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Beatles forums => Books, Magazines, Articles => Topic started by: JimmyMcCullochFan on November 26, 2008, 08:43:11 AM

Title: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: JimmyMcCullochFan on November 26, 2008, 08:43:11 AM
I saw this in the new releases in the book section at Wal Mart but I didn't pick it up. It looks good though. Anybody have it? If so, what'd you think of it? It's from the same guy who wrote "Shout!"

(http://cdn.harpercollins.com/harperimages/isbn/large/3/9780060754013.jpg)

Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: colleengirl95 on November 27, 2008, 08:00:54 AM
I don't have it but i saw it in TRI NOMA it's a mall here in the Philippines it was in Powerbooks i think but when i came back.. i came to look for it.. it wasnt' in the shelves anymore.. powerbooks in TRI NOMA really rockz! it has a lot of beatles books that you can go see...
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: Octie on November 27, 2008, 09:15:25 AM
Oh yeah, that book, it was in the papers down here last weekend, I think because there are NZ references in it... from the article, it sounded like it had quite a bit about Mimi too. Anyone got/read it?
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: Geoff on November 27, 2008, 01:39:14 PM
The Daily Mail published some excerpts from the book last month, which you can find at this Abbeyrd (http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/news/912normanlennon.html) page by scrolling down to October 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th. There are lots of other good links as well. My own impression is that while it's probably better than most pop/rock writing, it's still pretty average journalism and I've no desire to slog through 800 pages of that when I've already heard this story before from Norman.
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: on November 27, 2008, 05:26:26 PM
I Have it, and its really good. its just so engrossing, and a lot of new stuff is there. I'm currently on 1968, about page 500 out of 815. it has loads of interviews, and is not in the slightest over-sensational as people would have you believe.
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: Andy Smith on November 28, 2008, 12:31:02 AM
its on my christmas list.  :)
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: fan numero uno on November 29, 2008, 06:40:42 PM
i saw this book in the store today, and was wondering about it! unfortunatley, i didnt get a chance to look at it, maybe the next time im there i will.
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: digna on November 29, 2008, 07:35:31 PM
I don't have the book, but I saw it a few weeks ago here, and read the review afterwards. It said (as far as I remember) that it was a good book, but that Norman lost his interest after The Beatles. The only thing that was very innovating that he found out who was the girl in Norwegian wood.
I don't know if it's true. I bought John (Cynthia Lennon) that day, and i didn't read it yet, so I'm not going to buy it although the book seemed very beautiful to me...  :)
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: Geoff on November 29, 2008, 09:33:16 PM
Quote from: 1232
I don't have the book, but I saw it a few weeks ago here, and read the review afterwards. It said (as far as I remember) that it was a good book, but that Norman lost his interest after The Beatles.

If so, that's unfortunate, because having read Shout! the most interesting part of the new book to me would be the post-Beatles section.
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: HeyJude18 on November 30, 2008, 04:39:37 AM
I just saw it today (my sister was in Starbucks and I was wondering through Chapters looking for a friend that works there) and I saw it there.  I almost cried when I saw it there, it looks like an amazing book!!  I really wanna read it now!!!
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: digna on November 30, 2008, 03:31:26 PM
Quote from: 1161

If so, that's unfortunate, because having read Shout! the most interesting part of the new book to me would be the post-Beatles section.

It was a review in a newspaper, so i don't know if it is all corect what the reviewer said...
I found it again on the internet, so i will try to translate it, but i don't know if it is good English.  :o

The negative part from the review:

It is remarkable how Norman describes the late Beatles-years. As if he knows that about the period - and after Shout also a lot of good thing - is published, and he could better not venture another exegis to Lennons texts. Because Ian MacDonald in Revolution In The Head did that already.

Norman also describes the Dakota Years detached.

Where Norman tried so hard to speak Lennons studiemates en friends from Hamburg, it seams that he lost his interest for Lennons later years.

Unfortunately, because the firtst 200 pages about Lennons youth in Liverpool are wonderful. But when the Beatlemania starts, Norman lost his acerbic.


I really don't know if i translate it correctly (mainly acerbic...), but i hope you can understand it.
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: Geoff on November 30, 2008, 04:50:56 PM
Quote from: 1232
It is remarkable how Norman describes the late Beatles-years. As if he knows that about the period - and after Shout also a lot of good thing - is published, and he could better not venture another exegis to Lennons texts. Because Ian MacDonald in Revolution In The Head did that already.

Norman also describes the Dakota Years detached.

Where Norman tried so hard to speak Lennons studiemates en friends from Hamburg, it seams that he lost his interest for Lennons later years.

Unfortunately, because the firtst 200 pages about Lennons youth in Liverpool are wonderful. But when the Beatlemania starts, Norman lost his acerbic.

