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kb_208's review against another edition
5.0
An outstanding biography that is very rich in the details about the one and only Leonard Cohen. I've been a fan of his work for years and have finally gotten around to reading this. I've been very familiar with his music and albums for years, but nothing really beyond that. This biography gives ample detail of his starts in Montreal as a poet and his many ups and downs through that whole period. As popular as his music is, most of his albums got pretty bleak reviews when they first came out. Much of it didn't really take off until his 1992 album "The Future" Came out. He was mostly involved with the Canadian poet world, but was on the fringes of the folk/rock movement of the 60's have relationships with Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell, and even becoming friends with Dylan.
The book also describes his unstable romantic life and never wanting to be tied down to one person. I've seen some people comment that this book is long and spends a lot of time on his young years, which it is and does, but those are the parts of his life I wanted to know the most about. Why didn't he start making music until 30? What did he do before "Songs of Leonard Cohen"? ect. This book answers all of that and more. Check it out.
The book also describes his unstable romantic life and never wanting to be tied down to one person. I've seen some people comment that this book is long and spends a lot of time on his young years, which it is and does, but those are the parts of his life I wanted to know the most about. Why didn't he start making music until 30? What did he do before "Songs of Leonard Cohen"? ect. This book answers all of that and more. Check it out.
1outside's review against another edition
5.0
Been listening to Leonard for most of my life at this point. Us Mittle-Europeans love him, even if many, if not most, have no idea what he's singing. The tunes are just that good. And as a melody writer he remains underrated by everyone, incl. himself.
I got to see him perform live on my 21st birthday (September 2008) and what a magical evening it was! Got to share it with my mum, who is one of those who have no idea what he's singing but loves his music nevertheless.
I read a few of his books, even a book about him from perhaps the 90s (?), but until now, nothing as nearly all-encompassing as this biography. Thought it was about time.
I barrelled through this book with an intensity I'm rarely capable of. I guess Leonard is someone who provokes intensity in his listeners/readers. By the time I made it into the 90's, the cycles of various lovers and depressions of his got me close to a burn-out. "I can't wait to read about literally anything other than Leonard!". I even stopped listening to the music. It all got almost too much. But after his depression lifted for the last time, my warm feelings towards the content, sprightly, wise old man of my youth made their return.
The ending of the book made me sad. The book was finished in 2012. Leonard died only four years later, at a surprisingly young age of 82. A surprisingly young age for someone who already sounded eternal on the first song of his I ever heard, Suzanne. A surprisingly young age for someone who would skip onstage and kneel at his shows in his 70's. I sort of assumed he'd live as long as his friend Roshi, (who died aged 107). As it happened, Leonard outlived Roshi by only about two years and a half.
The ending made me sad because the author, who spend years immersed in his life and who got to interview him and meet with him in person, also assumed this happy, healthy old man was here to stay for quite a while longer, despite his (jokey) ruminations on death.
But man, what a life! What a man! Would I have stayed friends with him after he'd abandon me?
So many women!
So many drugs!
So much pain.
And yet, at the end of it all, despite the darkness of his lyrics, he makes people smile.
They're lining up to prisoners
And the guards are taking aim
I struggle with some demons
They were middle class and tame
I didn't know I had permission
To murder and to maim
You smile and say...ain't that the truth, Leonard. Ain't that the truth.
I got to see him perform live on my 21st birthday (September 2008) and what a magical evening it was! Got to share it with my mum, who is one of those who have no idea what he's singing but loves his music nevertheless.
I read a few of his books, even a book about him from perhaps the 90s (?), but until now, nothing as nearly all-encompassing as this biography. Thought it was about time.
I barrelled through this book with an intensity I'm rarely capable of. I guess Leonard is someone who provokes intensity in his listeners/readers. By the time I made it into the 90's, the cycles of various lovers and depressions of his got me close to a burn-out. "I can't wait to read about literally anything other than Leonard!". I even stopped listening to the music. It all got almost too much. But after his depression lifted for the last time, my warm feelings towards the content, sprightly, wise old man of my youth made their return.
