Reviews

The Energy Of Slaves by Leonard Cohen

kdburton's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

1.0

I read this in between periods and on commercial breaks for the Oilers game.

This must be what Lucy Dacaus was singing about. Although, quite a few cross the line from horny to predatory (and racist). 

Not for me, despite coming from the Peacocke collection. This one labelled with a specially made sticker for Jill and doubled down by handwritten naming. A scrap of ripped yellow-lined paper tucked inside. 

— owned 

alanffm's review

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4.0

My first review of The Energy of Slaves from a couple years back was so off that I had to delete it. This second reading has been enlightening. The Energy of Slaves marks Cohen's first decline in mental health. Its themes are undeniably darker as the voice of suicide, pedophilia, and pessimism can be heard in nearly every single poem. Cohen's following volume, Death of a Ladies Man marks his darkest time in writing, but even so, there is no doubt that The Energy of Slaves stands out as seriously depressing and worthy of investigation.

astridseijas's review against another edition

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4.0

Contundente... Para leer y releer varias veces a lo largo de toda la vida.

chettmanly's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad

clonazine's review against another edition

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4.0

Yo me quiero casar con Leonard!!! (re que ya estaba tomuer, que es paz descanse!!!) SIEMPRE ETERNO!!!

cynthiak's review against another edition

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3.0

Dark, lucid, sexual, cynical.

ancientcowboyghost's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense

4.75

anpaul98's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0


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stupidpieceofhuman's review against another edition

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5.0

this is the second leonard cohen book i have read, and that too in this same year. after field commander cohen impressed me with his magnum opus "beautiful losers", he enthralled me with this book of poems. man, oh man! what poems they are! astounding, hurting, burned with desire, longing, and lovelessness. he again mesmerised me with no inhibition but with a power so shy that i felt comfortable snuggled in the poems. beautiful.

kingjason's review against another edition

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4.0

Leonard Cohen was a great singer, amazing stature on stage, great voice and brilliant song writer. This is the first book of poetry I've read by him and i've been surprised by just how insecure he was, at times he seems so lonely and at others he is doubting himself, including at one point his voice! Wha??? He has one of the best sounding voices in music. It's amazing what a bit of poetry can reveal about a person.

Some good poems here, a few made me laugh, like the threat against Norman Mailer and this one:

"I did not know 
until you walked away 
 you had the perfect ass
Forgive me
for not falling in love
 with your face or your conversation"

Some are incredibly bleak:

"I could not wait for you
to find me dead in a rented room
 with my sunglasses dusty 
on the card table
So once again
I tried to set my throat on fire
this time in silence
and not thinking of you at all
(I had so much time to kill)"

This was a real good place to start reading his poetry and I'll be checking out more. Here is my favourite from the book, shows what a rebel he was.

"Any system you contrive without us
 will be brought down
 We warned you before
and nothing that you built has stood
Hear it as you lean over your blueprint
Hear it as you roll up your sleeve
Hear it once again
 Any system you contrive without us
 will be brought down
 You have your drugs
 You have your guns
 You have your Pyramids your Pentagons
 With all your grass and bullets
 you cannot hunt us any more
 All that we disclose of ourselves forever
is this warning
Nothing that you built has stood
 Any system you contrive without us
 will be brought down"

Blog review> https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2020/06/26/the-energy-of-slaves-by-leonard-cohen/
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