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The Writings of John Lennon
Gathers two collections of Lennon's drawings, poems, and short stories that make use of wordplay and nonsensical phrases
90 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1981
About the author
John Lennon
542 books1,956 followersJohn Winston Ono Lennon, MBE, was an English singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, and together with Paul McCartney formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships of the 20th century.
Born and raised in Liverpool, Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze as a teenager, his first band, The Quarrymen, evolving into The Beatles in 1960. As the group began to undergo the disintegration that led to their break-up towards the end of that decade, Lennon launched a solo career that would span the next decade, punctuated by critically acclaimed albums, including John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine".
Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, his writing, on film, and in interviews, and became controversial through his work as a peace activist. He moved to New York City in 1971, where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon's administration to deport him, while his songs were adapted as anthems by the anti-war movement. Disengaging himself from the music business in 1975 to devote time to his family, Lennon reemerged in October 1980 with a new single and a comeback album, Double Fantasy, but was murdered weeks after their release on the sidewalk outside his home in the Dakota. Ironically, "Imagine" (imagine all the people, living life in peace) was a featured cut from this album.
Lennon's album sales in the United States alone stand at 14 million units, and as performer, writer, or co-writer he is responsible for 27 number one singles on the US Hot 100 chart. In 2002, a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons voted him eighth, and in 2008 Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth greatest singer of all time. He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
--Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia --
Born and raised in Liverpool, Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze as a teenager, his first band, The Quarrymen, evolving into The Beatles in 1960. As the group began to undergo the disintegration that led to their break-up towards the end of that decade, Lennon launched a solo career that would span the next decade, punctuated by critically acclaimed albums, including John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine".
Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, his writing, on film, and in interviews, and became controversial through his work as a peace activist. He moved to New York City in 1971, where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon's administration to deport him, while his songs were adapted as anthems by the anti-war movement. Disengaging himself from the music business in 1975 to devote time to his family, Lennon reemerged in October 1980 with a new single and a comeback album, Double Fantasy, but was murdered weeks after their release on the sidewalk outside his home in the Dakota. Ironically, "Imagine" (imagine all the people, living life in peace) was a featured cut from this album.
Lennon's album sales in the United States alone stand at 14 million units, and as performer, writer, or co-writer he is responsible for 27 number one singles on the US Hot 100 chart. In 2002, a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons voted him eighth, and in 2008 Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth greatest singer of all time. He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
--Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia --
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
September 21, 2011
I was just filthteen and on the Virgil of becoming totally abscessed with John Winsnot Lemmon. (This was a long long ago, me dairy queens, before the music died) These two books, which I quickly burned, really made me realize what a brilliant guy he was. At least 150 watts, when he was plugged in. I ready this book out loudly to a near-sighted speckled friend of mine in driving class and I still remember him cracking up and nearly killing us...ahh those were the days, Mary Hopkins. This is a very funny and witty so I hardy-har-har you ready it when you are willing and able. If you are like me (and you probably aren't) I'm sure you will take this over Lear, Lewis Carroll, and those other spastic handwipers any day!
Thank you berry mush.
Thank you berry mush.
August 10, 2021
‘the moldy moldy man’ spoke to me on a different level especially the part that went “i’m a moldy moldy man”
August 5, 2007
Yes, this is how much of a Beatle geek I am.
John may not have been the greatest poet outside of his songs, but he was always an interesting one. He used language as an ends instead of a means. Most of his poems seem completely nonsensical, but by the end you kind of get it. He makes up words and sentence structure to serve his own needs. And he draws simple line drawings to go with the poems. A little like Shel Silverstein, actually.
Both of these books and Skywriting By Word Of Mouth are great additions to a Beatles library. Lots of fun and very, very strange. But worth a shot.
John may not have been the greatest poet outside of his songs, but he was always an interesting one. He used language as an ends instead of a means. Most of his poems seem completely nonsensical, but by the end you kind of get it. He makes up words and sentence structure to serve his own needs. And he draws simple line drawings to go with the poems. A little like Shel Silverstein, actually.
