Book of Longing: Leonard Cohen - Softcover

Cohen, Leonard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141027568 ISBN 13: 9780141027562

Publisher: Penguin, 2007

Synopsis

Book of Longing is Leonard Cohen's astonishing new collection of poems, the first since Book of Mercy was published nearly three decades ago.

Leonard Cohen made his name as a poet before he came to worldwide attention as a singer and songwriter. Book of Longing, his new collection of poetry, was twenty years in the making and written in Montreal, Mumbai and during his retirement in Mt Baldy. Enhanced by Cohen's own playful and provocative illustrations, these poems show the full range of one of the most influential and enigmatic writers of his generation.

'Awe-inspiring. . . Cohen emerges as the wry, sensual mystic his champions have always known he was' Sunday Telegraph

'Exceptional. Clear yet steamy, cosmic yet private, both playful and profound. . . as soulful a credo as he has ever put on paper' New York Times

'Playful, colourful, erotic. . . brilliant and sharp as flint' Big Issue

'Dazzling' Sunday Herald

'The best bring an ironic, world-weary sensibility to bear on themes of ageing, sex, sensuality and spirituality' Financial Times

'A fine book of poems' Time Out

'Cohen maps this wasteland of the heart with humour, and sometimes anger' Independent

Cohen's career began in 1956 with the publication of Let Us Compare Mythologies, and he has since published nine books of poems, and has made numerous internationally successful recordings. In a career spanning fifty years, Leonard Cohen has become one of the western world's most popular and innovative creative artists.

About this title

Review

"["Book of Longing"] is not so much an illustrated collection of poems as it is a shaped autobiography."
-- Globe and Mail
"It reaffirms Cohen's mastery in the domain of desire, and devotees will not be disappointed."
-- Austin Chronicle
"Tenderness may have replaced passion, but Cohen's ability to capture this shift makes it poignant and meaningful. . . . Cohen has taken what his friend Irving Layton called 'the inescapable lousiness of growing old' and has given it, in its waning days, a profound romantic dignity."
-- Montreal Gazette
"He's shown an uncanny knack for expressing the changing Zeitgeist."
-- Toronto Star

"Book of Longing has exceptional range. It is clear yet steamy, cosmic yet private, both playful and profound."--New York Times

Book of Longing has exceptional range. It is clear yet steamy, cosmic yet private, both playful and profound. --New York Times"

. . .alive and contradictory. . . you should read the whole volume. . . --LA Weekly"

"Book of Longing has exceptional range. It is clear yet steamy, cosmic yet private, both playful and profound."--New York Times

." . .alive and contradictory. . . you should read the whole volume. . ."--LA Weekly

Synopsis

"Book of Longing" is Leonard Cohen's first book of new poetry since "Book of Mercy" was published two decades ago. It collects Cohen's poetry written between the 1980s and the present, and also includes his wonderfully witty and sensuous illustrations, including numerous playful self-portraits. The illustrations interact with, and complement, the poetry in unexpected and fascinating ways. "Book of Longing" demonstrates the range and depth of Cohen's work, revealing an extraordinary gift of language and visual art that speak with rare clarity, passion and timelessness.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0141027568
• ISBN 13: 9780141027562
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240