What do you think?
Rate this book
Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories: The Early Years
The extraordinary life of one of the world’s greatest music and literary icons, in the words of those who knew him best.
Poet, novelist, singer-songwriter, artist, prophet, icon—there has never been a figure like Leonard Cohen. He was a true giant in contemporary western culture, entertaining and inspiring people everywhere with his work. From his groundbreaking and bestselling novels, The Favourite Game and Beautiful Losers, to timeless songs such as “Suzanne,” “Dance Me to the End of Love,” and “Hallelujah,” Cohen is a cherished artist. His death in 2016 was felt around the world by the many fans and followers who would miss his warmth, humour, intellect, and piercing insights.
Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories chronicles the full breadth of his extraordinary life. The first of three volumes—The Early Years—follows him from his boyhood in Montreal to university, and his burgeoning literary career to the world of music, culminating with his first international tour in 1970.
Through the voices of those who knew him best—family and friends, colleagues and contemporaries, rivals, business partners, and his many lovers—the book probes deeply into both Cohen’s public and private life. It also paints a portrait of an era, the social, cultural, and political revolutions that shook the 1960s.
In this revealing and entertaining first volume, bestselling author and biographer Michael Posner draws on hundreds of interviews to reach beyond the Cohen of myth and reveal the unique, complex, and compelling figure of the real man.
Poet, novelist, singer-songwriter, artist, prophet, icon—there has never been a figure like Leonard Cohen. He was a true giant in contemporary western culture, entertaining and inspiring people everywhere with his work. From his groundbreaking and bestselling novels, The Favourite Game and Beautiful Losers, to timeless songs such as “Suzanne,” “Dance Me to the End of Love,” and “Hallelujah,” Cohen is a cherished artist. His death in 2016 was felt around the world by the many fans and followers who would miss his warmth, humour, intellect, and piercing insights.
Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories chronicles the full breadth of his extraordinary life. The first of three volumes—The Early Years—follows him from his boyhood in Montreal to university, and his burgeoning literary career to the world of music, culminating with his first international tour in 1970.
Through the voices of those who knew him best—family and friends, colleagues and contemporaries, rivals, business partners, and his many lovers—the book probes deeply into both Cohen’s public and private life. It also paints a portrait of an era, the social, cultural, and political revolutions that shook the 1960s.
In this revealing and entertaining first volume, bestselling author and biographer Michael Posner draws on hundreds of interviews to reach beyond the Cohen of myth and reveal the unique, complex, and compelling figure of the real man.
- GenresBiographyNonfictionMusic
496 pages, Hardcover
Published October 20, 2020
43 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 2, 2023
As is so often the case with musician/writer bios, you never know til you try them. So far, not so good. I'm skimming around, trying to find something interesting. Most of it strikes me as lumber, filler, or just plain dull. Dramatis personae goes on and on & ON! Format is snippets from biographer's interviews. Don't think I'll be reading much of this. Well, I have the ebook for 3 weeks ...
My first impression: lazy biographer, who simply typed up his interview tapes, edited those, called it good. Bah.
7/1/22: I gave up. I love his music, but not this book!
Why I tried it: WSJ's James Campbell gave this high marks. I didn't end up agreeing with him!
Some excerpts:
"One ex-girlfriend [of many!] recalls, “The first time I heard him sing, I said, ‘Leonard, I don’t think this is going to fly.’ Boy, was I wrong.”
Biographer Posner certainly did his homework, conducting 350 or so interviews of people who knew Cohen well. For the women, often in the Biblical sense: "“He’d look at a girl and she’d go to bed with him, right away,” Robert Cohen, a cousin, says."
So anyway, if you're another Leonard Cohen fan, this sounds like a must-read. [Except NOT, for me!] You will learn about his real-life GFs Suzanne and Marianne. Cohen's muse Suzanne Verdal is not to be confused with Suzanne Elrod, the mother of Cohen’s two children! Who doesn't love to read about celebrities love-lives?
The WSJ review: https://www.wsj.com/articles/leonard-... (Paywalled. As always, I'm happy to email a copy to non-subscribers.)
My first impression: lazy biographer, who simply typed up his interview tapes, edited those, called it good. Bah.
7/1/22: I gave up. I love his music, but not this book!
Why I tried it: WSJ's James Campbell gave this high marks. I didn't end up agreeing with him!
