A review by birdmanseven
Being John Lennon: A Restless Life by Ray Connolly

5.0

I was very impressed with this. If you are looking for an in-depth, scholarly biography of John Lennon, I probably wouldn't start here. But, if like me, you know the story well and are looking for a nuanced, intimate look, then this is just right. I was never bored and actually found some new information. This left me feeling sad over missed opportunities and was impactful in a way that some of the other bios were not. I appreciate the authors honesty about conflicting accounts and his fair treatment of all involved. It seems most tellings of this story either villianize Paul or Yoko and I thought he navigated that well. The facts speak for themselves. This was very well done.

If I were to have one criticism it would be the afterword giving background on Lennon's assassin. I found unnecessary and in poor taste, considering fame was the motivation behind the attack.

I discuss this book more here: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/episode-205-interview-with-lauren-james