Both of these books and Skywriting By Word Of Mouth are great additions to a Beatles library. Lots of fun and very, very strange. But worth a shot.
January 9, 2021
It feels like an understatement to say that the Beatles are my favorite band.. They are my childhood, my teens, my twenties etc. Life would be far poorer without them. Which creates a risk of approaching something like this with astronomic expectations.
However, I don't think I did. This would have struck me as mediocre even if it were found sitting on a curb anonymously. When I say "this," I mean 80% of In His Own Write, at which point I gave up in order to get back to books that I love.
Is it occasionally slightly amusing? Sure. But it's basically a one-trick pony consisting of extremely brief sketch-like stories in which words are intentionally misspelled so as to subvert expectations, suggest surreal alternate meanings, etc. "Hippoposthumous." "Leper" instead of leopard. And so on. If you want proof that anyone can do this, simply skim through all the Goodreads reviews in which people cop this affected, goofy style while writing about the book. Anyone can do it just as well as Lennon. When a word contains a b, switch it to a d. Switch the h's to n's, as if a typing error had chopped off the top.
My point isn't that I find this device inherently annoying—just the opposite, I'm all for irreverence and surreal, random stuff that pulls one's brain out of the cage of rationality. But the problem is that this is all that In His Own Write has to offer. The stories are boring as hell, they've just been tinkered with afterwards to provide an idiosyncratic sheen. It brings to mind an album by one of my favorite musicians, Avey Tare, in which he apparently decided that "experimental music" means just writing some songs and then reversing the audio tracks: that is, a tiresome gimmick. Except in Avey Tare's case, the source material was actually wonderful lyrically and melodically, while here the source material is embarrassingly weak.
I just got a hold of "The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr." The editor's foreword tells the reader that some goofy misspellings lie ahead, and that they are the result of tinkering by the typesetters: "In the story Das Fraulein von Scuderi, the typesetter ingeniously caused the lady to appear not in a black silk 'gown' but in a black silk 'town', and so forth!"
I laughed out loud at that, and I'm so excited to read that novel, because the explanation lends a funny air of legitimacy to the oddball phenomenon, and the device is used *sparingly* as one of the author's numerous creative devices.
Anyway, as I glance ahead right before restoring this Lennon book to the shelf, some of the doodles in "A Spaniard in the Works" look a bit better. Maybe someday I'll come back to this second half. For now, I would say that this book is a good example of something that deserves an "I" for "Idiosyncratic," but once you look beyond some goofy spelling hijinks, the question is...what's left?
PS: while reading this, I couldn't stop thinking of how much I prefer Italo Calvino. I also read a Borges story yesterday, and while it was infinitely better than Lennon's writing, I still couldn't stop thinking of Calvino, who knows how to make irreverence poignant.
However, I don't think I did. This would have struck me as mediocre even if it were found sitting on a curb anonymously. When I say "this," I mean 80% of In His Own Write, at which point I gave up in order to get back to books that I love.
Is it occasionally slightly amusing? Sure. But it's basically a one-trick pony consisting of extremely brief sketch-like stories in which words are intentionally misspelled so as to subvert expectations, suggest surreal alternate meanings, etc. "Hippoposthumous." "Leper" instead of leopard. And so on. If you want proof that anyone can do this, simply skim through all the Goodreads reviews in which people cop this affected, goofy style while writing about the book. Anyone can do it just as well as Lennon. When a word contains a b, switch it to a d. Switch the h's to n's, as if a typing error had chopped off the top.
My point isn't that I find this device inherently annoying—just the opposite, I'm all for irreverence and surreal, random stuff that pulls one's brain out of the cage of rationality. But the problem is that this is all that In His Own Write has to offer. The stories are boring as hell, they've just been tinkered with afterwards to provide an idiosyncratic sheen. It brings to mind an album by one of my favorite musicians, Avey Tare, in which he apparently decided that "experimental music" means just writing some songs and then reversing the audio tracks: that is, a tiresome gimmick. Except in Avey Tare's case, the source material was actually wonderful lyrically and melodically, while here the source material is embarrassingly weak.
