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deanna_rigney's review
3.0
Interesting behind the scenes look at one of my beloved and messed up creative heroes. I like when my heroes have flaws, so her stories and characterization of John did not bother me at all, but instead it made him seem more like a real person and not the icon he's become since his death. She tells the good and the bad aspects of their time together. I had not realized how long she was a part of his life because most books written about him usually gloss over their relationshiip. She seems an interesting person.
angryeditor's review against another edition
4.0
Wish I had this book in English, for the translation is atrocious.
mmarquis1158's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This was a beautifully written story about Cynthia and John Lennon. Cynthia’s story was raw and honest. She shared the many wonderful moments between her and John as well as the heartbreaking pieces to their story. I like how she was never disrespectful even when sharing about the hurtful things she endured. I highly recommend this to any fan of the Beatles who wants to know more about what took place behind the scenes of the Lennon household.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Drug use, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Cursing, Death, Miscarriage, and Abortion
willahetu's review
4.0
such an interesting read. learning about the small beginnings and psychology of such a renowned legend is bittersweet. i have a lot of respect for cynthia and i believe everything she had to say. i don’t think she wrote this to make a few bucks, definitely to share her life and experiences, good and bad, to people who truly loved john as much as she did until her death. thought she went through absolute hell as a beatle wife and woman, she comes out resilient, honest, and a fan like the rest of us.
justicepirate's review against another edition
4.0
This book was really well written and better than I had anticipated.
Cynthia was John Lennon's college girlfriend. He met her in an art course. He would badger her in class, but eventually, they became friends which blossomed into a romance. He was in his band with Paul and George when they met, but she was with John while the band was still becoming anything.
Cynthia reflects on how she and John were raised, how they met, what their time together was like while dating, John's rise to fame, what their marriage was like, what it was like raising Julian with John, what their time was like when their marriage ended, and the overall feelings she had during the time she knew John.
This book made me feel anger towards John Lennon, but Cynthia did not necessarily ever speak poorly of him. She always tried to work on her relationship with them, but it seemed like they were too alike in some ways and she let him control her or take advantage of her at times. It is so interesting how this book ended with a BAM though. WOW. Strong words in the last statement (when you get to it). Even though you just read the story, her words make you see that all the pain and hurt she went through really did some damage.
While I have always been intrigued by John Lennon, it is mainly that I love his music, and not so much him as a person at all. In reading this book, I feel like John was very witty and smart, but didn't realize the weight of his words or the damage they could do. I don't think he was a good boyfriend, husband, or father. He was a good musician, but to me, he was not a good person even with his talk about love. He showed little love to those who cared about and loved him. That makes me so sad.
I have a new appreciation for Cynthia as I did for Vivian Cash when I read her book (Johnny Cash's first wife).
Cynthia was John Lennon's college girlfriend. He met her in an art course. He would badger her in class, but eventually, they became friends which blossomed into a romance. He was in his band with Paul and George when they met, but she was with John while the band was still becoming anything.
Cynthia reflects on how she and John were raised, how they met, what their time together was like while dating, John's rise to fame, what their marriage was like, what it was like raising Julian with John, what their time was like when their marriage ended, and the overall feelings she had during the time she knew John.
This book made me feel anger towards John Lennon, but Cynthia did not necessarily ever speak poorly of him. She always tried to work on her relationship with them, but it seemed like they were too alike in some ways and she let him control her or take advantage of her at times. It is so interesting how this book ended with a BAM though. WOW. Strong words in the last statement (when you get to it). Even though you just read the story, her words make you see that all the pain and hurt she went through really did some damage.
While I have always been intrigued by John Lennon, it is mainly that I love his music, and not so much him as a person at all. In reading this book, I feel like John was very witty and smart, but didn't realize the weight of his words or the damage they could do. I don't think he was a good boyfriend, husband, or father. He was a good musician, but to me, he was not a good person even with his talk about love. He showed little love to those who cared about and loved him. That makes me so sad.
I have a new appreciation for Cynthia as I did for Vivian Cash when I read her book (Johnny Cash's first wife).
mbrandmaier's review
4.0
Sad, sad, sad. He did not treat his first wife very well at all and basically flaunted it in her face that he was cheating on her with Yoko Ono when she came home and they were just sitting in the kitchen, Yoko wearing Cynthia's bathrobe. He also pretty much ignored his firstborn son, especially after Yoko came into the picture.
vikingwolf's review
3.0
Cynthia Lennon tells her story of how she and John met as teenagers and fell in love,his music obsession,his devotion to his estranged mother Julia and how his famous Aunt Mimi treated Cynthia with contempt.Cynthia talks frankly about Beatlemania,her shock pregnancy,keeping her marriage secret and the cruelty that John inflicted on her during his affair with Yoko.It is a frank and full account of her love for John and Julian while dispelling some of the myths from other Beatles books.She is brutal about John's faults and his treatment of her after Yoko appeared on the scene but she also talks at length of all John's good virtues. A good read.