Lennon Legend: An Illustrated Life of John Lennon

By James Henke
Chronicle Books, $40


What does it say about a society that values celebrity so highly that a piece of toast almost eaten by George Harrison is considered worthy for auction? Who cares? Frankly, we’re too busy trying to scratch off the REPRODUCTION labels that adorn the John Lennon–related document facsimiles secreted in this new biography so we can auction them and buy our dream house in Aspen.

A big house it would be, too, given the wealth of faux memorabilia on display in this tome — a companion to the DVD of the same name — from a predictably patchy report card to a ticket for the Beatles’ appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show to a reproduction of Lennon’s handwritten lyrics to “Starting Over.”

True, some of the more Yoko Ono–influenced “artistic” artifacts seem even more gnomic or absurd now than they must have then. But the materials here are still a compelling and oddly effective way of bringing the late Beatle to life. Moreover, the emotions they stir are further amplified by a CD of interview material. The book’s text, penned by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame curator James Henke, is unlikely to offer many surprises. As a package, however, Lennon Legend stands as a brilliant — if sadly toast-free — piece of work.
—Clark Collis