I just got a hold of "The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr." The editor's foreword tells the reader that some goofy misspellings lie ahead, and that they are the result of tinkering by the typesetters: "In the story Das Fraulein von Scuderi, the typesetter ingeniously caused the lady to appear not in a black silk 'gown' but in a black silk 'town', and so forth!"
I laughed out loud at that, and I'm so excited to read that novel, because the explanation lends a funny air of legitimacy to the oddball phenomenon, and the device is used *sparingly* as one of the author's numerous creative devices.
Anyway, as I glance ahead right before restoring this Lennon book to the shelf, some of the doodles in "A Spaniard in the Works" look a bit better. Maybe someday I'll come back to this second half. For now, I would say that this book is a good example of something that deserves an "I" for "Idiosyncratic," but once you look beyond some goofy spelling hijinks, the question is...what's left?
PS: while reading this, I couldn't stop thinking of how much I prefer Italo Calvino. I also read a Borges story yesterday, and while it was infinitely better than Lennon's writing, I still couldn't stop thinking of Calvino, who knows how to make irreverence poignant.
October 30, 2018
I'm probably going to read this a few more times, and may change my review accordingly. At the moment though I didn't care for most of the writing, the few that I did enjoyed include 'I Sat Belonely' and 'Good Dog Nigel'. Truth be told I rather like the drawings much more than the poems and it's because of the drawings that I rated it three stars rather than two. I wish that there were more drawings, the line art is fantastic in my opinion and could've made for an interesting zine or comic.
July 15, 2015
Part of the time as I read this I enjoyed the challenge of deciphering what he meant versus the words he used to say it. The other part of the time, the majority if I'm honest, I felt like a teacher reading poorly written papers by high school students.
April 7, 2022
I loved John’s absurdist humor and weird language mix-ups throughout the text, but sometimes the lines come across as ablest and problematic. Beyond that, though, the art was fun and the words were entertaining. John Lennon was an undeniably talented individual. 🌿🍓
November 21, 2018
This was so outrageously enjoyable when my 16 year old self read it in the rural 1960s South. Not so much 50 years later; today it comes off as idly clever. And it’s been done and copied a hundred more times, so it just seems old. It gets a three for memory’s sake. And the artwork. The artwork is still wonderful to stare at.
September 13, 2015
What a beautifully quirky wonderful man. I struggled getting through some of the nonsensical language and the last poem really threw me off, but it was a lovely compilation of the work of one of my favorite people.
April 4, 2020
I loved this totally irreverent, politically incorrect book of twisted tales. Many of them made me laugh out loud or re-read them in disbelief. Or both! Fair warning: this is not good reading for snowflakes.
August 5, 2016
puns puns puns - what's not to like???
December 21, 2023
Egg on my face for thinking any John Lennon poetry or short story would make any sense! The nonsensical language was fun but also broke my brain a bit, and honestly was slightly less than good. The drawings were the best bit, as was the ever-popular “I’m a moldy moldy man.” He was speaking his truth there but not so much elsewhere. All in all I didn’t think this would be chaotic evil Shel Silverstein but it’s that
April 22, 2020
Read it back around 1970-71. Just remembered to add it. Interesting but not overwhelmingly memorable.
August 11, 2017
The back cover of this collection highlights several words from reviewers. One important word they all forgot to include is "tedious." Before you get on your high horses about how sacrilegious it is to defame anything by John Winston Lennon, you should try reading it for yourself, which is likely something you haven't done. It's not very good. People are fond of saying John Lennon was fond of Lewis Carroll. This is not Lewis Carroll. This is an angry young man - and don't get me wrong, he certainly has quite a few legitimate reasons to be angry - who has translated "boring and difficult childhood experiences" into "nothing anyone else says is true," typing what could be clever stories and poems but with a remarkably irritating persistent commitment to adding and changing letters in words. Some of his letter, suffix, compound noun transcriptions are truly clever - but those are statistically ultra-rare ensconced as they are within non-rational uses of the ubiquitous trope. It's such a pervasive device, Mr. Lennon truly sabotaged his own creativity. It's just a hassle to read. And a book that is a hassle is not clever.
