Leonard Cohen : the mystical roots of genius / Harry Freedman.

London : Bloomsbury Continuum, 2021.

©2021

xiv, 274 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm

Leonard Cohen's music is studded with allusions to Jewish and Christian tradition, as well as Kabbalah and Zen. This book is about the ethos, origins, and traditions in Cohen's lyrics. He was as familiar with Christian traditions as he was Jewish. He is not concerned with confessional barriers, they simply impede access to the deep well of spiritual lore from which he draws. This is not a biography but a biographical narrative into the treatment of each song or theme, so that by the end the reader will in fact have a good understanding of Cohen's life story. Print run 25,000.

ebook version :

English

December 15, 2021

Includes bibliographical references and index.