The Flame

This book was on my Libby shelf and I didn't put it there, but I figured, why not? This is a poetry book called The Flame by Leonard Cohen

Goodreads Stats

Why I Read This Book/How I Heard About It

I've mentioned in the past that my husband and I share a library Libby account. Occasionally, I'll find audiobooks that he has checked out, listened to a bit of, then abandoned. He's not a huge audiobook fan. He's been learning the bass guitar for a couple years and some of my favorite songs that he plays are by Leonard Cohen. So, when I saw that he'd checked out this book of poetry by Cohen, I was definitely interested.

Basic Summary

The Flame is Leonard Cohen's final work. I actually wasn't aware that Leonard Cohen was not just a famous musician, but also a well-known and world-renowned poet! Half of this book is poems and the other half is excerpts from his private journals and notebooks.

It's an intimate portrayal of a celebrated artist and it showcases a full and passionate life, drawing attention to Cohen's style and wit.

“This volume contains my father’s final efforts as a poet,” writes Cohen’s son, Adam Cohen, in his foreword. “It was what he was staying alive to do, his sole breathing purpose at the end.”

Leonard Cohen died in late 2016. But “each page of paper that he blackened,” in the words of his son, “was lasting evidence of a burning soul.”

First Impressions

I have a strange "thing" for artist's last works. One of my favorite things to do is lie in bed and put on my noise-cancelling over-ear headphones and get completely lost in David Bowie's Black Star album. I like the idea of someone who knows they are running out of time trying to distill their entire soul and everything they are passionate about into one final, magnificent piece of art.

Final Thoughts

I really did love the poetry, but the most special part of this book was his personal notes and journals. If you look at the book as a whole, you will see a man who lived for his art, for music, and for the great loves in his life. Or at least that's what I got from it. You should read it yourself and see what you think.

Rating on Goodreads

I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars.

My rating method:

• I rarely rate books 5 stars. I save this for the absolute best books I've read. You know the ones...the ones that you can't get out of your head, even after you've finished them. The ones you think about for weeks afterwards.

• If a book is really, really good, I'll give it 4 stars. If you see a 4-star rating from me, I'd definitely recommend it to you to read.

• If it's just OK, it gets 3 stars. Basically, it means I could take it or leave it. I'd probably read it again because it wasn't terrible. But not like a favorite or anything.

• If I rate it 1 or 2 stars, I would not recommend anyone read it. It either didn't hold my interest or I couldn't relate to the characters/plot.