Some excerpts:
"One ex-girlfriend [of many!] recalls, “The first time I heard him sing, I said, ‘Leonard, I don’t think this is going to fly.’ Boy, was I wrong.”
Biographer Posner certainly did his homework, conducting 350 or so interviews of people who knew Cohen well. For the women, often in the Biblical sense: "“He’d look at a girl and she’d go to bed with him, right away,” Robert Cohen, a cousin, says."
So anyway, if you're another Leonard Cohen fan, this sounds like a must-read. [Except NOT, for me!] You will learn about his real-life GFs Suzanne and Marianne. Cohen's muse Suzanne Verdal is not to be confused with Suzanne Elrod, the mother of Cohen’s two children! Who doesn't love to read about celebrities love-lives?
The WSJ review: https://www.wsj.com/articles/leonard-... (Paywalled. As always, I'm happy to email a copy to non-subscribers.)
August 3, 2020
A collection of interviews with musicians, band members, friends, girlfriends, other poets, cultural peers, relations, rabbis, neighbors, spiritual advisors, lawyers, music industry people who knew Leonrard Cohen. This is the first of a proposed three-volume set covering early, middle, late periods of Cohen's life, each telling stories about him that have never been published before. A unique look at a legendary figure. -BH.
September 3, 2020
Leonard Cohen, Untold Sories by Michael Posner delves into the extraordinary life of the iconic artist, from his boyhood in Montreal through to his unorthodox life and rising notoriety until 1970. Told from the multiple perspectives of those who knew him best during these formative years, including childhood friends, numerous lovers, and contemporaries, the breadth of Cohen's experience is fleshed out to create a comprehensive portrait of the artist as a young man. Posner's exhaustive research and attention to timelines and details are evident on each and every page of this intimate biography. While I enjoyed learning about Cohen's life, I did find myself quite overwhelmed with the sheer volume of voices called upon to share their personal recollections. A minor quibble, however, as this is undeniably a comprehensive and impressive work.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this ARC.
December 21, 2020
Cohen's early years and the Jewish Westmount influences. The beginnings, relationships with family and friends, and mentors such as Irving Layton. The poet, the beginning song writer, the angst, the lovers and relationships. Much of Marianne and Hydra. Drug use, womanizing and self-doubt. All told through anecdotal interviews with family, friends, musicians and poets. There were many tidbits in here that I did not know about Leonard and I loved reading this book, even though I found some of the information a bit disappointing. This is the first book of a trilogy by Michael Posner. I cannot wait to read them all.
September 16, 2023
Another icon of my youth. I was introduced to Leonard age 14 when I began guitar lessons. My friend and I sang a few of his songs among others at aged care homes and for disabled children. I was very lucky to go to a concert in Scotland to see him perform in his early days of singing with my boyfriend who was and still is one of the best musicians I’ve ever known, he was my guitar teacher’s son so I had free lessons too.
Since then I’ve seen him perform twice in Adelaide and never been disappointed but ironically he passed away the same year as David Bowie in 2016. Two I’d followed all those years gone in one year was tough! I’ve read many of his poems and books but he’s a tough guy to understand. For me his music is beautiful even if he doesn’t possess a good voice. This book opened up so much about him and makes you realise “I get it now” about why he wrote the way he did and his bohemian ways. A French/Canadian Jew with a strong Russian mother has to make an impact on you. He had a strict upbringing but then went his own way as a youngster. A womaniser to the extreme with a high drug use. He was unable to commit to one woman. Marianne who they said his famous song is about, stuck by him as a lover and even after she married and had a son Axel helped her when she was left I her own a few months after he was born. Leonard be and his adopted father. Sadly Axel suffered severe mental illness and has been institutionalised for a long time. He was born in 1960.
Leonard Cohen was shy yet confident around some. He had no self esteem when he was young and never liked how he looked. Had such stage fright he cried on stage and had to leave at times mid song. He wrote songs and shared them with others such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell whom he dated for around a year, Judy Collins and Buffy Sainte Marie to name a few. He often sang or recited his poems to pay for a meal and I still love his songs. Many are hard to understand but if you dissect his poems and read about them you ‘get it’ as they all have deep meaning. Some were written while he was on drugs including LSD. He certainly lived his life to the extreme.
This is a first volume of 3 as the author interviewed his many acquaintances over the years to collect as much information as he could so we could understand what made him “I’m your man”! “Hallelujah” is his song even though many have recorded it, it’s still the best rendition for me.
Since then I’ve seen him perform twice in Adelaide and never been disappointed but ironically he passed away the same year as David Bowie in 2016. Two I’d followed all those years gone in one year was tough! I’ve read many of his poems and books but he’s a tough guy to understand. For me his music is beautiful even if he doesn’t possess a good voice. This book opened up so much about him and makes you realise “I get it now” about why he wrote the way he did and his bohemian ways. A French/Canadian Jew with a strong Russian mother has to make an impact on you. He had a strict upbringing but then went his own way as a youngster. A womaniser to the extreme with a high drug use. He was unable to commit to one woman. Marianne who they said his famous song is about, stuck by him as a lover and even after she married and had a son Axel helped her when she was left I her own a few months after he was born. Leonard be and his adopted father. Sadly Axel suffered severe mental illness and has been institutionalised for a long time. He was born in 1960.
Leonard Cohen was shy yet confident around some. He had no self esteem when he was young and never liked how he looked. Had such stage fright he cried on stage and had to leave at times mid song. He wrote songs and shared them with others such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell whom he dated for around a year, Judy Collins and Buffy Sainte Marie to name a few. He often sang or recited his poems to pay for a meal and I still love his songs. Many are hard to understand but if you dissect his poems and read about them you ‘get it’ as they all have deep meaning. Some were written while he was on drugs including LSD. He certainly lived his life to the extreme.
This is a first volume of 3 as the author interviewed his many acquaintances over the years to collect as much information as he could so we could understand what made him “I’m your man”! “Hallelujah” is his song even though many have recorded it, it’s still the best rendition for me.
January 5, 2022
Nearly 500 pages of reflections about Leonard Cohen. One for the fan. Somehow despite being endless 'soundbites' this manages to flow and be enjoyable.
Cohen, by and large comes across as charismatic and charming. Not perfect but no one is.
A remarkable achievement by Michael Posner.
Cohen, by and large comes across as charismatic and charming. Not perfect but no one is.
A remarkable achievement by Michael Posner.
November 15, 2020
Quite the epic tale of Leonard Cohen and his early life. The author does a remarkable job with the research and interviews that he conducted. As he says some of the memories are conflicting. Cohen was remarkably talented, in reading this oral history I can’t help but feel that he was manipulative and a misogynist. I understand the times were different in the 60s and 70s, for all the free love, many women were still marginalized and only wanted for sex.
December 1, 2020
If you're a Cohen fan, you need this book.
February 13, 2021
“Let the man watching me know, that this is not entirely devoid of the con.” — Leonard Cohen, Ladies & Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen
“Leonard was probably the most seductive man I’ve ever met. Seductive not just to women but to men.” — Aviva Layton
Leonard Cohen’s legacy seems perched at an unusually perilous moment.
When he was alive he traded in adeptly crafted confessions that withheld just enough blood-and-guts messiness to cast doubt on the veracity of their integral claims. He posed as a holy man while pointing directly to the sheer lunacy of any such posture. Leonard Cohen’s public image was, indeed, “not entirely devoid of the con.” But the beauty of the con lies in the willingness of the mark to invest confidence in a patent scam.
Thus far the biographies written about Leonard Cohen have partaken of the con and, paradoxically, sludged the legacy. When in his more frayed states, Cohen would mutter darkly about being an ape amongst apes, but this is rarely an acknowledged reality for most biographers (anywhere). The demand for narrative structure compels the biographer to surrender to The Great Man Of History template.
But Cohen was indeed an ape amongst apes — the beauty of Michael Posner’s “oral biography” is its chorus of voices from the tribal collectives Cohen moved through. The reader gets a sense not just of the man but of the enormous haptic feedback chamber he steeped in, as he graduated from Old Montreal, to Jewish summer camps in the Laurentians, to the university poetry scene, to the unfettered bacchanalia on Hydra Island, backstage and on the road.
Accounts are, as Posner immediately points out, often not just contradictory but also maddening. The generosity embedded in Posner’s scrupulous method is his faith in a reader’s ability and willingness to apply their own intelligence and skepticism to what is on offer — to read between the lines and flesh-in some of the spaces with reasonably informed conjecture.
Just one example (which reviewers are getting stuck on): debate over who introduced Marianne Ihlen’s then-adolescent son, Axel, to LSD — was it Cohen? Ihlen and Cohen together? Axel’s father alone? Did this happen on Hydra, or in Mexico? The matter occupies less than two pages in a book that reaches nearly 500, and the only element anyone can agree on is the trauma this inflicted on an already traumatized kid. This of course does nothing to determine who did what to whom, and where. But a page-and-a-half can say volumes about the group mentality on Hydra — where particular attitudes, explorations and behaviours were expected and encouraged.
In this scene Cohen sold himself, most persuasively, as a troubador who’d graduated to social and spiritual expectations that were revolutionary — expectations that, via Media’s Massage, were on the verge of penetrating and saturating the collective consciousness in the suburbs of the West.
All in all, this makes for a truly unique approach to Leonard Cohen. I eagerly await the next two volumes.
“Leonard was probably the most seductive man I’ve ever met. Seductive not just to women but to men.” — Aviva Layton
Leonard Cohen’s legacy seems perched at an unusually perilous moment.
When he was alive he traded in adeptly crafted confessions that withheld just enough blood-and-guts messiness to cast doubt on the veracity of their integral claims. He posed as a holy man while pointing directly to the sheer lunacy of any such posture. Leonard Cohen’s public image was, indeed, “not entirely devoid of the con.” But the beauty of the con lies in the willingness of the mark to invest confidence in a patent scam.
Thus far the biographies written about Leonard Cohen have partaken of the con and, paradoxically, sludged the legacy. When in his more frayed states, Cohen would mutter darkly about being an ape amongst apes, but this is rarely an acknowledged reality for most biographers (anywhere). The demand for narrative structure compels the biographer to surrender to The Great Man Of History template.
But Cohen was indeed an ape amongst apes — the beauty of Michael Posner’s “oral biography” is its chorus of voices from the tribal collectives Cohen moved through. The reader gets a sense not just of the man but of the enormous haptic feedback chamber he steeped in, as he graduated from Old Montreal, to Jewish summer camps in the Laurentians, to the university poetry scene, to the unfettered bacchanalia on Hydra Island, backstage and on the road.
Accounts are, as Posner immediately points out, often not just contradictory but also maddening. The generosity embedded in Posner’s scrupulous method is his faith in a reader’s ability and willingness to apply their own intelligence and skepticism to what is on offer — to read between the lines and flesh-in some of the spaces with reasonably informed conjecture.
Just one example (which reviewers are getting stuck on): debate over who introduced Marianne Ihlen’s then-adolescent son, Axel, to LSD — was it Cohen? Ihlen and Cohen together? Axel’s father alone? Did this happen on Hydra, or in Mexico? The matter occupies less than two pages in a book that reaches nearly 500, and the only element anyone can agree on is the trauma this inflicted on an already traumatized kid. This of course does nothing to determine who did what to whom, and where. But a page-and-a-half can say volumes about the group mentality on Hydra — where particular attitudes, explorations and behaviours were expected and encouraged.
In this scene Cohen sold himself, most persuasively, as a troubador who’d graduated to social and spiritual expectations that were revolutionary — expectations that, via Media’s Massage, were on the verge of penetrating and saturating the collective consciousness in the suburbs of the West.
All in all, this makes for a truly unique approach to Leonard Cohen. I eagerly await the next two volumes.
February 22, 2021
Leonard Cohen Untold stories: the Early Years by Michael Posner is a magnificent accomplishment. Getting words from the horse's mouth, so to speak, was a touch of genius. I felt in direct contact with the younger Leonard Cohen in ways that, at times, fascinated and horrified me.
The book is a fly-on-the-wall documentary that featured many of Leonard’s old and new friends, acquaintances and admirers, both females and males, and the great man himself. What is prevalent in these accounts is that Leonard was a gifted poet and songwriter, generous to a fault, always full of mischief and curiosity, and willing to take huge risks for the sake of getting new material.
Leonard was a complex character, at times conservative and old-fashioned, other times, totally reckless. Those who admire his work might be alarmed by the revelations in this book. And yet, his brilliant poems, books, and novels are the results of his experiences and power of observation.
As far as his well-known relationships with women are concerned, it might be said that Leonard was a free spirit whose search for love was a dangerous preoccupation.
This is not a frivolous account of Leonard’s life as a young man but a deeper, more realistic approach to the real person. Those who idealize him might be taken aback by some of the disclosures but then, it would be wrong not to give Leonard a chance to be viewed from all angles warts and all. He was so much more than just a romantic figure.
Highly recommended.