Some of the poems are treated better by Lennon, but it's hard for them to stand out among the morass of petulant non-stories. By the time one gets to A Spaniard in the Works, John Lennon is truly angry at religion, society, and just about everything. Again, I'm not saying he's not justified, but the petulance of the work contributes nothing worthwhile to the challenge of making religion, society, and humanity better - he's just angry and basically throwing a sub-literate temper tantrum. Anyone who comes to these hoping for something resembling his lyrical work will be sorely disappointed. I'm not faulting Mr. Lennon for not doing in his prose what he did in his lyrics - I'm faulting him for being so childish about it. And I decry the publishers and pundits who laud it solely based on who constructed it - tsk, tsk, brown nosers.
Some of the poems are treated better by Lennon, but it's hard for them to stand out among the morass of petulant non-stories. By the time one gets to A Spaniard in the Works, John Lennon is truly angry at religion, society, and just about everything. Again, I'm not saying he's not justified, but the petulance of the work contributes nothing worthwhile to the challenge of making religion, society, and humanity better - he's just angry and basically throwing a sub-literate temper tantrum. Anyone who comes to these hoping for something resembling his lyrical work will be sorely disappointed. I'm not faulting Mr. Lennon for not doing in his prose what he did in his lyrics - I'm faulting him for being so childish about it. And I decry the publishers and pundits who laud it solely based on who constructed it - tsk, tsk, brown nosers.
August 2, 2022
Terrible, idk why I read this
July 6, 2015
I love the Beatles, I do, but I don't like John Lennon. He wasn't a good guy, so I really don't know why I bothered with this, and now I honestly wish I hadn't. This might well be the only time in the history of my reading that I actually REGRET reading a book. I'm honestly amazed that I finished this at all, and I'm even more amazed that people actually enjoyed this.
Like most things John Lennon did, it was overrated nonsense that was frequently offensive. Yeah, yeah, some of this might have been the times, but I've read plenty of books written in or before the '60s and basically everyone else ever managed to use less slurs than this. It's not as thought I didn't "get" it or something. I understand that a considerable amount of this was written in phonetic Scouse. I get that in a lot of this it is supposed to be nonsense. But that doesn't mean it isn't utterly shit. Because it is. There's nothing to like in this and I don't get why anyone would enjoy this. There's one funny line in the whole thing. The phonetics and wordplay aren't clever. I would bet reasonably large sums of money that If this wasn't John Lennon, not only would no-one actually like this, but it wouldn't have been published in the first place.
Honestly this might be the worst book I've ever read. It's definitely MY least favourite book I've ever read.
Like most things John Lennon did, it was overrated nonsense that was frequently offensive. Yeah, yeah, some of this might have been the times, but I've read plenty of books written in or before the '60s and basically everyone else ever managed to use less slurs than this. It's not as thought I didn't "get" it or something. I understand that a considerable amount of this was written in phonetic Scouse. I get that in a lot of this it is supposed to be nonsense. But that doesn't mean it isn't utterly shit. Because it is. There's nothing to like in this and I don't get why anyone would enjoy this. There's one funny line in the whole thing. The phonetics and wordplay aren't clever. I would bet reasonably large sums of money that If this wasn't John Lennon, not only would no-one actually like this, but it wouldn't have been published in the first place.
Honestly this might be the worst book I've ever read. It's definitely MY least favourite book I've ever read.
May 19, 2010
At first I thought to myself this is not very good. However it actually is. It's ridiculous and silly and complete nonsense, primarily because of all the misspellings and words that may or may not be true and the pairing of words within the sentence. I.e. Last will and testicle.
But when reading it while each story or poem or play has several elements of ridiculousness, it really is a commentary on politics, religion, and stereotypes. He exposes them so that the reader can see the silliness and it and enjoy the poem about the children throwing their father out of the house because he is old and useless and not feel guility or bad that that actually happens, because Lennon has shaped it in such a way that it all seems so obsurd that none ofit can actually occur when in reality it all really does on a daily basis.
