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jaydeereading's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
scrivvy's review against another edition
5.0
Its a wonderful and comprehensive written book about the life of the legend Cohen
purplepierogi's review against another edition
4.0
very informative ! it’s always weird to hear about the reality of your hero. this was very good and full of information and lyrical etc, but I kind of wish I had preserved the vague romantic notions I already harbored
alanffm's review against another edition
4.0
Sylvie Simmons's I'm Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen is a solid biography that anyone looking to learn about Cohen's life should read. The detail and work put into this tome of a biography is simply outstanding. It's weakest points are in Simmons seemingly endless fascination with the celebrity world and Cohen's connections to famous icons of the 60's and 70's (notably Dylan, Collins and Specter). Of the 530~ pages this book consists of, perhaps 150 pages of celebrity nonsense could have been scraped. Regardless, Simmons' work is not only educational but interesting and well written. Again, I am Definitely recommending this book to anyone looking to intimately learn about Cohen's life.
toltzboy456's review against another edition
4.0
I don't have the authority to call Leonard Cohen "The World's Most Interesting Man", but if I had to nominate someone, he would certainly have my vote. Off the top of my head, this is what Leonard Cohen went through
1. A career as Canada's most promising poet.
2. Living in Cuba during the Bay of Pigs invasion and (barely) making it out alive.
3. Becoming a cult artist and legendary songwriter, working with (and sometimes having affairs with) some of the most well-known artists of his day.
4. Calming down 600,000 people on the verge of rioting at the Isle of Wright festival in 1970
5. Writing one of the most famous songs of all time ("Hallelujah")
6. Working with Phil Spector and (barely) making it out alive
7. Reinventing himself from forlorn sad folkie to middle-aged synth-and-drum-box doomer with a morbid sense of humor
8. Wrote the greatest lyric of all time: "Give me crack and anal sex." (OK just kidding its "There's a crack in everything/That's how the light gets in")
9. Overcoming serious Major Depression Disorder
10. Becoming an ordained Buddhist Monk
11. Overcoming almost total bankruptcy as a septuagenarian, only to renew his fortunes by overcoming his fears and staging one of the greatest music tours of all time.
Yeah, he's one cool dude.
1. A career as Canada's most promising poet.
2. Living in Cuba during the Bay of Pigs invasion and (barely) making it out alive.
3. Becoming a cult artist and legendary songwriter, working with (and sometimes having affairs with) some of the most well-known artists of his day.
4. Calming down 600,000 people on the verge of rioting at the Isle of Wright festival in 1970
5. Writing one of the most famous songs of all time ("Hallelujah")
6. Working with Phil Spector and (barely) making it out alive
7. Reinventing himself from forlorn sad folkie to middle-aged synth-and-drum-box doomer with a morbid sense of humor
8. Wrote the greatest lyric of all time: "Give me crack and anal sex." (OK just kidding its "There's a crack in everything/That's how the light gets in")
9. Overcoming serious Major Depression Disorder
10. Becoming an ordained Buddhist Monk
11. Overcoming almost total bankruptcy as a septuagenarian, only to renew his fortunes by overcoming his fears and staging one of the greatest music tours of all time.
Yeah, he's one cool dude.
sjgrodsky's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a tepid fan of Leonard Cohen. He wrote some wonderful songs, but I like them better when they are sung, not recited at a glacial pace in Cohen's gravelly voice.
So I knew that 500-plus pages was more than I wanted. As expected, i skimmed the last half of the book. By then there was not much new to learn: Cohen would be gathering songs and musicians for a new album, then recording, then touring. Sometimes the critics liked the album, sometimes it sold well. Most often he would be in the midst of a semi-committed relationship with a woman who was most often blonde. He would be swimming twice a day. He would be self medicating with drugs and alcohol.
Or sometimes, only a few of the above would apply. The album wouldn't sell well. He didn't drink during this tour. She was brunette. And so on.
Here's what I'm trying to say: though I can only admire the author's thorough research, she falls into the common trap of telling us everything she's learned. I don't want more data. I want more understanding.
And at the least, I want the data presented better. There's no discography. No bibliography. No event timeline. No list of awards and honors.
But a consistent portrait does emerge: a nice Jewish boy from upper crust Westmount who was, above all else, a creative personality. If you believe in the common credo (love the art not the artist) you can forgive his indulgences in drugs, alcohol, sex. He never denied his Jewishness, even while becoming a zen master. He mastered the art of the cordial breakup -- none of the past lovers the author interviews would bad mouth him. He wrote and revised and wrote again -- at least two novels, several slim verse collections.
And finally the songs.
Hallelujah.
So I knew that 500-plus pages was more than I wanted. As expected, i skimmed the last half of the book. By then there was not much new to learn: Cohen would be gathering songs and musicians for a new album, then recording, then touring. Sometimes the critics liked the album, sometimes it sold well. Most often he would be in the midst of a semi-committed relationship with a woman who was most often blonde. He would be swimming twice a day. He would be self medicating with drugs and alcohol.
Or sometimes, only a few of the above would apply. The album wouldn't sell well. He didn't drink during this tour. She was brunette. And so on.
Here's what I'm trying to say: though I can only admire the author's thorough research, she falls into the common trap of telling us everything she's learned. I don't want more data. I want more understanding.
And at the least, I want the data presented better. There's no discography. No bibliography. No event timeline. No list of awards and honors.
But a consistent portrait does emerge: a nice Jewish boy from upper crust Westmount who was, above all else, a creative personality. If you believe in the common credo (love the art not the artist) you can forgive his indulgences in drugs, alcohol, sex. He never denied his Jewishness, even while becoming a zen master. He mastered the art of the cordial breakup -- none of the past lovers the author interviews would bad mouth him. He wrote and revised and wrote again -- at least two novels, several slim verse collections.
And finally the songs.
Hallelujah.