In 2000, 37-year-old Julian published an article on the eve of his father's twentieth anniversary, in which he wrote rudely: "I have always resented my father, not only because he ignored me, but also because he kept saying' love and peace'. The so-called' love and peace' has never come into the house to find me. I also doubt what would happen if he were still alive-I guess it depends on whether he is' John Lennon' (my father) or' John Lennon' (a heartless man at the mercy of others)? " .
United Daily News 19801February 10.
Many emotions have not faded with time. The wound is too deep and I have been bleeding all my life. Only by talking can I relieve the pain a little. Julian's mother Cynthia wrote this memoir, especially the bitter second half, and she felt "self-healing".
After so many years, John Lennon's face has already become a symbol, a symbol. Looking at the 20th century, only Ernesto Guevara's portrait can show such charm. When the name "John Lennon" stays in most people's minds, there are only a few frames of headshots, a few lines of lyrics and a few famous sayings. When his life was condensed into a shining name, he put it in the window and offered it to the shrine. This book can help us get to know the "other" John Lennon again.
It is not easy. For decades, there have been too many works about the Beatles and Lennon, so it is enough to set up a theme library. The wives, family members, friends and colleagues of the four Beatles have published countless memoirs. Glancing at the relevant bibliography, anyone will think: Is there anything left to say about the Beatles?
Cynthia Lennon came prepared: she didn't need to repeat the stories and legends recited all over the world, and she didn't need to talk too much about the Beatles and Lennon's music, which has been written by countless people. The most fascinating "new perspective" is the story of her acquaintance, love and divorce with Lennon. In just a few years, Lennon has changed from a Liverpool teenager who loves playing guitar to a leader of the Beatles, a flag bearer and a spiritual leader of half the young people who are popular all over the world. Cynthia participated in Lennon's youthful and frivolous years, experienced the crazy scene of "Beatles fever" sweeping the world, and was involved in the whirlpool of youth culture in the 1960s. At the core of all the turmoil, she still plays the role of "the woman behind the successful man". Even though they are getting more and more estranged, she still seriously loves the big boy who was with her at the age of seventeen, and foolishly believes that as long as she loves deeply enough, he will eventually understand her intentions and make everything beautiful again.
Of course not: Lennon met Yoko Ono Lennon, and lightning struck the ground. Everyone knows the story after that. However, behind the "love of the century" between Lennon and Yoko, Cynthia and her son were mercilessly abandoned. This is the most heartbreaking chapter in the book-Lennon in Cynthia's works is ruthless and indifferent to his ex-wife and eldest son for many years. That kind of indifference, in contrast to his constant "love and peace, the world is one", is not embarrassing. No wonder Julian still has a grudge after many years. I believe it will be many years before Cynthia can review such a painful process in such a calm and mature tone.
I believe Lennon is not without guilt about this. However, like countless men who "screwed up", he didn't have the courage to face his mistakes and just kept running away. At the end of his life, Lennon tried to get close to his eldest son. Unfortunately, this reconciliation has just begun, and God has been stingy to give them more time.
This book "My Dear John Lennon" has created a different statue of Lennon for us: absurd indulgence, confusion and fragility, cowardice and escape, anger and cruelty ... These adjectives are placed on Lennon, which is not surprising for fans who are familiar with his "confessions" works. But Cynthia's skillful hands make the bright details set off the whole, creating a familiar and unfamiliar face with expressions we have never seen before. That is definitely not the abstract, symbolic face printed on the poster and enshrined in the shrine. It is a face with its back to the camera and the masses, but it is always disturbing.
And I believe that if Lennon knew in heaven, he wouldn't object to Cynthia writing this book. He doesn't like being enshrined in a shrine, and many of the most drastic "anti-idol" measures even come from himself. Not to mention the amazing selfie he and Yoko Ono Lennon took on the cover, listen to how he described the pain of abstinence of cold turkey, and how jealous Guy repented of his jealousy, and you will know that he always prefers cruel truth to offend the whole world rather than insincerity and flattery. In the year when the Beatles broke up, he was interviewed by Rolling Stone magazine (later compiled into Lennon's Memories), which completely denied the naive dreams of hippies in the 1960s and personally shattered the unattainable sacred image of the Beatles. 1970' s Plastic Ono Band is a heavy wake-up call, forcing a generation to realize that the dream has awakened, the group trip should have ended long ago, and it is time to face the reality.
However, thousands of Qian Qian fans still like to indulge in old dreams. Who says the Beatles' music is so wonderful and rich? They must be angels, otherwise how can they make such perfect music?
Many people finally spend a lot of time and energy to accept an obvious thing: great works are not equal to great personality. They often extract the most wonderful and moving things from their lives, leave them in their works and dedicate them to the world, facing the plundered ruins and fly ash alone. We don't need to make excuses for what he screwed up. After all, people can't live as a slogan and a symbol.
Only by thinking through this layer can we continue to love him-along with his failure, his incompleteness and everything he screwed up.