Name: Leonard Cohen: The Mystical Roots of Genius
Brand: Harry Freedman

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

9781399416498

Colour

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format Books GB

Paperback

Format detail

Limited edition

Release date

2024-04-25

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Macmillan

Tax rate GB

Zero:0

UPC / Barcode

Artist

Harry Freedman

Genre GB

Music

Label GB

Bloomsbury

Newest Listed Items

Get a second book half price when you buy two from our 'Buy Get On Half Price Range'. Choose from Patti Smith, Mark Lanegan, Cosey Fanni Tutti and more... USE PROMO CODE: B1G1HP

Buy One Get One Half Price

Harry Freedman uncovers the spiritual traditions that lie behind Leonard Cohen's profound and unmistakable lyrics The singer and poet Leonard Cohen was deeply learned in Judaism and Christianity, the spiritual traditions that underpinned his self-identity and the way he made sense of the world. In this book Harry Freedman, a leading author of cultural and religious history, explores the mystical and spiritual sources Cohen drew upon, discusses their original context and the stories and ideas behind them. Cohen's music is studded with allusions to Jewish and Christian tradition, to stories and ideas drawn from the Bible, Talmud and Kabbalah. From his 1967 classic Suzanne, through masterpieces like 'Hallelujah' and 'Who by Fire', to his final challenge to the divinity, You Want It Darker he drew on spirituality for inspiration and as a tool to create understanding, clarity and beauty. Born into a prominent and scholarly Jewish family in Montreal, Canada, Cohen originally aspired to become a poet, before turning to song writing and eventually recording his own compositions. Later, he became immersed in Zen Buddhism, moving in 1990 to a Zen monastery on Mount Baldy, California where he remained for some years. He died, with immaculate timing, on the day before Donald Trump was elected in 2016, leaving behind him a legacy that will be felt for generations to come. Leonard Cohen: The Mystical Roots of Genius looks deeply into the imagination of one of the greatest singers and lyricists of our time, providing a window on the landscape of his soul. Departing from traditional biographical approaches, Freedman explores song by song how Cohen reworked myths and prayers, legends and allegories. By the end the reader will be left with a powerful understanding of Cohen's story, together with a far broader insight into the mystical origins of his inimitable work.

Leonard Cohen: The Mystical Roots of Genius

Books GB