Albert Goldman

Profiles John Lennon from his childhood to his death, reveals the offstage Lennon and the violence that shaped his tortured life, discusses Lennon's hidden existence with Yoko, and assesses his impact as a cultural hero

The Lives of John Lennon

Book clearly has a lot of research and effort put into it and Goldman has genuine insights into John. However the prose is overwritten to the point of shrill harpy hysteria which means that the important things Goldman found out (like Yoko sending her son Sean to a recovery home for babies born addicted to hard drugs, confirmation that Yoko was using heroin while pregnant) and his understanding of John's character (that John used the other 3 Beatles to make up for his personal deficiencies and that forcing all of them out of his life in a fit of rage is the real reason why he foundered and stuffed himself with coke, heroin, etc. during the 1970s) are completely lost on the public.

If you hate John Lennon then this is the book for you, but neutral observers will be frustrated reading it because Goldman approached this as a hatchetjob first and an investigation second. John Lennon was an angry self absorbed character crushed by the weight of fame but he also suffered extensively at the hands of his aunt and was emotionally abused by Yoko. These topics require an even-handed treatment and an understanding that they fed into each other. Goldman made some genuine accomplishments but his treatment is so hysterical and shrill that its no wonder that Paul McCartney hates this book.

Dakota Deadman

Book clearly has a lot of research and effort put into it and Goldman has genuine insights into John. However the prose is overwritten to the point of shrill harpy hysteria which means that the important things Goldman found out (like Yoko sending her son Sean to a recovery home for babies born addicted to hard drugs, confirmation that Yoko was using heroin while pregnant) and his understanding of John's character (that John used the other 3 Beatles to make up for his personal deficiencies and that forcing all of them out of his life in a fit of rage is the real reason why he foundered and stuffed himself with coke, heroin, etc. during the 1970s) are completely lost on the public.

If you hate John Lennon then this is the book for you, but neutral observers will be frustrated reading it because Goldman approached this as a hatchetjob first and an investigation second. John Lennon was an angry self absorbed character crushed by the weight of fame but he also suffered extensively at the hands of his aunt and was emotionally abused by Yoko. These topics require an even-handed treatment and an understanding that they fed into each other. Goldman made some genuine accomplishments but his treatment is so hysterical and shrill that its no wonder that Paul McCartney hates this book.

The Lives of John Lennon

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