriate the start of the name, is laughable.The persona he builds for Jim is not one I have ever come across in other publications, by either naysayers or yaysayers of Morrison. For example, every time food is mentioned to Jim he says that he wants meat. This phrase gets ramped up a bit as we go along, as if he just thought of it and then had to verify it by constant repetition.I remain unconvinced that the hero of the counterculture years is the one that is still alive.

I have read many books about Jim Morrison and "Summer With Morrison" is one of my favorites. Its a quick and easy read, but filled with so much information. I really like reading about Jim before he was famous, it helps me to better understand him.