Review
"He is a writer of terrific energy and color, a Rabelaisian comic and a visualizer of memorable scenes." --The Observer
“Is there any Canadian novel as compelling and as good as at capturing youthful anxieties as J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye? Absolutely. . . . Leonard Cohen’s first novel, The Favorite Game.” –Globe & Mail
“The Favorite Game is a morally brave book, intimate and unflinching. . . . Leonard Cohen sustains the highest level of poetic craftsmanship throughout.” –Paul Quarrington
“It is the kind of book that becomes a law unto itself, simply because there is nothing with which to compare it.” –Calgary Albertan
Review
"He is a writer of terrific energy and color, a Rabelaisian comic and a visualizer of memorable scenes." --The Observer
?Is there any Canadian novel as compelling and as good as at capturing youthful anxieties as J. D. Salinger?s Catcher in the Rye? Absolutely. . . . Leonard Cohen?s first novel, The Favorite Game.? ?Globe & Mail
?The Favorite Game is a morally brave book, intimate and unflinching. . . . Leonard Cohen sustains the highest level of poetic craftsmanship throughout.? ?Paul Quarrington
?It is the kind of book that becomes a law unto itself, simply because there is nothing with which to compare it.? ?Calgary Albertan
Book Description
In this unforgettable novel, Leonard Cohen boldly etches the youth and early manhood of Lawrence Breavman, only son of an old Jewish family in Montreal. Life for Breavman is made up of dazzling colour – a series of motion pictures fed through a high-speed projector: the half-understood death of his father; the adult games of love and war, with their infinite capacity for fantasy and cruelty; his secret experiments with hypnotism; the night-long adventures with Krantz, his beloved comrade and confidant. Later, achieving literary fame as a college student, Breavman does penance through manual labour, but ultimately flees to New York. And although he has loved the bodies of many women, it is only when he meets Shell, whom he awakens to her own beauty, that he discovers the totality of love and its demands, and comes to terms with the sacrifices he must make.
From the Paperback edition.
From the Inside Flap
In this unforgettable novel, Leonard Cohen boldly etches the youth and early manhood of Lawrence Breavman, only son of an old Jewish family in Montreal. Life for Breavman is made up of dazzling colour – a series of motion pictures fed through a high-speed projector: the half-understood death of his father; the adult games of love and war, with their infinite capacity for fantasy and cruelty; his secret experiments with hypnotism; the night-long adventures with Krantz, his beloved comrade and confidant. Later, achieving literary fame as a college student, Breavman does penance through manual labour, but ultimately flees to New York. And although he has loved the bodies of many women, it is only when he meets Shell, whom he awakens to her own beauty, that he discovers the totality of love and its demands, and comes to terms with the sacrifices he must make.
From the Paperback edition.
From the Back Cover
"He is a writer of terrific energy and color, a Rabelaisian comic and a visualizer of memorable scenes." --The Observer
“Is there any Canadian novel as compelling and as good as at capturing youthful anxieties as J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye? Absolutely. . . . Leonard Cohen’s first novel, The Favorite Game.” –Globe & Mail
“The Favorite Game is a morally brave book, intimate and unflinching. . . . Leonard Cohen sustains the highest level of poetic craftsmanship throughout.” –Paul Quarrington
“It is the kind of book that becomes a law unto itself, simply because there is nothing with which to compare it.” –Calgary Albertan
About the Author
Leonard Cohen was born in Montreal in 1934. His artistic career began in 1956 with the publication of Let Us Compare Mythologies. In the three decades since, he has published eleven books and has made twelve albums, becoming one of the most popular and influential artists in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Favorite Game FROM THE PUBLISHER
In this unforgettable novel, Leonard Cohen boldly etches the youth and early manhood of Lawrence Breavman, only son of an old Jewish family in Montreal. Life for Breavman is made up of dazzling colour – a series of motion pictures fed through a high-speed projector: the half-understood death of his father; the adult games of love and war, with their infinite capacity for fantasy and cruelty; his secret experiments with hypnotism; the night-long adventures with Krantz, his beloved comrade and confidant. Later, achieving literary fame as a college student, Breavman does penance through manual labour, but ultimately flees to New York. And although he has loved the bodies of many women, it is only when he meets Shell, whom he awakens to her own beauty, that he discovers the totality of love and its demands, and comes to terms with the sacrifices he must make.
From the Paperback edition.
Author Biography: Leonard Cohen was born in Montreal in 1934. While attending McGill University, he formed a country-and-western trio called The Buckskin Boys and published his first book of poetry. His career spans more than forty years, during which he has produced an impressive body of work: he has published nine books of poetry and two novels, and has made eleven records, including Various Positions, I’m Your Man, and, most recently, The Future.
The soundtrack for Robert Altman’s film McCabe and Mrs. Miller comprised several of Leonard Cohen’s songs, featuring “Sisters of Mercy.” Cohen wrote, directed, and scored the 1984 video I Am a Hotel and wrote the lyrics for the Juno-Award-winning musical Night Magic.
In 1991, Leonard Cohen was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He has received three Juno Awards, and was one of six recipients of the 1993 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards for lifetime achievement.
Art & Photography
Book Info
