Frederick Exley, 63; Novelist’s Trilogy Earned Him Cult Status

Frederick Exley, whose first novel, “A Fan’s Notes,” was critically acclaimed in 1968 and laid the foundation for a cult following, has died at age 63.

He died Wednesday at E.J. Noble Hospital of complications of two strokes. The native of nearby Watertown had been in poor health since October, 1990, when he was hospitalized for congestive heart failure.

“A Fan’s Notes” and two later books that formed a trilogy--”Pages From a Cold Island” in 1975 and “Last Notes From Home” in 1988--earned Exley cult status, mostly among college students.

“A Fan’s Notes” won the William Faulkner Award for the most notable first novel of 1968. The book is a humorous and sometimes painful look at a young man dealing with his father, alcoholism, mental breakdowns and his rabid interest in the New York Giants football team and player Frank Gifford.

The main character’s air of intellectual superiority is tempered by his failures in personal relationships and professional life. The book was subtitled “A Fictional Memoir.” Exley once said he and the main character had a few things in common, including electric shock therapy and a taste for vodka.

The three books mirrored Exley’s troubled life, which included two failed marriages, a string of sexual encounters, attempted suicide and three stays in mental hospitals.

Although “Pages From a Cold Island” was published to lukewarm sales and reviews, “Last Notes From Home” was praised as the successful final installment in the trilogy.

Exley was at work on a thriller set in New York’s Thousand Islands resort region when he died.

Exley is survived by two sisters, two daughters and several grandchildren.