The ending of the book made me sad. The book was finished in 2012. Leonard died only four years later, at a surprisingly young age of 82. A surprisingly young age for someone who already sounded eternal on the first song of his I ever heard, Suzanne. A surprisingly young age for someone who would skip onstage and kneel at his shows in his 70's. I sort of assumed he'd live as long as his friend Roshi, (who died aged 107). As it happened, Leonard outlived Roshi by only about two years and a half.
The ending made me sad because the author, who spend years immersed in his life and who got to interview him and meet with him in person, also assumed this happy, healthy old man was here to stay for quite a while longer, despite his (jokey) ruminations on death.
But man, what a life! What a man! Would I have stayed friends with him after he'd abandon me?
So many women!
So many drugs!
So much pain.
And yet, at the end of it all, despite the darkness of his lyrics, he makes people smile.
They're lining up to prisoners
And the guards are taking aim
I struggle with some demons
They were middle class and tame
I didn't know I had permission
To murder and to maim
You smile and say...ain't that the truth, Leonard. Ain't that the truth.
chasetothecut's review against another edition
5.0
A deeply moving, deeply personal, and oftentimes humorous portrait of one of the twentieth century’s greatest lyrical laureates. This book should be a must-read for all aspiring creatives, regardless of discipline.
dcmr's review against another edition
1.0
I've long enjoyed the music of Leonard Cohen and was really looking forward to knowing more about his life (from poet to songwriter to Zen monk?)-- but this book was a real struggle for me. I didn't the stamina to slog through the laborious details of his birth and childhood so that I could eventually get to his adult accomplishments.
princesszinza's review against another edition
4.0
I review books (as I've written before) strictly to record how the book made me feel and what it made me think about. This book brought me back to being 10 and being forced to listen to my brother's record collection. As with many of his records, I grew to appreciate Leonard Cohen. I particularly loved the song "Avalanche". It was so raw and emotional. I didn't have the self awareness as a child to realize that I was relating to the self-loathing and depression that Leonard was expressing.
This well written book sucked me in right from the beginning with the description of Cohen's Russian immigrant mother and her Jewish neighborhood in Montreal. As always, I was disappointed when I read the typical rock stories about his misuse of drugs and women. It is a component of every musician's biography that I've ever read. Somehow, I imagined that since Leonard Cohen was a well dressed poet who wrote with such compassion for people he wouldn't fall down that path. Alas, Leonard was human after all.
I really enjoyed reading about his concert career when he was in his 70's. I remember hearing about these concerts. I wanted to get tickets but held back because I couldn't imagine that a 70ish Cohen singing 40 year old songs would be decent. Reading about the work and joy that went into these shows, I'm regretful I didn't go to one.
This is one of the best rock star biographies I've ever read. It is close to a 5 star read for me.
This well written book sucked me in right from the beginning with the description of Cohen's Russian immigrant mother and her Jewish neighborhood in Montreal. As always, I was disappointed when I read the typical rock stories about his misuse of drugs and women. It is a component of every musician's biography that I've ever read. Somehow, I imagined that since Leonard Cohen was a well dressed poet who wrote with such compassion for people he wouldn't fall down that path. Alas, Leonard was human after all.
I really enjoyed reading about his concert career when he was in his 70's. I remember hearing about these concerts. I wanted to get tickets but held back because I couldn't imagine that a 70ish Cohen singing 40 year old songs would be decent. Reading about the work and joy that went into these shows, I'm regretful I didn't go to one.
This is one of the best rock star biographies I've ever read. It is close to a 5 star read for me.
blueskygreentreesyellowsun's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting experience because I was definitely not the intended audience - not only was I not one of Leonard Cohen's legions of fans, I'd never even heard of him until picking up the book. Why I picked up the book in the first place is a bit of a mystery, really. Maybe it was just pure voyeuristic impulse, the joy of crawling through someone's life and turning over all the stones. The position of un-anticipation, of not being able to say "well we're in 1973 so pretty soon THIS must happen" or "when is he finally going to write THAT ONE song", was refreshing. It left me completely open for whatever came along, at whatever pace and in whatever detail it chose.
