John by Lennon, Cynthia New edition

by Cynthia Lennon

Genres: Music, History, Biography, Memoir

Paperback

Published April 10, 2006

About the author

Cynthia Lennon (née Powell) was the first wife of musician John Lennon. She grew up in the middle-class section of Hoylake, on the Wirral UK, and gained a place at the Liverpool College of Art.

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just amazing. I grew up a "Beatlemaniac" and this book just added more love to my original thoughts. Cynthia wrote a fabulous memoir that told the truth (in her eyes) about her relationship with John, and then John as a Father, John as a World Wide Star, John as Yoko's husband. It was insightful, sad, embracing, wonderful. It showed me a lot of truth about John and it didn't change my mind about anything. He was human, and made some questionable decisions. But who among us doesn't. It's the kind of book that is impossible to put down. Enjoy.

[Geff Ratcheson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never liked Yoko nor felt she had any talent. I did not realize just how evil she is until reading this.

[Danielle | daniellereadslikealot]

Whenever John Lennon gets talked about, his first wife Cynthia is almost always a footnote to his story which has never sat well with me so getting to read her perspective of not only John, but their marriage and also the atmosphere around The Beatles was truly fascinating. I loved reading about how they met and kind of grew as adults together among the growing fame of The Beatles and how they eventually grew apart. It was also interesting to get insight into how John was raised and see how it affected his relationships with Cynthia, Julian and everyone else in his circle.It was certainly hard to read how horribly John treated her and Julian during and after the divorce. Even though she would have been well within her right to do so, Cynthia never bashes John or really even Yoko. She’s very honest in a way that you can feel the hurt and love lost there, but it never feels mean or salacious. I did really enjoy reading about her relationship with Julian and how proud she was of him as a person. I’m very excited to read more books on The Beatles and get even more perspectives on such a truly wild and unique time.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Some Spoikers)
At last! Here is the true story of John Lennon that fills in the blanks. Cynthia is knowledgeable, thoughtful, sweet, and humble as she relays her long history with John, their marriage, and their breakup. She was largely ignored by the press during the Beatles rise to fame, mostly unknown to the public even though Cynthia was with John for nearly a decade. She tells the story of the Beatles early years, their rise to fame, and how Beatlemania shook them all, carrying them all away like a runaway freight train and changing all their lives forever. She tells how she loved John even when he admitted he had been unfaithful. She tells of how John was neglectful and abusive to their son Julian, and how Yoko One manipulated John into a person who was almost unrecognizable to his friends and family. I was neutral to Yoko Ono before reading this book but not anymore, now I am sickened. Cynthia tells the story of John's horrifying death and even though I thought I knew the story I am now very sad. It's been two days since I read the last page and I'm still thinking about all that Cynthia revealed. In short, I have one hell of a book hangover. I am marking is as one of my all time favorite biographies. I wish the author and her family well and I thank her for sharing her story.

May 12 (four days later) (More Spoilers)
I still can't stop thinking about this book! It's an incredible story for many reasons. The Beatles were four young guys without a college education, thrust into an unheard of situation. Brian Epstein guided them and helped them make decisions, but with Brian Epstein's untimely death the Beatles lost their compass. George found religion, John found LSD. As I read along I knew John and Cynthia would eventually break up but when I read how it happened I became outraged on behalf of Cynthia and Julian. Yoko Ono wedged herself with force into John's life and then she took over, and John fell into step with Yoko because she was so similar to John's abusive Aunt Mimi who had raised him! John was psychologically a mess!! And then John was murdered, and Julian had to fight Yoko Ono for his rightful inheritance. What a story, and it's all true. This is one of those cases where truth is far stranger than fiction.

[Zig · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was interesting, although it held no surprises regarding John's character. It was glossed over and excused.
What did surprise me is how someone could delude themself into thinking they were the love of someone's life when they weren't.
John Lennon was not a nice person. Yet Cynthia never seems to acknowledge this. He basically treated her like dirt, and she still thought he was wonderful, and seemed to make excuses for him.
I also don't believe it was all Yoko's fault. Cynthia seemed to leave an awful lot out of the book, and there were things I found hard to believe. Like when she had a meeting with John, regarding their divorce, and Yoko was with him. She seemingly has a conversation with John, while Yoko was conveniently getting a glass of water, so no way to corroborate.
The take I got on this is a woman who was married to someone famous, had to get married as she was pregnant, that's what most people did back then, got dumped and I don't believe all the early songs he wrote were for her. She quite frankly seemed delusional where John was concerned. She also made herself sound like a doormat.
She accepted £750,000 she said regarding divorce. Why? She could have taken him to the cleaners. Also, that was a lot of money back then. What did she do with it? Well, instead of using it wisely, she got mixed up with some Italian gigolo named Roberto, who liked the high life and apparently was spending all her money. She was married 4x. Says more about her than the losers she picked.
An ok read, but rather sickening on the martyr attitude. The "poor me" got tired fast, as I thought well, you held the ace card. His child. She should have taken him for a bundle. Instead she wrote a whiney book.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The early portions of the book, where Cynthia meets John at art school and they dash about around Liverpool, are close and romantic. There are specific memories of Cynthia's humble rooms and the pair's odd families from which their world-famous story eventually grows. Then: What was it like to be married to the most famous man in the world, who is popular in a way no one has ever been before? Turns out it was rife with the same insecurities, day-to-day bumbles, and strange moods of many marriages. You had to play house, still. Eventually John finds his new savior and the book turns to analysis of Yoko and sparse narratives of Cynthia and Julian's wanderings. Very interesting but pick up a proper biography of the man or the band first.

[James Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feels like a very honest book which gets behind the adulation and ignores the need to impress upon us the image of Saint John who seems quite Jekyll & Hyde in equal measure & never made the best decisions.

Refreshingly lacking in bitterness, Cynthia went through her life trying to be a good mother to Julian by providing a solid base and to tries to deal with the loss of love from her first marriage. She comes across as a very stoic and sensible lady who had an awful lot of misfortune thrown her way after the divorce with John. It's sad that she's no longer with us.

[Natalie Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a well written book. It did make me sad to read this book and just see how Cynthia still almost justifies, John, and his actions, especially towards her. No woman should be treated the way that she was treated by her husband. It was insightful to read such an intimate book.

[Michelle Juaire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book made me super sad! What a great talent wasted.

[Jordyn h · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an insightful read, I like Cynthia and her narrative. Great truthful storytelling. The ending had me laughing!

[Matt Cleary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important read for any Beatles or John Lennon fan.

[Crystal M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. Not much I hadn't already known. A few surprises/new info though. I would definitely recommend reading it.

[Judi Shatlah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always, no sometimes, think it's me ,but you know, I know when it's a dream! I think I know, I mean a yes
But it's all wrong .That is, I think I disagree!

[GurkanGurkansson · Rating 5 out of 5]

God bless you Cynthia

[Valerie Goldie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have read this before but just returned from Liverpool and am obsessed with anything Beatles-related.

Enjoyed it more second time around.

A must read.

[Beatrice Lessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super insightful and honest - interesting to hear Cynthia's point of view .