The book is a fly-on-the-wall documentary that featured many of Leonard’s old and new friends, acquaintances and admirers, both females and males, and the great man himself. What is prevalent in these accounts is that Leonard was a gifted poet and songwriter, generous to a fault, always full of mischief and curiosity, and willing to take huge risks for the sake of getting new material.
Leonard was a complex character, at times conservative and old-fashioned, other times, totally reckless. Those who admire his work might be alarmed by the revelations in this book. And yet, his brilliant poems, books, and novels are the results of his experiences and power of observation.
As far as his well-known relationships with women are concerned, it might be said that Leonard was a free spirit whose search for love was a dangerous preoccupation.
This is not a frivolous account of Leonard’s life as a young man but a deeper, more realistic approach to the real person. Those who idealize him might be taken aback by some of the disclosures but then, it would be wrong not to give Leonard a chance to be viewed from all angles warts and all. He was so much more than just a romantic figure.
Highly recommended.
August 15, 2021
I got this book twice for my birthday, it's like the only thing certain about me: I love Leonard Cohen.
This book is brilliant, a must for any fan. I was pleased to learn that it's the first in a trilogy about Leonard's life. That is why this book is so dear and charming, it doesn't rush. I was getting to know Leonard through all the people who ever met him. And mostly I loved it, but every hero has his flaws and the details of his womanising were quite predatory at times. The beauty of including so many voices is the how they were remembered. Some of the accounts differ highlighting the true nature of perception and memory. Posner acknowledges this in his introduction,
I am looking forward to the next, although I will miss Marianne. Some of my favourite moments were with her and Axel and their time with Leonard on Hydra.
This book is brilliant, a must for any fan. I was pleased to learn that it's the first in a trilogy about Leonard's life. That is why this book is so dear and charming, it doesn't rush. I was getting to know Leonard through all the people who ever met him. And mostly I loved it, but every hero has his flaws and the details of his womanising were quite predatory at times. The beauty of including so many voices is the how they were remembered. Some of the accounts differ highlighting the true nature of perception and memory. Posner acknowledges this in his introduction,
their recollections and viewpoints were in conflict. I have largely refrained from adjudicating these disputes. That, I submit, is part of the virtue of oral biography; everyone gets to take the stand, and the jurors–readers–decide whose version of the truth they endorse.
I am looking forward to the next, although I will miss Marianne. Some of my favourite moments were with her and Axel and their time with Leonard on Hydra.
January 27, 2021
Wonderful, enchanting 1st volume (out of 3) about the first 36 years or so of the life of Leonard Cohen, who goes from poet to novelist to songwriter to singer/songwriter within these pages, as told by the friends and lover and colleagues who (in some cases) knew him best or barely at all.
Mr. Posner has created an oral history of Mr Cohen's life, which help turn the pages quickly. He also includes many contradictory commentaries and stories about certain times and incidents in Mr. Cohen's life which is fascinating and equally revealing about who is telling what about Mr. Cohen.
The book is chockful of stories about Mr. Cohen's songs, his poems, his extensive drug use and his sex life, which was very, very, rewarding.
This is a book that you could never call dull or boring because it is not. By any means.
Mr. Posner has created an oral history of Mr Cohen's life, which help turn the pages quickly. He also includes many contradictory commentaries and stories about certain times and incidents in Mr. Cohen's life which is fascinating and equally revealing about who is telling what about Mr. Cohen.
The book is chockful of stories about Mr. Cohen's songs, his poems, his extensive drug use and his sex life, which was very, very, rewarding.
This is a book that you could never call dull or boring because it is not. By any means.
November 22, 2020
I could not get past the first two sections of this book. This was an oral history of Cohen's early years and I found it disjointed and very confusing. Michael Posner interviewed many people in order to put this and two future books together to cover the life of Leonard Cohen.
I was excited to get this book. But so disappointed that it was so difficult to read!
I was excited to get this book. But so disappointed that it was so difficult to read!
October 28, 2021
This is easily the most interesting book I've ever read about Leonard Cohen. Posner brings you into his circle and you finish the book with the sense that you've met the man! I often feel a bit cheated by Cohen biographies that treat his years as a poet in Canada as some sort of apprenticeship for the real deal - his music career. This is not the case here. Most of the people interviewed knew LC in the years before his first album appeared as a poet in Montreal, Hydra, or New York. The man that emerges is a complex and fascinating individual. This won't be a surprise to fans of his poetry, music, or somewhat underrated novels. Speaking of the novels, all is revealed! I know the probable identity of F. in Beautiful Losers now! No one will ever get closer to Cohen than Posner has here. You will note in acknowledgements how many of the interview subjects are no longer alive. He pulled this together in the nick of time! I can't wait for the next two volumes.