If you can get past the spelling errors that may or may not be the way its supposed to be then read it but if not then i suggest not.
But when reading it while each story or poem or play has several elements of ridiculousness, it really is a commentary on politics, religion, and stereotypes. He exposes them so that the reader can see the silliness and it and enjoy the poem about the children throwing their father out of the house because he is old and useless and not feel guility or bad that that actually happens, because Lennon has shaped it in such a way that it all seems so obsurd that none ofit can actually occur when in reality it all really does on a daily basis.
If you can get past the spelling errors that may or may not be the way its supposed to be then read it but if not then i suggest not.
February 14, 2015
Often crass, he likes making "Jews," "coloureds," and religion the butt of his jokes. I can understand why so many people love these books--John Lennon is a legend. He could wipe a booger in a napkin and have suckers lined up out the door to buy it. Most of these poems and short stories are nonsense. Like Lewis Carroll's nonsense poetry, you can only read so much in one sitting and then find yourself hurrying through just to finish it. I give this book three stars for the selections I did like, such as "The Fat Growth of Eric Hearble," "I Sat Belonely" (portions of which are recited by John and Ringo in the movie Help!), "Snore Wife and some Several Dwarts," "The Wumberlog (or The Magic Dog)", "Cassandle," and "Our Dad." Most of the others are just throwaways, or inappropriate. (As they should be.)
P.S. Why are all of his characters naked?
P.S. Why are all of his characters naked?
December 30, 2019
I've gone through some of the reviews on Goodreads and it seems to me like I'm alone (belonely?) in absolutely adoring this collection? I love reading it and soaking in the pure joy that comes from playing with language, expectations, reality, and logic . This stuff is like a cross between Monty Python and Emily Dickinson. You can try and "get it", but "getting it" is not really the point. Most of the time I finished a story/a poem by leaning back in my chair and going "What the fuck?" and then "I fucking love this!". That, to me, is a sign of a great work. Still, it left me feeling sad, because I would love to be reading this madman's stories and poems in 2020 and years to come. I'm sure he'd have lots to say and it would be hilarious and nonsensical. Alas.
"I Sat Belonely" and "Fat Budgie" are my absolute favourites, but the dentist (sorry, Denis) story k i l l e d me.
"I Sat Belonely" and "Fat Budgie" are my absolute favourites, but the dentist (sorry, Denis) story k i l l e d me.
July 30, 2013
У меня началась странная череда коротких и не очень интересных книг...
С сожалением должна сказать, что рассказы Джона Леннона к ним присоединились. Я отдаю себе отчет, что все его истории построены на немыслимых и остроумных каламбурах, высмеивании общества и так далее. И я так же понимаю, какую колоссальную работу проделали переводчики, пытаясь все это перевести. Но - тем не менее. Может быть, я просто прочитала эту книгу не в то время, не в том месте.
п.с. кстати, если вы сомневаетесь читать рассказы или нет, взвесьте свои силы с помощью небольшого теста. Ниже всего лишь одно предложение из одного рассказа Леннона.
"17 лет великоляпная пятюка храбро пускалась во всевоснежные адвентюры на необучаемых островах".
Всё ясно? понравилось? хотите ещё? тогда скорее читать!
С сожалением должна сказать, что рассказы Джона Леннона к ним присоединились. Я отдаю себе отчет, что все его истории построены на немыслимых и остроумных каламбурах, высмеивании общества и так далее. И я так же понимаю, какую колоссальную работу проделали переводчики, пытаясь все это перевести. Но - тем не менее. Может быть, я просто прочитала эту книгу не в то время, не в том месте.
п.с. кстати, если вы сомневаетесь читать рассказы или нет, взвесьте свои силы с помощью небольшого теста. Ниже всего лишь одно предложение из одного рассказа Леннона.
"17 лет великоляпная пятюка храбро пускалась во всевоснежные адвентюры на необучаемых островах".
