John

This is possibly one of the most heart breaking autobiographical accounts i have read from anyone in the Beatles’ “inner circle”. As a life long aficionado of all things Beatles related, this was one of those books that was hard to read because it shows us a picture of John Lennon that not all will want to see; a man who directly contradicted his “makepeace, not war” persona; his absence as a father and husband, his extremely temperamental behavior and scary outbursts and his overindulgence in drugs. Despite the years of of John’s emotional abuse and manipulation, Cynthia’s love for him and her dedication to their son Julian is felt throughout every single page. And yet, despite the often hard to stomach accounts of John’s treatment of her and Julian, she manages to avoid demonizing him. Cynthia offers an account that only she could of her life in love with a young, troubled but extremely complicated John long before the fame, stardom and drugs and up to his death. The book serves as yet another account from those in the “inner circle” of Yoko Ono’s character as being a malicious, cold and calculated fame chaser. And yet somehow, Cynthia Lennon let’s the reader come to that conclusion themselves. She writes eloquently and with grace. How John ever let this one get away will remain a mystery forever. While i put this book down wanting to hate John, I couldn’t help but ask myself, “if Cynthia could have compassion after all this time, why can’t i?”

"The first time I saw him I thought, 'ugh, not my type!'" And yet, Cynthia (Powell) Lennon became a vital and longstanding part of John Lennon's life. His first true love and wife, they shared the birth of The Beatles, a son and his entrance into the drug culture that ultimately ripped them apart. Her longstanding love for him shines yet, through other marriages and many hardships, John will forever be the love of her life.I must first commend "Cyn" for opening up her old wounds again to let those of us who love and mourn John Lennon to see him for the truth of his humanity and reveal all - good and ultimately bad. I don't think anyone can fully comprehend her long suffering in the public eye; from their public breakup, the knowledge of John's infidelity, her bravery in raising Julian on her own and seeing him long for his father, to all the speculation still occuring more than 25 years after his murder.This book really didn't change my feelings towards John, and I feared it would. I was afraid she would reveal too many awful things about his character, possibly a meanness or uncaring that would destroy the loving, insightful and encouraging messages in his songs. In short, I was afraid what she had to say would make him into a hypocrite. To my infinite relief this was not so. Some scenes are so painful, so hard to understand why he behaved the way he did and yet was able to write and sing such powerful messages they still reverberate today and into the future.Still, we have an inkling. Cynthia delves deep into her own past and John's, right into their childhoods. I was relieved to have the true story of why John was raised by Aunt Mimi. For a long time, I couldn't understand why he loved his mom, Julia, so much if she had abandoned him. Now I see Mimi took him almost by force, as a small child ripped from his mother and her one day commonlaw husband who could have been a new father to him. The revelation of Mimi's seemingly often and outrageous, controlling behavior definitely gives insight into John's rebeliousness, his temper and his tendency to run from a problem. Rebelliousness and unwillingness to face problems is often symptomatic of an ultra controlled childhood.Cynthia's continuing love for John is evident throughout the book. Through all the descriptions of their pains, struggles and disconnects she does her best to understand why things were the way they were. She finds reasons for his behavior and in an amazingly fair analysis, she puts blame on her own behavior. Saying that if she'd just stood up to him sometimes instead of always giving in to his every whim, he might have responded. As John was accustomed to a strong woman raising him, a little steadfastness in Cynthia may have been good.There is also the inevitable price of fame. Too much too soon became overwhelming. Cynthia describes fans haunting their homes, and John himself once spoke of how he was always tired after being on tour and coming home, Julian would want to play and all he wanted to do was sleep. Everyone wanted a piece of John, so sad that touring and fans took him away from his own family. His insecurity played into this as well, his own lack of self esteem hidden behind a brash exterior - this became a secret belief that he could not and did not know how to take care of the tiny human who was his son. John once referred to Sean as his second chance, to start over and do all the things right he didn't do for Julian. Older and wiser, unfortunately cut off from the son he always felt he had let down. We read this in his own words in the copy of a letter her wrote to Cyn and which she includes in this book.Not all was bad times though, John's careless attitude freed Cyn from her shy, reserved manner and in the early years of their relationship, she describes the happiness and love they felt, even making sure we knew that her and John always intended to marry, the pending birth of Julian just make it sooner rather than later. Keep in mind also that they were together for several years before the birth of Julian. For those who would like to relegate Cyn and Jules to a brief point in history, remember that she was there with John for 10 years, a fourth of his life! They were together from the birth of The Beatles right up until the final phase.Then, came drugs. John's experimentation with LSD was the first major fissure in their lives. Cynthia speaks of his increasing fascination with the drugs and its visions, her fear and the withdrawal into drugs which Cyn was unwilling to follow. Then, the fateful meeting with "the woman with hair like a dark cloud" and her introduction of heroin to John. The painful moment when Cynthia finds her in their house, wearing her own bathrobe. Cyn expresses her views on the effect of Yoko Ono on John's relationship with Julian, the control she took of his life and the doubt and mistrust she planted in his mind. Yoko had what Cynthia lacked, a strong will and commanding attitude, something John clung to as his own life felt spun out of control.I'll leave it up to the reader to form their own opinion, but I will just say that I stand on the side of Cyn in this issue. I believe she has been fair and insightful, doing her best to explain, not dramaticize or sensationalize their life together. She does not set out to vent her anger, monstracize John or set the blame on him now that he is unable to defend himself. She loved him, she still does and she wishes only to dispell the ugly rumors and let the people who love him know the love of her life for who he was.Altogether, this has been a revealing but kind look into the mythic life of John Lennon. Letting us see the man through the legend. Even through all the pain, Cyn never attempts to turn him into a monster, she shows us his soft side and vulnerabilities; the humanity of a celebrity we sometimes forget was a mortal man.