Partway through the book I listened to one of the famous old Leonard Cohen songs, and then put on an album of his hits to understand better what the book was describing. I can't say that it did anything for me, but the book was still enjoyable through to the very last page.
Partway through the book I listened to one of the famous old Leonard Cohen songs, and then put on an album of his hits to understand better what the book was describing. I can't say that it did anything for me, but the book was still enjoyable through to the very last page.
starness's review against another edition
5.0
My earliest recollection of Leonard Cohen was when I first listened to 'Everybody Knows' in 1990 yet I had no idea who sang it and didn't think much else about the artist until a few years before his death when I was given a copy of one of his albums but I distinctly remember hearing the song back then and feeling wowed by the tone of voice. It was like something I'd never heard before.
I was prompted to read this book shortly after his death as I remember having a lump in my throat at the world losing such a beautiful unique artist, I felt a deep need to learn more about this enigmatic man.
This biography well researched and intricately detailed by Sylvie Simmons is a comprehensive look at the full life of a true musical magician. A man full of complex contradictions. A man of magnificent restraint. This is a man who always grappled with self doubt. He spent a lot of time soul searching and looking for answers and often sought different religious leaders, despite his Jewish ancestry he was drawn to the Buddhist teachings of Joshu Sasaki Roshi a man who became one of his most influential teachers spending a length of time at a Zen centre and becoming an ordained Zen Buddhist Monk himself, he also sought the teachings of a Advaita Master a form of Hindu philosophy and travelled to Mumbai regularly. He often had bouts of depression and needed to spend time alone away from the spotlight, when things got too hectic he craved solitude and walked away from it all, reappearing when he felt reenergised and ready to brace the music world again. Leonard was a true bohemian and a free spirit he feared commitment and shied away from marriage but he was very committed to his art, his lifelong friends, his religious studies and ultimately his music which gave him his purpose and drive. This book has a lot of content, it covers the early days of his transition from poetry and author to accidental musician he was a reluctant celebrity but also courted it, he was there during the Chelsea days and mixed with all the greats Dylan, Ginsberg, Nico, Janis, Joni and many more but he also always felt like an outcast. To me he was the epitome of a true gentleman and a voice of a generation that left a major hole in the art and music world that will never be filled. This took me awhile to read but I can say it was a privilege to get to know intimately this true humble beautiful soul that I found myself mesmerised by his sheer brilliance.
I was prompted to read this book shortly after his death as I remember having a lump in my throat at the world losing such a beautiful unique artist, I felt a deep need to learn more about this enigmatic man.
This biography well researched and intricately detailed by Sylvie Simmons is a comprehensive look at the full life of a true musical magician. A man full of complex contradictions. A man of magnificent restraint. This is a man who always grappled with self doubt. He spent a lot of time soul searching and looking for answers and often sought different religious leaders, despite his Jewish ancestry he was drawn to the Buddhist teachings of Joshu Sasaki Roshi a man who became one of his most influential teachers spending a length of time at a Zen centre and becoming an ordained Zen Buddhist Monk himself, he also sought the teachings of a Advaita Master a form of Hindu philosophy and travelled to Mumbai regularly. He often had bouts of depression and needed to spend time alone away from the spotlight, when things got too hectic he craved solitude and walked away from it all, reappearing when he felt reenergised and ready to brace the music world again. Leonard was a true bohemian and a free spirit he feared commitment and shied away from marriage but he was very committed to his art, his lifelong friends, his religious studies and ultimately his music which gave him his purpose and drive. This book has a lot of content, it covers the early days of his transition from poetry and author to accidental musician he was a reluctant celebrity but also courted it, he was there during the Chelsea days and mixed with all the greats Dylan, Ginsberg, Nico, Janis, Joni and many more but he also always felt like an outcast. To me he was the epitome of a true gentleman and a voice of a generation that left a major hole in the art and music world that will never be filled. This took me awhile to read but I can say it was a privilege to get to know intimately this true humble beautiful soul that I found myself mesmerised by his sheer brilliance.