Scan barcode
alylentz's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
Enjoyed a lot of the stories in this and learned a lot. However, I do think elements of this--specifically the condescending way it discusses Cynthia and Brian Epstein's existence as a gay man--are handled rather poorly and read very rough in 2022. There is also very little interest or time spent on the songwriting process, so if you are looking for that, maybe look elsewhere! Overall, I'm still glad I read this and will supplement with other books and sources.
greensub's review against another edition
5.0
Masterfully written and revealing. An honest portrait of a tumultuous life.
silas_rnold's review
3.0
Philip Norman paints a complete and full portrait of who John Lennon was - showcasing the good, the bad, and the ugly in John Lennon: The Life.
The short of it is that John Lennon was a weird dude. A very interesting relationship with his mother, to say the least, and some interesting viewpoints. In some areas *cough*Yoko*cough* he would have been better served by staying at home and reading a book instead of pursuing the life afforded him as a Beatle.
The short of it is that John Lennon was a weird dude. A very interesting relationship with his mother, to say the least, and some interesting viewpoints. In some areas *cough*Yoko*cough* he would have been better served by staying at home and reading a book instead of pursuing the life afforded him as a Beatle.
jordynhaime's review
4.0
Not sure if it was just the audiobook I had, but the years 1968-1970 are missing and that obviously bothered me a lot...other than the book was extremely detailed and I enjoyed it.
kat2112's review
4.0
So far it's more informative about Lennon's earlier life than other bios read, and much better than Albert Goldman's hack job. I recently heard a movie is in the work about Lennon's childhood, so it will be interesting to see how the book compares.
Spoilers below.
Finished 3/17/09 - On a whole, a detailed retelling of Lennon's life. I enjoyed the final chapter of reflections from Sean Lennon - that's one thing you don't see much, understandable since Sean was still young when the other books were written. A few surprises, notably the Sutcliffe family's accusations of John's alleged involvement in Stu's death. Not sure what to make of that.
It did disappoint me that John's story seemed to end abruptly. Right after 12/08/80, it seems there's nothing left to tell. I would liked to have read more of the aftermath of John's death - not so much about his killer, but the reactions and effect his death left on friends and family. In some ways, after death parts of the story truly begin, and I missed that here.
Spoilers below.
Finished 3/17/09 - On a whole, a detailed retelling of Lennon's life. I enjoyed the final chapter of reflections from Sean Lennon - that's one thing you don't see much, understandable since Sean was still young when the other books were written. A few surprises, notably the Sutcliffe family's accusations of John's alleged involvement in Stu's death. Not sure what to make of that.
It did disappoint me that John's story seemed to end abruptly. Right after 12/08/80, it seems there's nothing left to tell. I would liked to have read more of the aftermath of John's death - not so much about his killer, but the reactions and effect his death left on friends and family. In some ways, after death parts of the story truly begin, and I missed that here.
More...