This truth has me not wanting to listen to Johns music. He was so very talented but I too went through the same thing Cynthia and Julian did and can relate. It hurts

This was a birthday gift for my nephew?

Fans of John and the Beatles should appreciate this so much!

A realistic look at John Lennon through the eyes of his ex-wife Cynthia. Gives more of an understanding of Yoko Ono.

I was a young teen when the sensational Beatles came to Boston my parents would not allow me to go see them but I’ll never forget my friend Cheryl and her sister returning from the concert with no voice from screaming, in a show at our church we played the Beatles I was paul, I loved this book Cynthia is a great writer

I had just finished Patti Boyd's autobiography and decided to read this one- both an interesting insight into a couple of the greatest musicians in the world. I was hesitant about the 4 Stars as I know I'm hearing the story of the jilted wife. But I was already aware of John Lennon being somewhat 'difficult' and not the best husband. I was never a fan of yoko. She never struck me as talented nor real. Nothing more than a very successful opportunist. But Cynthia seems, from this book, sweeter though perhaps naive. She too had 5 marriges so who really knows. But I enjoyed it

ジョン・レノンの前妻、シンシアによる赤裸々な告白本。前半は彼女自身の生い立ちやジョンとの出会い、10代の切なくも微笑ましい恋人同士の様子が描かれていて青春映画のよう。が、しかし、ビートルズのジョンとして人気者になり、少しずつ彼は変わっていく、二人の間に大きく溝ができたのはジョンのLSDへの傾倒。クスリをまったくやったことがないわけではないけど、根が良識派の田舎娘であるシンシアにはLSDはいくらジョンが勧めても受け入れられない・・・そこにオノさんが登場してきてジョンをかっさらってってしまう。ジョンに対して少女の頃から一途だったシンシアにとってオノ・ヨーコは得体の知れない悪魔だったに違いない。ただ、根が良識派なのと、パワーバランスの点でヨーコの方が強いせいかあまりクソミソには書いてはいない。ただ、ショックだったことは切々と訴えている。あまり他人のことを悪くは書いてないのですが、ヨーコ以外で悪く書いてるのはジョンの育ての親ともいえるミミおばさんのこと。相当、ミミおばさんは嫌いだったみたい。ジョンとの離婚で莫大な慰謝料をもらったのかと思ったら、まったくそうではなく離婚後はお金に困ってジョンの直筆の手紙や写真なども売ってしまったらしい。そのおかげで、この本には写真が一枚もありませんでした、Kindleだったせい？いくらお金に困ったと言っても他に方法があったんじゃないかと思うけど、そういったお宝をやすやす売ってしまうあたりがビジネスセンスがないっつうか、あまりにも平凡な思考の持ち主。結局、平凡過ぎて普通過ぎたためサイケデリックになっていったジョンとは住む世界が違ってしまった。ジョン・レノンではなく普通の男性と普通の結婚をしてたら普通の主婦として普通に平和な人生を歩んだ人なんじゃないでしょうか。

A great read. Very well balanced. Cynthia gets the chance to reveal some long overdue truths. Thought Yoko was a witch? Wait till you read this..

A good read but so sad too. I am very disappointed in how he let his 1st Family Down. The man that wrote "Imagine" his BEST piece (in my Opinion) . Can be so hard on Julian his 1ST Son. John had so much Heart for his Music but, Nothing left for others. Such a pity.

Poor John, he needed to get over himself. Well written and interesting read. Cynthia deserves a medal for putting up with this child/man. He did her a favour when he took up with the very strange Yoko.

Kindle版　ファイルサイズ： 733 KB紙の本の長さ： 322 ページ 初版2005Hodder & Stoughton; New Ed版 (2012/2/16)のレビュー　2015年4月に死去したシンシアの思い出の著作。もう、このような人物が書く回想録は、事実と違っていようが、主観的だろうが、それ自体が作品であると言っていいくらいだ。もっとも内容は、かなり客観的であるし、時系列にきちんと整理されている。あまりに整理されすぎていて、かなり編集者や校閲者の協力があったのだろうと思わせる。ひょっとしてゴーストライターが書いたのかもしれないが、どちらにしても、証言の貴重さにかわりはない。　1967年後半あたりにヨーコが現れ、1968年には結婚生活が破綻。その経緯と後のジョン＆ヨーコの行動が抑えた筆致で描かれる。もう少し、感情をたかぶらせても、いいんじゃないかと、じれったくなるくらいだが、これがこの人の性格なのだろう。離婚後の困難な生活も涙をさそう。　ヨーコとともに、深く描かれるのが、ミミ叔母さんである。本書を読むと、ジョンの人生に最大の影響をあたえた人物は、ヨーコでもシンシアでもなく、三人のビートルズでもなく、ましてや母のジュリアでもなく、ミミ・スミスではないかと思えてくる。もちろん、それはシンシアの書き方に誘導されてしまった結果であるが、それでも、いくばくかの真実を含んでいるだろう。もう、このような心の問題では、客観的な事実を求めるのは意味がない。　一番、意外だったのは冒頭、1980年のジョンの死の知らせがあった時のこと。この時、シンシアはなにかの書類に署名するために、ロンドンに出かけ、リンゴの元妻モーリーンの家に泊まっていた。つまり、もとビートルズの妻たちはお互いに連絡をとり交際を続けていたわけである。第一世代ビートルズ・ウィメンと呼ばれる元妻たち、それぞれ不幸な人生を送る結果になるわけだが、戦友のように結びついていたのだろうか？　kindle版は写真なし。索引なし。