The Flame: Poems Notebooks Lyrics Drawings

I pre-ordered this back in April as soon as I saw it announced. It arrived today, and I eagerly sat down to enjoy taking it in. As I read each verse of the the opening poem, Happens to the Heart, I could imagine hearing Leonard's distinct voice interpreting it in song, and was reminded that it is a song I will regretfully never hear. The immense feelings of sadness I experienced two years ago upon hearing of his passing returned. I have put the book down and will return to it when I am ready.

I have been a Leonard Cohen fan forever. I have read all his books, know every lyric to every song. The man was an incredible poet/songwriter. A brilliant word master in every way. So when I saw that his last work was being published in 'The Flame' , I was very enthusiastic , and anticipating his best work ; Unfortunately, this book is certainly not his best work, and in fact probably the absolute worst work that I have ever seen come from this extraordinary man. Yes, there are many songs in the book that are familiar to all of Cohen's fans, songs that fill pages , but are not really new representations of Cohen. Those songs are all present in his albums, so it's a bit redundant to fill up a half of book with them. But the real disappointment is the poetry. The poems in this book are mostly rhyming poems, all very simplistic and dealing with the same subject matter page after page. The poems suggest that Cohen was just toying with rhyme , not really submitting anything of intrinsic value , but rather just sketching with language , filling up space. The deep emotional pools of his wisdom of the past is not present in these poems. There is no gold to mine for those of us seeking one last bit if Cohen to hold onto. No spiritual quest, or profound wisdom of passing the torch . Instead, one finds himself reading poetry that questions if it was actually written by Cohen. Its undisciplined, sophomoric , and almost deliberately insulting to poetic integrity. It's beyond belief that these poems represent the last years of Leonard Cohen.Of course, there are poems from previous years also, but the majority again, are rhyming poems, with little value in their substance. The journals are also vague, and leaves no sense of his deeper inner spirit . The introduction by his Son Adam is beautifully written. It's the definitely the only part of the book that is memorable. Im sorry that this book is supposed to represent Cohen's farewell. I find it impossible to believe that he endorsed it.

After Book of Mercy and Book of Longing, I had high hopes for The Flame, but I was left feeling...underwhelmed? The song lyrics section can be left out - especially if you've bought "You Want It Darker" (and you should), the lyrics stand on their own. If I want song lyrics in print, there other places to go for that.I can't speak for all Cohen fans, but I would have gladly waited for a 600+ page volume of his notebooks and correspondence, as well as more of his poetry. This just seems rushed.

Leonard Cohen was a genius.

In the last days of his life, Leonard Cohen prepared his last book, gathering drawings, unpublished material, and the lyrics from his last albums. He was a man who knew he was in his last days and an artist who needed to send out one last envoy to the world. That book has been published as The Flame.The image on the cover is the burning bush, a green tree surrounded by fire and yet is not burned by the flames. Cohen's "flame burned bright within him to the very end," said Robert Kory, manager and trustee of the Cohen estate, “this book, finished only days before his death, reveals the intensity of his inner fire to all.”One of the first record albums I bought as an early teen was The Songs of Leonard Cohen. I later bought the songbook. I grew up listening to those songs, singing those songs, strumming chords on my guitar. When an ARC of Cohen's final book The Flame arrived I downloaded the digital album and revisited those songs while opening the book to read.As I worked my way through the book I researched Cohen's life and work online. I discovered the poets who he admired and influenced him, including Frederico Garcia Lorca; Cohen even named his daughter Lorca.The drawings are primarily self-portraits, his face deeply creased and intense, and of women, spiritual imagery, and a few still lifes. Facsimiles of his manuscripts are also included.The selections are confessional, addressing his personal struggles with depression, relationships, and spiritual meaning. Rhythm is more important than rhyme. The imagery is often very personal, arcane, but also with references to Biblical stories and Jewish history.The message I gather is this: When love fails to save us and faith fails to bring grace, and the world has become merciless, music and poetry become acts of resistance rebellion. The creative urge engenders the flame that can not be quenched or dimmed by the world.I received an ARC from the publisher through a Goodreads giveaway.

This is a book to be read slowly, to be savored, and to be read again and again. Leonard Cohen was and is in a class of his own. Absolutely beautiful.

Hmmmm. I'm an eternal fan. So, its almost sacrilegious to say this book was a disappointment. The song lyrics section could have been eliminated since it is redundant. The balance was uninspiring poetry. I would have paid twice as much for something even marginally better - compiled with more thought. It is worth having in your collection, but don't expect to be overwhelmed with the product.

A lovely book to have, especially as it was Leonard's final book.

Diese Sammlung von Notizen und Texten von Leonard Cohen wurde posthum von seinem Sohn herausgegeben und mit einem Vorwort versehen. Die Gedichte stammen aus verschiedenen Jahrzehnten, gehen bis in die jüngste Vergangenheit (kurz vor seinem Tod) und wurden in thematische Kapitel gegliedert. Gleichzeitig wurden die einzelnen Kapitel mit Skizzen und Zeichnungen Cohens bebildert. Besonders interessant fand ich das Gedicht zu Kanye West, aber auch einige prophetisch anmutenden Gedichte zur Lage der Welt. Fans von Cohen werden einige Texte bereits kennen, denn nicht alle sind unveröffentlicht; Z.B. sind die Texte einiger seiner Songs ebenfalls enthalten.Leonard Cohen war unzweifelhaft ein ebenso grosser Poet wie Musiker. Da ich auch sehr gerne Gedichte lese (nicht nur von Cohen), war es für mich doppelt lohnend.

Lo primero decir que el envío llego en fechas y el libro estaba en perfecto estado.El libro está muy bien, aunque para leer esta edición necesitas un buen nivel de inglés o un diccionario. Imprescindible si te gusta Cohen, más aún sabiendo que es el último libro que ha escrito. Incluye poemas, letras de canciones, la última conversación que mantuvo por email, notas de sus cuadernos y el discurso de aceptación del Príncipe de Asturias.

A beautiful book - you can almost hear Leonard Cohen reading the poems and notes out loud, and feel the resonance, rhythm and timbre of his voice. I love his songs, but not having read any of his other published work I now have a much deeper understanding of the struggle he had with himself, with maintaining intimate relationships and just being in the world. There is everything here - his story, tragedy and comedy mingled with laughter, wry cynicism, sadness, beauty and philosophy.

Es la primera vez que leo un libro de Cohen. Trae textos de distintos años y soportes. Las canciones de sus últimos álbumes están contenidas y me sorprendió lo bien que funcionan aun sin la música. Hay muchas ilustraciones del propio Leonard y es buenazo leer algo así tan íntimo y muy divertido a ratos.