The Remarkable Life of Leonard Cohen: new biography (2010)

[musicmania]

I'm just finished my first read and I agree with TipperaryAnn that while it is a good book but I do also prefer Nadal's. However in saying that it is good to have an up to date biography of Leonard and I enjoyed the interviews and most especially the interviews with John Lissauer. I'd love for Songs of Rebecca to be released!!! Even the negative voice TipperaryAnn mentions seems to mellow at the end. It is a pity he didn't do that in his own book........ While the typing errors were a mild irritant I can honestly say I much preferred this book to the one Tim Footman wrote.

[simonmoorehead]

ill invest
still working how i can see leonard again

[musicmania]

ill invest
still working how i can see leonard again

Well if you are crazy like me you will find a way. I've had crazy idea's today on how to raise funds for Vegas and should know in the next few days if my plan will work! Then the next hurdle will be work. Any inconvienience will be worth it though to see Leonard for the last show..

[AnthonyR]

Thanks again for your civilized opinions.

The hardcover is going into a second edition and as such is being reproofed. This is my fifth book and my third biography and I've never known a book to go out with such errors before. One can usually trust the proof readers to do their (and its a full time) job, especially with a publishers as big and established as Music Sales/Omnibus...I am actually suprised by the vehement response by some ; the Amazon.com reviews in particular seem to be coming out of a destructive fever of some kind...

To answer some other questions ; I didn't meet LC, no. There was talk of it as I was in touch with Mr Kory from the beginning. But soon after I began the book LC decided not to do any more interviews for the forseeable future. I persued it to a point (I would of course have loved to have spent time with him on just a human level) but one has to respect his silence after a point ; obviously.

There are many strains to Cohen's career but I wanted to use the 14 months I had to research and write the book to concentrate on his recording career, mainly. (Although not Exclusively). I felt Devlin and Nadel had covered Cohen's live and literary careers ably besides which, its Cohen's recordings that I'm drawn to above and beyond the novels, poetry and concerts.

I did attend the doomed Valencia concert and was invited to the cancelled Lille concert last March for which I bought eurostar tickets....

I hung out with Javier a couple of times, in Taragonna and before the Valencian concert. Ia ctually asked Javier to pass onto LC a package of my previous books and records. Javier declined. 'You know, my mother just gave me some shoes for leonard. I tried to pass them onto him on the plane. He told me 'Thank you, but no, Javier. I already have just too much stuff'.

[tomsakic]

It's good to have you here on the Forum, Mr. Reynolds. Previously (when it was much smaller universe, before the tour) the few of us read almost everything on Cohen and always reviewed the books for the main site, The Files. But people went following their lives, and the tour, and I believe the last book we seriously reviewed was Harry Rasky's. The last author visiting the Forum was David Boucher, and he accepted my criticism:) I must admit that I didn't get your book still in last year or so I bought at least 20 items trying to cash in on Cohen's new popularity, plus I've been getting down from the tour here in continental Europe, so didn't feel like reading. Although, when I talked to Jim Devlin and mention is there a chance that Omnibus will join the new wave of Cohen products with updates of his books, he said that you're writing one and it is supposed to be trustful (unlike Footman's and its typical "oh-I-am-so-cool-and-blogger" pseudo-ironical style).

About proofs, well, two years ago we wrote down big list of factual errors in Nadel's "semi-authorised" biography and sent it to him for the further editions. I also made all those corrections in the Croatian translation (which I was proud to edit for one local publisher). So among serious Cohenites I don't see what's unusual in asking readers of your book to write down all what they think it's wrong. But again, maybe we have much more fans around than we had before

[dick]

I very much appreciate Mr Reynolds joining us on the forum.

Just received the Amazon copy I ordered for Esther Cohen yesterday, and will be taking it to her in a week or two.

Yesterday I also read the delightful account of how Anne Riise became a fan. That paragraph worth the price of the book!

Thanks AR!

[tomsakic]

So Dick, will you write the proper review for The Files? We didn't have that in couple of years...

[dick]

Don't know when I'm going to finish it Tom. Hope someone will beat me to the punch.

[DBCohen]

I am reading it now, but not sure when I can post some initial review. Hopefully next week or so.

[casterbridgecohen]

There is a book inside all of us and at times we all say we want to write a book. For those who actually do it I have the utmost respect because until one does you have no idea 1 Just how much time is involved 2 How it takes over your life.

I have been fortunate - or unfortunate - enough to write one book and commissioned/encouraged to write two more - and the publishers wanted 125,000 words. My first draft was 700,000. Six rewrite/edits later I was down to 140,000 and I told the publishers I was too close to the book to take it any further and either it eant out at 140,000 words with a smaller typeface or they edited it.

However in that process of 6 rereads and edits and despite one proof by the publishers proofers I found corrections on every single rewrite - which means I too had missed things previously! And on the day of publication when I was doing some signings the first thing I noticed when flicking through the book was a typo!

I happen to know Anthony's book is coming my way at Christmas so I cannot yet comment on the typos etc but I have always felt most writers for their own peace of mind would want a final read through after the proofers and would also want to check the art work for the cover. I am not a professional writer so it was a labour of love and I was very involved in the selection of 100 images and the layout/design and was given the cover to check. Perhaps a professional writer does not have the time or inclination?

So I salute Anthony for getting out this eagerly awaited work out with new interview content etc - however I would disagree that it is the publishers sole responsibility to get the proofing right. After all Anthony is the ultimate custodian of the 'Reynold's 'brand' as this thread indicates. Yes the publisher is responsible for proofing but would most authors not want a final read through as well for their own peace of mind?

And in any case most publications will have some errors. I produce a lot of brochures for my company and usually give most of our output to at least 10 (admittedly non professional) of our staff to proof. I am always amused at the results - evryone will pick up say 100 errors, another 100 will be picked up by half the proofers , others will be picked up by just a few and there is usually a handful of errors that only one person picks up. But as sure as shit is brown nothing is more certain than we put out an 80 page colour brochure and the first thing you notice is 'their' spelt 'there' and it was missed by everyone!

And I have not spellchecked this post which doubtless has an error or tow.

[dick]

Enjoyed your post Casterbridge. Noting wrong with tow or three mistakes!

Am thinking of all the detailed edits and involvement Leonard had in his books, and guess that supports your point. I think by being so forthcoming on this forum, however, that
AR is doing his due-dilegence.

[DBCohen]

My review of the book is now on the Files.
Those who wish to read it may do so here: www.leonardcohenfiles.com/doron2010.pdf
If you have any comments please post them on this thread.
Thanks,
Doron

[MaryB]

Doron,
I appreciate your objective review.

[musicmania]

Yeah so do I and unfortunately for AR I have to agree with what you have written.

[margaret]

Thank you Doron.

I was waiting for the paperback version before buying this, but I may not buy it after all. For those of us who are already quite knowledgeable about Leonard's life and work it is irritating to hear of so many inaccuracies and general sloppiness.

Margaret