Всё ясно? понравилось? хотите ещё? тогда скорее читать!
September 5, 2015
See my review of "In His Own Write," and then picture similar short characterizations and lilting, drunken, wee stories all written more darkly than before, and you've got it. Everybody knows about the loud Lennon anger at the world in general. [ He was forced in 1965 by 'the suits" to apologize for simply saying that The Beatles were more important to youth than Jesus. This pissed him off royally. I think he never forgave.] "Spaniard" drips acid, but is damn funny. That is, if you can take it with mind wide open!
And if you can't take it….I'd guess Lennon would curse you out, then laugh at you!
And if you can't take it….I'd guess Lennon would curse you out, then laugh at you!
September 10, 2015
I enjoyed this quick glimpse into the mind of John Lennon. This collection of poetry, prose and drawings was entertaining, funny, insightful, whimsical and thought provoking. I felt like I could see him working out song lyrics at times through his poetry and social commentary in these pieces. I wouldn't say this is a "must read" for fans of The Beatles or John Lennon but it is a definite "should read." I consider many of his thoughts that you can see expressed in this collection of works to be a cause for reflection for all people, especially people of Western decent. Read & enjoy!
April 14, 2015
So like anyone who has read this high quirk pairing, I'm a fan, enter auto-bias. I think by and large, John wanted to challenge people to think for themselves, his writings here definitely stimulate the reader to do this. In a search for meaning, we draw our conclusions, they might not be right but they are the best we have. Punctuated by drawings, his trademark wit and love of word play, his sense of fun and humour shines through some of the more dark and pointed moments reminding us not to take it all too seriously.
September 5, 2010
Part James Thurber, part Lewis Carroll, and yet somehow all John Lennon. The book is full of wordplay, which works best when he has something to say -- which happens more so in Write than Spaniard (John himself has said he wrote Spaniard under pressure and with the help of booze.)
There are laugh-out-loud funny lines ("Oh Lord, I've jes' eaten a bastard!") and black humour (Good Dog Nigel) and pure cleverness (No Flies On Frank).
There are laugh-out-loud funny lines ("Oh Lord, I've jes' eaten a bastard!") and black humour (Good Dog Nigel) and pure cleverness (No Flies On Frank).
September 23, 2010
I had both of these volumes years ago that were destroyed with many other books in my library by a house fire. I was recently in England and bought this book which contains both of John's works. He was known as the witty Beatle for good reason. His wit and skill using words is on display here and in songs like "I am the Walrus."
I read mostly for self-education, but, now and then, just to smile. These books make me smile. Just FYI...I received my Kindle today....mgc
I read mostly for self-education, but, now and then, just to smile. These books make me smile. Just FYI...I received my Kindle today....mgc
May 4, 2020
Huge fan of the Beatles and Lennon’s solo music and activism, but his writing leaves much to be desired. The artwork is uniquely stylized and quite nice, but the text itself is irreverent (but not charmingly so), often confusing and juvenile, and absurd in a way that often seems forced. If the writing was removed and it was a book of drawings, my review would be much higher, but otherwise I’d advise readers to read it for the pictures, or leave it alone.
January 12, 2015
This is definitely something not to power through, but something to read, get confused, read again, and sort of get. John Lennon's word play is usually very witty, and sometimes there are wonderfully bad puns. The stories and poems are usually bizarre, but it's a worthwhile read.
March 28, 2013
What more could any child ask than to have these two classics bound in the same volume? It's like getting two big scoops of surrealism at once. Oddly, I have the "Signet" edition with a much more interesting cover...
August 4, 2017
This will not be to everyone's taste, but if you delight in wordplay, silly drawings, and general absurdity, there is plenty to love in the literary and art work of John Lennon. In case you thought he only wrote songs. It's a very strange and wonderful book of poems, stories and drawings!
November 1, 2019
Pure nonsense, in the best way possible. A hilarious excercise of creativity that shunned correctness at every turn. Haddy Gribble! Lickle Jani had a handy dandy eye drear and writ and scrit and other things.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews