A Broken Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen’s Secret Chord. By Leil Leibovitz.Sandstone Press; 256 pages; $25.95 and £14.99. Buy from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
AT THE age of 29 Leonard Cohen wrote a letter accompanying a collection of poems he was submitting for a young writers’ contest: “I was born in Montreal, September 21, 1934. My passport number is 5-017560. My eyes are hazel.” That Mr Cohen did not mention that he had already won a prize for his earlier writing defines him, Leil Leibovitz argues. All that matters to the singer is his work; and on that alone should he be judged.
“A Broken Hallelujah” opens with a gripping account of Mr Cohen’s appearance at the Isle of Wight festival in 1970 before jumping back to his Jewish upbringing in 1930s suburban Montreal. Mr Leibovitz explores the influence of poets, such as Federico García Lorca, A.M. Klein and Irving Layton; the impact of Bob Dylan; Mr Cohen’s time on the Greek island of Hydra; significant recording sessions; his touring career; his training as a Buddhist monk; and his triumphant comeback in the late 2000s.
“A Broken Hallelujah” opens with a gripping account of Mr Cohen’s appearance at the Isle of Wight festival in 1970 before jumping back to his Jewish upbringing in 1930s suburban Montreal. Mr Leibovitz explores the influence of poets, such as Federico García Lorca, A.M. Klein and Irving Layton; the impact of Bob Dylan; Mr Cohen’s time on the Greek island of Hydra; significant recording sessions; his touring career; his training as a Buddhist monk; and his triumphant comeback in the late 2000s.
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