November 11, 2022
A bunch of people give (mostly) glowing, occasionally divergent thoughts on Cohen’s life up to 1970.
I’ve read a lot about LC so I’m not sure how much this book adds to anything UNLESS you want a detailed recap of all the women he slept with, almost slept with, tries to sleep with, had major chemistry with, cheated on, etc in some cases week by week. It becomes almost a joke by the end when it talks about him failing to seduce a 17 year old virgin.
Yeah you get a kaleidoscopic interpretation of his life but a few people obviously still have sour grapes and dislike him while others fawn over his every breath.
I know the author said he wasn’t going to edit their words but it ends up just being he said she said for 400 pages.
Not awful but hardly the best book on LC. Maybe the next two will improve.
I’ve read a lot about LC so I’m not sure how much this book adds to anything UNLESS you want a detailed recap of all the women he slept with, almost slept with, tries to sleep with, had major chemistry with, cheated on, etc in some cases week by week. It becomes almost a joke by the end when it talks about him failing to seduce a 17 year old virgin.
Yeah you get a kaleidoscopic interpretation of his life but a few people obviously still have sour grapes and dislike him while others fawn over his every breath.
I know the author said he wasn’t going to edit their words but it ends up just being he said she said for 400 pages.
Not awful but hardly the best book on LC. Maybe the next two will improve.
May 8, 2023
I bought the hardcover version the other day to find out if I am in it. I am mentioned several times as someone who "stalked" Leonard Cohen. I think a responsible journalist would have fact checked before repeating sleazy gossip without evidence of any kind to back it up, and with no authorial input or accountability. That's all I will say here for now, other than to remind Michael Posner, his informants and readers that the legal definition of a "stalker" is:
stalk·ing. : the act or crime of willfully and repeatedly following or harassing another person in circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to fear injury or death especially because of express or implied threats.
stalk·ing. : the act or crime of willfully and repeatedly following or harassing another person in circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to fear injury or death especially because of express or implied threats.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2025
Brilliant. It's a large collection of quotes from people who knew Cohen and whose fragmented quotes are pieces of a puzzle that recompose Cohen's early years. The quotes sometimes contradict themselves, but different people have different memories. Many people contributed, and it must have been no small task for the author to conduct all these interviews. The author has also done a nice job adding paragraphs to clarify quotes or put them in a historical perspective. The book makes you feel part of Montreal's poetic fifties and the free-spirited sixties on Hydra, Athe UK, and US.
I'm looking forward to reading part 2 !
I'm looking forward to reading part 2 !
Read
December 14, 2020I have just finished reading this trashy book on Kindle (very happy I didn’t waste more money on the Hardcopy!) A compilation of gossip-style notations from people who allegedly knew Leonard Cohen. This is tabloid-style journalism that feeds into the sensationalism & fake news so prevalent & popular in our times. Too many people have jumped onto the bandwagon to profit from the beautiful legacy that Leonard Cohen left us & this book in no way enhances that nor does it necessitate digging in the dirt & finding skeletons in the closet.
Trashy! is this relevant to Leonard Cohen’s legacy?
Trashy! is this relevant to Leonard Cohen’s legacy?
March 23, 2021
Because I like the singer Leonard Cohen I was very interested in reading about his life. This book covers his early years as the title suggests. Posner does an excellent job of bringing to life these particular years. Not only does the reader learn about Cohen, but also of the many people he associated with and the places he traveled to and lived in. The combination of various elements made this a worthwhile, enlightening biography. When I listen to his music it will be with more understanding and appreciation. The poet/novelist transition to singer/songwriter is carefully written.
Read
January 31, 2021It's like spending a night in a bar where everyone knew or had worked with, El Cohen. No one's memory is perfect but they all want to sing and share their recollections. One of the book's blurb's expressed it perfectly: '...The voices that are gathered here are indispensable to complete the splendid mosaic that is Leonard Cohen' (Soheyl Dahl). Michael Posner has created (and is yet creating!) a wonderful gift for those who love the man's art, his person, and his persona.
December 27, 2022
Abandoning it at this point. Call it an "oral biography," but it reads just like gossip. People's comments are just listed out, some of them just random ("He was virtually never there--never. We never encountered each other." p. 27) so why are they there? It's just a mish-mash with an interminable list of contributors with no sense of how well they knew or didn't know Cohen. A family tree would have been useful.
