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jazzy_daveSylvie Simmons "I'm Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen" (Vintage)
I have some general preferences when it comes to biography: usually, I like it best when the writer's personality largely disappears in favour of a sharp focus on the subject, and when it's made clear in the text where the biographer is drawing all her conclusions and assertions from, even or perhaps especially when describing the thoughts and attitudes and emotional states of the person she's writing about. Sylvie Simmons isn't particularly careful about doing that, and she adds a fair amount of her analysis of Cohen's work. But somehow, for this particular subject, that subjectivity feels right. And it certainly doesn't hurt that, in my opinion, at least, her thoughts on Cohen's art are apt and insightful, and often quite beautifully phrased.
Some aspects of Cohen's life such as the ones with the most relevance to his poetry and his music are explored in considerable detail, while others such as his relationship with his children or his sister, for instance, are largely left private, which strikes me as appropriate. But all in all, it adds up to a portrait of a complex and fascinating person, and I found it a surprisingly compelling read. It's also a rather thought-provoking one, as I find myself pondering the extent to which knowing more about the origins of these songs and the man who wrote them does, or should, affect my responses to them. It's also prompted me to go back and listen to a lot of his music again, and to fill in the inexcusable gaps in my album collection, which I think would be enough to justify the book's existence all by itself.
I have some general preferences when it comes to biography: usually, I like it best when the writer's personality largely disappears in favour of a sharp focus on the subject, and when it's made clear in the text where the biographer is drawing all her conclusions and assertions from, even or perhaps especially when describing the thoughts and attitudes and emotional states of the person she's writing about. Sylvie Simmons isn't particularly careful about doing that, and she adds a fair amount of her analysis of Cohen's work. But somehow, for this particular subject, that subjectivity feels right. And it certainly doesn't hurt that, in my opinion, at least, her thoughts on Cohen's art are apt and insightful, and often quite beautifully phrased.
Some aspects of Cohen's life such as the ones with the most relevance to his poetry and his music are explored in considerable detail, while others such as his relationship with his children or his sister, for instance, are largely left private, which strikes me as appropriate. But all in all, it adds up to a portrait of a complex and fascinating person, and I found it a surprisingly compelling read. It's also a rather thought-provoking one, as I find myself pondering the extent to which knowing more about the origins of these songs and the man who wrote them does, or should, affect my responses to them. It's also prompted me to go back and listen to a lot of his music again, and to fill in the inexcusable gaps in my album collection, which I think would be enough to justify the book's existence all by itself.
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