Product Description

Brings together Cohen's song lyrics and a selection of his poetry (originally published between 1956 and 1992).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #63288 in Books
• Published on: 1993-11-18
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Customer Reviews

The true heart of Leonard Cohen,.,,,
This chunky collection contains a reasonable amount of his poetry, a selection of his early lyrics, and thankfully short extracts from his two novel attempts.
Cohen is, first and foremost, a poet. But being a singer pays better. He can sing well, and can find his way around many a decent melody, but it is here on the printed page that his real genius resides. Having said that, his two novel attempts were not successful, losing themselves in the same way that Dylan's stab at the genre did.
The poems are best enjoyed in leasured re-reading. As for the lyrics, they stand up well on the starkness of the printed page and, as Cohen's early albums don't come with a lyric sheet, this is a good source to really study some of those early masterpieces...
A must for Cohen fans.
An intrigueing purchase for the curious.
I would still be happier with a complete poems and, if possible, a complete lyrics.
Well, one can always hope....

Romantic, dark, and beautiful. . .
Cohen's poetry is much like his music, only more so. It is dark, intimate, sensual, and it has a tendency to get under your skin. I keep this book under my bed so that it is always handy to grab at a moments notice, and because it is too personal to be put in my bookcase. . .

Excellent, thought provoking poetry
I was introduced to Leonard Cohen's work very recently through Alexandra Burke's Hallelujah and realised that the lyrics had far more depth and subtlety than most 'pop' songs. I wish I had 'discovered' him earlier. This book is packed full of his poems and lyrics. As he avoids cliches and the obvious, you have to work at the layers of meaning (as with most good modern poetry), but the reward is well worth the effort.