John Lennon: The Life

I starred this article in my Google Reader back in October but only now have unearthed it. It's an insightful and obviously well-informed review of Philip Norman's John Lennon: The Life from David Hajdu, the music critic for The New Republic .

To the heart of the matter:

"There are four thousand holes in John Lennon: The Life, and the one in most dire need of fixing is the absence of illuminating discussion of the creative work that makes Lennon matter. Norman, who has done books on Buddy Holly and Elton John, in addition to his writing on the Beatles, is the rare biographer of musicians who has little evident interest in music itself."