I'm Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen
Ratings3
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings3
Average rating3.7
The genius behind such classic songs as "Suzanne", "Bird on the Wire" and "Hallelujah", Leonard Cohen has been one of the most important and influential songwriters of our time, a man of spirituality, emotion, and intelligence whose work has explored the definitive issues of human life - sex, religion, power, meaning, love. Yet before he even began recording, Cohen was an accomplished literary figure whose poetry and novels brought him considerable recognition. His dual careers in music and literature have transformed one another, his songs revealing a literary quality rare in the world of popular music, and his poetry and prose informed by a rich musicality. "I'm Your Man" explores the facets of Cohen's life - from his early childhood in Montreal, to his entree into the worlds of literature and music, his immersion in Jewish culture, obsession with Christian imagery, and deep commitment to Buddhist detachment - including the five years he spent at a monastery outside of Los Angeles and his ordainment as a Rinzai Zen Buddhist Monk. Sylvie Simmons draws on Cohen's private archives and a wealth of interviews with many of his closest associates, colleagues, and other artists whose work he has inspired, as well as professors, Buddhist monks, and rabbis, to share stories and details never before revealed, and correct mistakes propounded in previous works. Unlike other biographies, "I'm Your Man" gives equal time to Cohen's poetry and prose and balances his intellectual and religious sides. The result is this deeply insightful, well-rounded portrait, of an artist whose reach, vision, and incredible talent has had a profound impact on multiple generations and who continues to create magic today.
Reviews with the most likes.
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.
