IMAGINE: JOHN LENNON

Lennon idolizers will enjoy this sumptuous presentation (tie-in to a forthcoming film made by the authors) of 250 photographs--many never before published and many in color, Others will gag on this sugar-coated version of the rock star's life, made especially hard to swallow given Albert Goldman's just-published, scandalous biography of Lennon. Amidst the self-serving photo captions (many quotes from John and Yoke and their kids, to the tune of ""Around me he was just a father. I just loved being with him. If we went to stare at a wall I would be happy. . .just his presence was all I needed.--Sean""), there's nary a word about John and Yoko's egomania, rampant greed, hard-drug (cocaine, heroine) addiction, or manipulative brutalities--all documented in the Goldman book. If you like fairy tales, though, this one is prettily packaged.