Thanks for the translation. If I understand him correctly, the writer is saying that Norman is best on Lennon's childhood and the Apple period (and I think Norman was around Apple in the late sixties, perhaps as a reporter), but less good on the mid sixties and John's semi-retirement at the Dakota. That's too bad, really, because Norman did a lot in Shout! to tell the Beatles' story vividly and realistically without hyperbole or mystification, and John's post-Beatles solo era is in desperate need of similar treatment. I guess I'll have to go buy the book: it's only about 25 dollars from Amazon and the holidays are coming up.  :)

Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: digna on November 30, 2008, 07:10:41 PM
Quote from: 1161

it's only about 25 dollars from Amazon and the holidays are coming up.  :)


I only saw it for
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: Geoff on November 30, 2008, 08:58:37 PM
Quote from: 1232

I only saw it for ?35.- !  ??) That is a differce... For ?35.- I can also buy The Beatles anthology, I still have only read a few pages, but maybe I'm going to buy that one.

A cheaper paperback version should be out within a year, and copies might turn up at your local library, too. Boxing Day sales are often a good bet.  :)
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: Mairi on January 07, 2009, 03:52:43 PM
I got it for Christmas. As others have said, the best part is the Liverpool years. I wish he would have gone into depth in the Dakota years, because his writing style lends intself to that sort of thing.

Anyway, it's a good read and not nearly as sensational as the media presented it to be earlier this year.
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: HeyJude18 on January 07, 2009, 04:01:04 PM
I have yet to get through the first chapter of it.  I'm looking forward to get a good chunk of it read over my Febuary break.
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: Andy Smith on January 08, 2009, 12:53:48 AM
i've yet to read it but looking forward to it.  :)
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: Deb on January 22, 2009, 12:05:48 AM
Quote from: 218
I got it for Christmas. As others have said, the best part is the Liverpool years. I wish he would have gone into depth in the Dakota years, because his writing style lends intself to that sort of thing.

Anyway, it's a good read and not nearly as sensational as the media presented it to be earlier this year.

I enjoyed it and my favorite part was the Liverpool years, too.  I was surprised to see so many quotes from Mimi in it.  
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: HeatherBoo on January 22, 2009, 01:42:37 AM
I saw this book in the store the other day, I will wait for paperback version.
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: on January 27, 2009, 07:03:58 PM
It seems to me that any Phil Norman book is a must-have. My husband just finished reading SHOUT for the first time (of course I've read it far more than that, but he hadn't tackled it yet) and his excitement while reading reminded me of how well Norman writes this subject.

The book DOES seem to get mixed reviews, but I think I'll be giving it a shot, and I don't think I can wait til the PB edition. :)

Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: popaloptop on February 04, 2009, 09:27:21 PM
I bought the paperback edition a couple of weeks ago. I just saw it in the store and bought it because I thought is was pretty cheap for an 800 page book. I paid about 29$. It doesn't seem cheap compared to 35$ for the hardback edition.
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: HeyJude18 on February 05, 2009, 01:42:55 AM
^ Hm, I only payed a little over $20 Canadian for mine...  I got connections at Chapter's :)
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: Euan Buchan on February 05, 2009, 10:45:23 AM
I'm struggling with this book everytime I'm going to read it I get too tired ;D
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: QuarryMan89 on February 07, 2009, 12:10:36 AM
I might have to pick this up sometime. I read Coleman's book years ago and that it was fabulous. Weiner's "Come Together" is alright, a bit too much politics and too little John in there for me.
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: A Day In The Life on February 19, 2009, 06:56:29 AM
I read this right after Christmas, and I loved it. It's probably true that the best part is John's childhood, and the early days of the Beatles. But the later years are still pretty interesting. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to know more about John.
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: beatlepool on March 21, 2009, 11:08:02 PM
Got this as a present, need to crack it open still.
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: blackbird_ on April 23, 2010, 04:29:54 PM
I got this for my birthday last Christmas, and read it when I was staying with some relatives in Paris.
You ever finish a book and you feel it like you read it too fast? I dunno, that tends to happen when i get really into a book and I have a lot of free time on my hands, I go through it really quickly and feel like I didn't get the most out of it. But I'm kinda babbling.
Anyway, I really enjoyed it. As a lot of people have mentioned, it's at is best when it's describing the Liverpool years. But I think It's good throughout, it really gives you a feel of the kind of person he was, you're transported right into his world.
One thing I thought though, is it just me or does Norman seem to have a dislike for Paul? (In this anyway, I've yet to read "Shout!") I dunno, maybe I'm reading to much into it, it's just an impression I got.
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: Jane on May 02, 2010, 03:38:51 PM
I am reading it now.
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: Mustang_Ed on September 11, 2010, 01:39:58 AM
I'm reading it now and enjoying it.   :)
Title: Re: John Lennon: The Life
Post by: Jema on February 20, 2011, 02:48:04 AM
I got it for $20 in paperback.Right now I'm at 1962.I really like it so far.I'm probably gonna stay up late tonight reading it.