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A review by athos
Being John Lennon: A Restless Life by Ray Connolly
4.0
4/5. John Lennon's life story, as shown here by Ray Connolly, is certainly a restless one. The first half of the book - from 1940 to 1965 - was great fun to read. His character, both good and bad, was analysed and speculated alongside the story-like narrative of his life, showing how rich and complex John's character was. Some of the stories, such as when George Harrison lost his virginity in Hamburg, were hilarious. Seeing him rise to fame and show his creativity was fun to read about.
The second half maintained the informative and analytical nature of the first half, but John's life seemed very sad to read about. From 1965 to 1980, his life was full of hard drugs, squandered creativity, broken friendships and manipulation by Yoko.
[Sidenote: Connolly remained unbiased about Yoko. It is easy to hate her, but this tried to remain impassive. However, while before I wasn't sure of Yoko's character before, I have now decided that, despite loving her, John's life was unfairly controlled and dictated by this domineering artist. John's potential was wasted, in my opinion.]
It is a shame that John died before he could make amends and triumph over his chaotic life in the 70s. But this biography teaches us that a life is not a fictitious story, where good survives and bad dies, and not all amends can be made before death takes you. It is nice to know, however, that John Lennon did live his life, no matter how chaotic or restless, and he brought amazing music, wit and creativity to the world. We love you, John!
The second half maintained the informative and analytical nature of the first half, but John's life seemed very sad to read about. From 1965 to 1980, his life was full of hard drugs, squandered creativity, broken friendships and manipulation by Yoko.
[Sidenote: Connolly remained unbiased about Yoko. It is easy to hate her, but this tried to remain impassive. However, while before I wasn't sure of Yoko's character before, I have now decided that, despite loving her, John's life was unfairly controlled and dictated by this domineering artist. John's potential was wasted, in my opinion.]
It is a shame that John died before he could make amends and triumph over his chaotic life in the 70s. But this biography teaches us that a life is not a fictitious story, where good survives and bad dies, and not all amends can be made before death takes you. It is nice to know, however, that John Lennon did live his life, no matter how chaotic or restless, and he brought amazing music, wit and creativity to the world. We love you, John!