Customer Reviews

Various Positions: A Life of Leonard Cohen

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This is a fascinating book. However, it is not a conventional biography, in that the author (Ira Nadel) does not fully succeed in weaving the events of Cohen's life into a flowing narrative. The story proceeds disjointedly, and the reader follows it with a feeling of uneven coverage and missing pieces. Ira Nadel is clearly in personal awe of Leonard Cohen (as any of us would be, I suppose), such that he shies away from offering much analysis (psychoanalysis?) of his work and conduct of his life, beyond what the work and facts of his life suggest readily. For example, Cohen's long, tortured relationship with his wife Suzanne is described by a series of vignettes, as cold as news reports, spiced only with relevant-seeming quotations from Cohen's work. Nadel doesn't do the interpretive work of suggesting was going on in Cohen's mind, and what was causing that, which is what biographers usually do for us (and we judge them on whether they do that well or badly). There are ocassional Freudian interpretations, as when Nadel compares Cohen's relationship with his lovers to that with his mother. But we don't get a feel for how the relationship developed and began to sour. In fact, we barely get any feel of "development" in Cohen's life at all, which makes it seem like disconnected reportage rather than a biographical narrative. This quality could be seen as a plus, as it gives the book a cryptic feel, rather like the work of Leonard Cohen itself. I learned a lot, and enjoyed the distant quality of Nadel's writing for what it was, but I was left wanting to know more. Perhaps Cohen, whose work often veers into playful impenetrability, perfers it that way.

The book is readable -- not exciting but not an academic drudge either. This is important because Cohen, as opposed tothe book, is not so readable. On the other hand Cohen is such an interesting chap, and such an remarkable modern literary figure, that any decent book about him, including this one, is going to be intersting.

The book overall follows the biographic customary timeline of past to present, starting with ancestors a few generations back. However,within any few pages Nadel jumps in time more than Billy Pilgrim, so one minute you might be reading about something that happened in 1975 and a few later you're reading about something in 1969 and in a few more pages and it's 1978. It's often necessary in a biography, while discussing events in one period, to reference related matters from another period. A biographer like, say, Marion Meade, handles this sort of thing with aplomb. In Nadel's book, while sometimes there seems to be a thematic point underlying Nadel's schenanigans with the timeline, at worst it is unnecessarily confusing and at best it is disruptive. Another draft was in order.

Generally, the farther back in the past the book reaches, the more info it has to offer, and the overall effect of the book is to leave you wanting more information, especially about the last 30 years of Cohen's life. E.g., Nadel tells you in a few sentences that Cohen was recently defrauded of millions of dollars, his life savings, but doesn't say anything about how the swindle took place -- did Cohen by a time share on Mars? was Cohen preoccupied while someone simply ransacked his bank accounts? And afterword was added a few years ago to catch up on what's happened since the book was written. This add-on is presented as an "afterword" but is more like a footnote in large type, as it briefly rushes through several years of some very important events, leaving off with the noting that a tour is being planned for 2007 -- which, of course, we now know turned out to be the biggest and best received tour, worldwide, of Cohen's career. A better afterword would have taken some time to add an actual chapter or two or, in lieu of further research and writing. One might have hoped that Footman's newer biography with the obvious title, Leonard Cohen: Hallelujah: A New Biography, (slated for publication in November 2009) would take care of this, but alas , does not.

Nadel does a good job of tracing familial and academic roots and associations, which helps to show how key they are to Cohen and his work.

On the other hand, on a thematic level, Nadel repeatedly tells the reader that Cohen is depressed and suffering (big surprise if you read his poems, prose or heard his songs), but you don't really get anything new on why he's depressed or what he's suffering from -- except for this: he likes women but isn't comfortable being "tied down" -- Well, a song or too and you could figure that out. You do learn the names of folks in Cohen's life, including those mentioned or alluded to in songs or poems. You also are told often that Cohen used drugs but you never really get a good idea how much or how often -- as spaced out as Carrie Fisher? potted as Betty Ford? comfortably maintaining the appearance of sobriety like Dick Van Dyke, or just a chronic dabbler?

Nadel does go some distance to tie together Cohen's lifelong interest in Judaism and decades long interest Zen. And that might be the most depth that the book has to offer.

You will know more about Cohen, including more details, after reading this book, but you probably won't feel like you've read the definitive account of Cohen's life and career. But Cohen is such an interesting chap, and such an remarkable literary figure, that any decent book about him, including this one, is going to be intersting.

If you are interested in Cohen, the book is worth a read. However, you may very well feel that you have better understanding of Cohen from his poems, novels and songs than from this biography, which ain't necessarily a bad thing.

While Leonard Cohen's music, writing, and intreaguing life are enough to satisfy any romantic, this book manages to give a clear and accurate depiction of Cohen's motivations, influences, and understanding of life. From his innovative novels to his influencial and engrossing music and poetry, Cohen's life is portrayed as a constant exploration into the soul and the true meaning of love, sacrifice, and isolation. However, it is impossible to convey the passion and emotion that Cohen transmits in albums such as "Death of a Lady's Man" and "Songs of Love and Hate." In only this aspect does "Various Positions: A Life of Leanord Cohen" fall short of possible expectations. But perhaps Cohen's emotion is something that prose writing simply cannot capture. Leonard Cohen's life is certainly something worth reading about.

I much prefer autobiographies to other biographies. Biographies tend to be clumsily assembled or stitched or thrown together and filled out with plodding prose. And so this biography. Well, at least you get some kind of overview of Leonard Cohen's life and here and there some fragments of Leonard Cohen's incisive wit. Two samples:

Author: My publisher wants to know if this can be considered an authorized biography.

L.C.: It can be considered a tolerated biography, benignly tolerated.

Leonard Cohen is interviewing his famous actress girlfriend Rebecca De Mornay:

Rebecca: The great advantage to having you interview me is that I won't have to field questions about Leonard Cohen.

L.C.: Yes, let's talk about Leonard Cohen. What's he really like?

Recommended: PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns.

Very insightful reading about a very gifted writer and performer of poetry and music. Also provides interesting details of personal life experiences of life during the sixties and seventies. An interesting view of the development and maturation of a genius.

he is the greatest poet in forever and fab singer, enjoyed it was a gift and that person loved it. the book was in great condition

The condition of the used book was just as described, shipping was quick. I am very happy with the purchase!