A review by theartoflanguage
Paul McCartney: The Life by Philip Norman

inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.5

I liked that this portrayed Paul as a complex person and an eccentric person, which I think his public image covers up. I didn't really like the editorializing here, though. The first time I noticed it was when Norman comments on the final thoughts of Paul's mother - of course, this can only be imagined and not factual. It feels a tad emotionally manipulative, trying to inject added pathos into what is already a sad episode in Macca's life. His handling of John's murder and Linda's death are somewhat better handled, but I did find that his opinions on his subject bled through too much for my liking. He seems a bit bitchy about Paul and even some other people in his life at times, which struck an odd note with me.

From other reviews, I can tell this is a fairly standard run through that doesn't cover new territory, but as a relative neophyte who of course knows the Beatles, and has nevertheless listened to (and loved!) Paul's solo work and seen him live, many parts of this were new to me, such as the precise details of his relationship with Heather Mills. However, I can well imagine that other biographies are much better and I plan to read them - starting with the acclaimed The McCartney Legacy!