I recently read the "controversial" book by Ian Leslie John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs. I know this book is being promoted as controversial and different, but let me tell you -- it isn't full of shocking, unknown revelations. It doesn't tell of crazy sexual relationships between John and Paul or between anyone for that matter.
It tells the story of the Beatles by focusing on the relationship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney from the time they were teenagers to the time of John's murder. I think all Beatles fans can agree that John and Paul were more than mere friends. They had a powerful dynamic. They bonded because of the death of their mothers and their love of rock' n roll, and they spent a lot of time together. They were best friends, and even that doesn't seem to really describe their friendship. I really don't think there is a word in the English language to explain the relationship that people can have that has a deep bond. Many people have this bond with a spouse, but it can also happen with a same sex friend. It has nothing to do with romance or sexual attraction. But without a doubt, John and Paul were close and this is the first book to explore their friendship and how it impacted them as songwriters.
There really isn't anything "new" in the book. The author did not conduct new interviews (except for one) for the book and uses previously published interviews for the material. It is the same Beatles story we all know, but the presentation is slightly different.
It is interesting to read the author's views that something happened in 1968 between John and Paul (the Mahareshi making a pass at a woman?) that put a rift in their relationship. Of course, this is also the same time that John started a relationship with Yoko and Paul with Linda, so John and Paul naturally didn't spend as much time together as they did during the Beatles' touring years. I just found it interesting how the author pinpointed right after India as when this rift happened and that they never truly mended the issue.
What I didn't believe in the book is how the author claims so many songs were written about John/Paul. For example, I will never believe that "Instant Karma" is about Paul. Yes -- some songs were written about one another, and yes -- they were in competition with one another until John's death, but not every song written by John was about Paul, and not every song by Paul was written about John. Some of the analysis of the songs made me roll my eyes.
I found this book to be interesting. It was very well written and drew me into the story. It was an enjoyable read and an interesting topic. While I didn't necessarily agree with everything in the book, it gave me something to think about and consider, which is always a good thing. I don't think it is a multiple-read type of book, but it was worth reading once.
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