November 21, 2020
This is the first volume of a trilogy (!) that chronicles Cohen’s life from birth to 1970. Michael Posner has interviewed hundreds of people and recorded their reminiscences about Cohen so it is an interesting look at a life as told by people who were close to him, be it for an hour or a lifetime.
An easy enjoyable read that diehard fans will love.
An easy enjoyable read that diehard fans will love.
July 6, 2021
A biography written by interviewing a large number of people and pasting in the transcripts with their names on them. I think that the author needed to be a more judicious editor of what he heard. More of the author and less transcript would have made this a more enjoyable read. As it was written, reading it became tiresome.
March 16, 2023
I am not a fan of the core concept of a book strung together by independent quotations. I think a biography works better with a stringent narrative.
That being said the sources for this book are really good, and becomes especially intriguing when dealing with Cohens life in the late 60's.
That being said the sources for this book are really good, and becomes especially intriguing when dealing with Cohens life in the late 60's.
Read
November 10, 2021I am really enjoying this book but did not finish it as it is long and I have so many other books I want to read. I will get back to it one day.
August 4, 2022
Good lord this book is detailed! Only for the true fan with a basic understanding of the Cohen timeline and a good understanding of his work.
Read
October 12, 2024liked the layout of this book as it was thru interviews from his close acquaintances, but stopped reading it to go listen to his music/actually pick one of his fiction works
October 6, 2022
I read a digital version, borrowed from the library, via the Libby app. I did not like the format. Maybe the print editions are different. The version I read was comprised of short paragraphs that introduced snippets of interviews, documentary style. The name of the person quoted, followed by the quote.
I kept wondering who these people were and why I should care about them. Only in some cases were their role in Cohen's life explained, and sometimes that was after they were quoted, in another segment.
It was only when I got to the end that I found an appendix with several pages of names and who they were to Cohen. It would have helped had I known about it from the start. Maybe it was explained in the introduction and I forgot. Alternatives would be either having all of that preceded the first chapter, or adding the context to each name the first time the person is quoted, or footnotes/endnotes.
Also, I'm not sure if the interviews were edited for grammar or clarity. In some cases, I didn't understand what the interviewee was saying. Who were they referring to? Who is "they"? Can the author (compiler) not add square brackets for context? I did like that some of the sections seemed conversational. Person A says one thing and Person B says that they were wrong.
The story was interesting but with several biographies of Cohen to choose from that share about Cohen's interesting life, this would not be the one I recommend and I won't read the two followup books.
Several times I almost gave up reading and finally, I decided to plow through with a couple of long reading sessions. Now I can move on to a novel.
I kept wondering who these people were and why I should care about them. Only in some cases were their role in Cohen's life explained, and sometimes that was after they were quoted, in another segment.
It was only when I got to the end that I found an appendix with several pages of names and who they were to Cohen. It would have helped had I known about it from the start. Maybe it was explained in the introduction and I forgot. Alternatives would be either having all of that preceded the first chapter, or adding the context to each name the first time the person is quoted, or footnotes/endnotes.
Also, I'm not sure if the interviews were edited for grammar or clarity. In some cases, I didn't understand what the interviewee was saying. Who were they referring to? Who is "they"? Can the author (compiler) not add square brackets for context? I did like that some of the sections seemed conversational. Person A says one thing and Person B says that they were wrong.
The story was interesting but with several biographies of Cohen to choose from that share about Cohen's interesting life, this would not be the one I recommend and I won't read the two followup books.
Several times I almost gave up reading and finally, I decided to plow through with a couple of long reading sessions. Now I can move on to a novel.
September 19, 2024
Exhaustive, fascinating, a must read for Cohen fans. This three volume biography will enhance anyone’s understanding of his oeuvre without setting biographical boundaries on the reader’s own interpretations of his work. On the darker side, it’s tough to hear about his relentless, pathological womanizing and the prevarication and psychological abuse inflicted on several of his paramours. But the work is greater than the man. It outlives him. Ultimately it’s the reader’s decision whether or not to love the art while hating— or at least having second thoughts—about the artist. In the meantime, these three books in my mind replace the fine but limited Sylvie Simmons bio of several years back, and while a more intensive and critical study of Cohen remains to be written, this set will satisfy any but the most cranky Cohenphile.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews