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12.36am
3 January 2011
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Has anyone read it, and if you have, was it any good?
I've been thinking about getting it, but if it's just a lot of ragging on John through the whole book, I'm probably not going to.
12.54am
13 November 2009
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I listened to the audio book version up to their divorce, I don't remember why I didn't finish it. I thought it was interesting.
1.46am
13 September 2010
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I read it over the summer. It was pretty good, but I think it painted Yoko in a really harsh light, but it's kind of understandable. It gives some pretty good information on their relationship in the first few years and a lot about Hamburg. It is worth the read.
*9*
1.49am
19 September 2010
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My god, you people are telrying to drive me bankrupt on Beatles Books.
1.57am
13 September 2010
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I know that will probably happen to me someday soon. Especially since I just found three new books I really want to get.
1.59am
1 May 2010
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Yeah it was an interesting read from her perspective and it adds more layers to that Lennon guy. It's pretty brief about most of the Beatles years and I don't think it necessarily paints Yoko in a horrible light, but from her perspective it was just odd what happened. It will make you feel even more sorry for Julian though, that kid had a pretty rough time of it.
2.28am
19 September 2010
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God, Kids of Divorce/absentee parent(s), are so unlucky.
6.04am
14 October 2009
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The book's been sitting by my PC since Christmas……I think I'd better start reading it.
10.09pm
26 June 2011
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Cynthia does seem to believe that Yoko was a sinister influence, her memory of how John initially saw her as an eccentric weirdo but then suddenly takes up with her suggests that she felt that Yoko had a kind of cult-figure influence on John. In her account his behavior takes a turn for the worse after he begins to accept Yoko and spend time with her. Her presence is described as an almost occult intrusion between John and his family (and the band). The resulting void that opens between John on one hand, and Cynthia and Julian on the other is described in a way that sounds quite sad. Cynthia relates her dismay about her perception that John's promotion of the Love theme in the music didn't seem to apply to his first born son, who may have been neglected by his father if she's to be believed.
I felt that she also raised the subject of John's possessive nature and brought it into the light in a way that changed my view of him a bit. She suggests that he was a bit harsh with girlfriends whom he perceived to display any interest in other men (whether real or imagined interest). I realized after reading of his apparent tendency to be oversensitive to heartache that the behavior Cynthia recollects is in accord with many of the sentiments expressed in some earlier Beatle songs I remember (No Reply, Run For Your Life, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away…) Funny that John later expressed some regret about being "just a jealous guy" in the song to Yoko.
On the other hand Cynthia describes Paul as a comforting and sympathetic presence during the period of their split. This seemed to contradict the history of Paul's own casual attachments to women I've recently read about (caught in bed with someone else by his girlfriend Jane Asher etc.).
I liked the book, but also found it a bit disconcerting. I suppose it's important to bear in mind that great artists are only human, and also remember that writers generally write with a personal bias. I'm afraid I tend to see Yoko and her influence as Cynthia did, and like many fans, wonder why John chose to attach himself to her.
11.43pm
1 May 2010
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That's an interesting review Mojo. I have a question, is the book written in first person?
4.49am
26 March 2011
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I loved the book, although it it was pretty depressing.
7.57pm
26 June 2011
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mithveaen said:
That's an interesting review Mojo. I have a question, is the book written in first person?
As I remember, it was yes, written from Cynthia's point of view, but it was a library book and I don't have it here to confirm my memory (which isn't what it used to be!)
3.29am
10 August 2011
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Nothing Is Real said:
Has anyone read it, and if you have, was it any good?
I've been thinking about getting it, but if it's just a lot of ragging on John through the whole book, I'm probably not going to.
It was much better than expected. I used some of it in Into the Sky with Diamonds.
6.57pm
19 September 2010
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Um, I think we all need to remember something – Cynthia, while treated like shit, has quite the mud to sling. Yoko and her never reconciled (or at least quasi reconciled as most of a deceased wives normally do), and Cynthia knows a majority of fans hate Yoko and view her with sympathy. So really, is the anti Yoko mood of the book (which is undeniably there) because Yoko is horrible, or is it playing on the public dislike of Yoko? That's something you have to think about before accurately assessing this book.
12.15am
4 February 2011
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I remember in that book poor Cynthia thought that John wrote "All My Loving" and this was for her, showing his gentle side. I think it's possible John may have helped Paul with some words and melody, but that song is such a strong Paul song it unlikely that Lennon had much to do with it.
4.11am
10 August 2011
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As best as I can tell from books written by the Beatles' entourage, no one – absolutely no one had anything good to say about Yoko. So yes, Cynthia has personal reasons to dislike Yoko, but her comments are pretty much in line with everyone else's. At least that's my take.
9.13am
31 March 2012
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Good book it comes over the feeling cyn has for yoko there was some interesting facts I never knew worth a read
1.56am
3 March 2012
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mojo filter said
Cynthia does seem to believe that Yoko was a sinister influence, her memory of how John initially saw her as an eccentric weirdo but then suddenly takes up with her suggests that she felt that Yoko had a kind of cult-figure influence on John. In her account his behavior takes a turn for the worse after he begins to accept Yoko and spend time with her. Her presence is described as an almost occult intrusion between John and his family (and the band). The resulting void that opens between John on one hand, and Cynthia and Julian on the other is described in a way that sounds quite sad. Cynthia relates her dismay about her perception that John's promotion of the Love theme in the music didn't seem to apply to his first born son, who may have been neglected by his father if she's to be believed.
I felt that she also raised the subject of John's possessive nature and brought it into the light in a way that changed my view of him a bit. She suggests that he was a bit harsh with girlfriends whom he perceived to display any interest in other men (whether real or imagined interest). I realized after reading of his apparent tendency to be oversensitive to heartache that the behavior Cynthia recollects is in accord with many of the sentiments expressed in some earlier Beatle songs I remember (No Reply, Run For Your Life, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away…) Funny that John later expressed some regret about being "just a jealous guy" in the song to Yoko.
On the other hand Cynthia describes Paul as a comforting and sympathetic presence during the period of their split. This seemed to contradict the history of Paul's own casual attachments to women I've recently read about (caught in bed with someone else by his girlfriend Jane Asher etc.).
I liked the book, but also found it a bit disconcerting. I suppose it's important to bear in mind that great artists are only human, and also remember that writers generally write with a personal bias. I'm afraid I tend to see Yoko and her influence as Cynthia did, and like many fans, wonder why John chose to attach himself to her.
This alone has made me decide to get this book. Insightful post. Thanks for sharing!
10.04am
3 May 2012
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It had been sat in that cupboard that I rarely venture into, my dads bookshelf to everyone else, full of cookery books and car magazines.
Anyway, when I got into The Beatles, I found it and read it.
Worth the read as is is very insightful but, as others have already said, Cyn does describe Yoko as a nasty husband-snatcher, which I suppose is understandable but it does take two to tango, as they say. It is definetely worth it though and is one of the best Beatles/60´s – related books I have read, if a little upsetting at points.
5.20pm
9 May 2012
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It is a great book. I really don't see how it is dissing Yoko, can you deny anything she said in that book was untrue? How would you feel in the situation like that?
deboraht said
I remember in that book poor Cynthia thought that John wrote "All My Loving" and this was for her, showing his gentle side. I think it's possible John may have helped Paul with some words and melody, but that song is such a strong Paul song it unlikely that Lennon had much to do with it.
I think she meant about "In my life" which is kind of true.
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