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John (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,360 listener ratings
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The Extraordinary Story of a Man, a Legend and a Marriage When she was eighteen years old, a girl named Cynthia Powell met a boy named John Lennon and they fell in love. Their ten-year relationship coincided with the start of the Beatles phenomenon—from Liverpool’s dockside clubs to the dizzying worldwide fame that followed. And Cynthia Lennon, John’s first wife, was an integral part of the swirl of events that are now an indelible part of the history of rock and roll. In John, Cynthia recalls those times with the loving honesty of an insider, offering new and fascinating insights into the life of John Lennon and the early days of the Beatles. And with the perspective only years can provide she also tells the compelling story of her marriage to a man who was to become a music legend, a cultural hero and a defining figure of the twentieth century. Cynthia has seldom talked in any detail about her marriage and the painful events that followed John’s tragic assassination in 1980. Now she candidly reveals the good and the bad, the loving and the cruel sides of John. She tells of the breakdown of their marriage and the beginning of his relationship with Yoko Ono in more detail than has ever been disclosed before and documents the difficulties estrangement from John—and his subsequent death—brought for herself and their son, Julian. In John, Cynthia Lennon has created a vivid portrait of the 1960s, the Beatles and the man she never stopped loving. The time has come when I feel ready to tell the truth about John and me, our years together and the years since his death. There is so much that I have never said, so many incidents I have never spoken of and so many feelings I have never expressed: great love on one hand; pain, torment and humiliation on the other. Only I know what really happened between us, why we stayed together, why we parted and the price I have paid for being John’s wife. I want to tell the real story of the real John—the infuriating, lovable, sometimes cruel, funny, talented and needy man who made such an impact on the world. —From the Introduction
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"This was an absolutely riveting book. I'm a big Beatles fan, but I didn't know too much of the band's backstory (except that which has evolved into legend), so this was a bit of an eye-opener. John, creative genius that he was, could be an incredibly cruel man, and while I'm sure Cynthia wasn't entirely the innocent she claims to be in the book, I now understand where the public's animosity towards Yoko Ono comes from. Holy homewrecker. Part pop culture history, part romance and part tragedy, I highly recommend this book to anyone with even the slightest interest in the Beatles."
— Colleen (5 out of 5 stars)
John Listener Reviews
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" How can you not read and appreciate this first hand account of life with John? I felt Cynthia was truthful and as straightforward as possible. Beatles fans will always love her. As a woman, I feel for what she went through. She's a survivor. "
— Rosanne, 2/10/2014 -
" Great inside look at John Lennon by his first wife. "
— Althea, 1/28/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this book. I admit I teared up a bit when Cynthia was putting Julian to bed and saying that she wouldn't let John take him from her or something to that effect. "
— Monique, 1/22/2014 -
" A great insight into a troubled genius. "
— Michael, 1/17/2014 -
" finally we hear from Cynthia! Her account of her life with John was not watered down, just straight forward and honest. This is a must read for every Lennon fan, it shows John not as a hero or a marter, but as a person, with feelings, and passions. "
— Rebecca, 1/1/2014 -
" A sad ending to a brilliant man. But his music lives on.... "
— Jimmie, 12/27/2013 -
" Brilliant. Somehow alot of this book has remained relatively exclusive to the pages and not easy to find on the internet and for that reason alone it is worth a read if you are a fan. "
— Cain, 12/26/2013 -
" This book by Cynthia Lennon is by far my most favorite book written about John Lennon. I own it and I can't tell you how many times I've read it. This book is a must read! "
— Christina, 12/17/2013 -
" God awful. Creative people should never torture normal people. Mating with other creatives is the only way. "
— Maria, 12/17/2013 -
" I think this is a very true story about John Lennon.. You get a lot of respect for Cynthia Lennon, It must have been very hard for her when her husband became famous and got dragged into the life of a legend. "
— E, 10/25/2013 -
" Written by first wife Cynthia, this is interesting, if understandably biased. I met Cynthia Lennon at a Beatle convention years ago; she seemed like a very gracious and somewhat vulnerable woman. "
— Rob, 10/22/2013 -
" Written by John Lennon's first wife about her life and everything that went on with him and then, later, with Yoko. Interesting inside look. Sometimes frustrating behavior on her part. "
— Jill, 9/3/2013 -
" I loved this truthful view of the real life of John Lennon as a teenager up until his death. Very interesting to know what he was like behind the scenes and what a dramatic effect his assassination had on his friend and family. "
— Heather, 7/14/2013 -
" I read this book many years ago. It was a real eye opener. It is a must read for any Beatles fan however, it shows another side of the squeaky clean Beatles. "
— Judi, 5/29/2013 -
" This book should have been called Cynthia Lennon. Some interesting facts definitely. Gives you some insight on how John was in his early 20's. After that, she loses track of him and the story becomes hers and Julian's. A little too long in my opinion. "
— Javier, 5/14/2013 -
" i don't think she did john justice. "
— Jenn, 3/9/2013 -
" LOVED this, for obvious reasons but mostly because of the interesting perspective of his first wife. "
— Nancy, 7/1/2012 -
" Cynthia's story presented a different view of John Lennon and it is definitely a bittersweet view. Julian Lennon wrote the forward which sets up the tone of the book. I recommend this book. It is written with love and great pain. A good book to balance the artist with the flawed man and the legend. "
— Katherine, 1/27/2012 -
" This is my favourite book I read!!! I love it!! "
— Hanna, 10/26/2011 -
" A must read for any John Lennon fan. Cynthia writes a different heartfelt side of John that only a wife could know. "
— Kristin, 6/16/2011 -
" God awful. Creative people should never torture normal people. Mating with other creatives is the only way.<br/><br/> "
— Maria, 5/12/2011 -
" Interesting story, but it left MANY ???s... "
— Pl, 4/11/2011 -
" This book should have been called Cynthia Lennon. Some interesting facts definitely. Gives you some insight on how John was in his early 20's. After that, she loses track of him and the story becomes hers and Julian's. A little too long in my opinion. "
— Javier, 4/6/2011 -
" Makes me rethink the people I thought John Lennon and Yoko Ono were. "
— Rebecca, 3/31/2011 -
" Absolutely brilliant. What a fantastically written book and a wonderful insight into John Lennon by someone who knew him right at the beginning. Couldn't recommend this book more. "
— Susan, 2/13/2011 -
" Poor misunderstood much maligned John Lennon....we'll never know what the man could have been. "
— Carol, 1/24/2011 -
" Great book. A good companion to Patti Boyd's memoir. There was necessarily much new or surprising in "John", but it is always interesting to hear the stories from the source. "
— Seth, 1/6/2011 -
" Excellent book. You have to really take everything with a grain of salt because it's a one sided retelling of Lennon's life. But it's easy to get caught up in this book and it's nice to see John from the other side. "
— Bee, 12/20/2010 -
" I loved this book and finally getting to hear Cyn's side of the story!!! I felt like I learned so much about everyone involved in The Beatles. "
— Amanda, 10/29/2010 -
" I cried, I felt her pain about losing someone you love, about feeling cast out of a tightly-knit group of people. Deeply appreciated her perspective. "
— Kristy, 10/16/2010
About Cynthia Lennon
Cynthia Lennon was born in Blackpool, England, in 1939. While attending the Liverpool College of Art she met John Lennon. John and Cynthia married in 1962 and their son, Julian, was born in 1963. The Lennons were divorced in 1969. Cynthia retained custody of Julian, who saw his father sporadically until John was killed in 1980. In the years since, Cynthia has been a restaurateur, a designer, and a television personality. She now lives in Spain with her husband, Noel Charles.