A never-before-published early novel and stories by the legendary
musician, songwriter, and poet Leonard Cohen
Before Leonard Cohen's worldwide fame expanded to fourteen studio
albums, Grammy awards, and late-career global tours, he yearned for
literary stardom. The Canadian songwriter of iconic hits like
"Hallelujah," "Suzanne," and "Famous Blue Raincoat" first ventured into
writing in his early twenties, and in A Ballet of Lepers: A Novel and
Stories, readers will discover that the magic that animated Cohen's
unforgettable body of work was present from the very beginning of his
career.
The pieces in this collection, written between 1956 and 1961 and
including short fiction, a radio play, and a stunning early novel, offer
startling insights into Cohen's imagination and creative process. Cohen
explores themes that would permeate his later work, from shame and
unworthiness to sexual desire in all its sacred and profane dimensions
to longing, whether for love, family, freedom, or transcendence. The
titular novel, A Ballet of Lepers--one he later remarked was "probably
a better novel" than his celebrated book The Favourite Game--is a
haunting examination of these elements in tandem, focusing on toxic
relationships and the lengths to which one will go to maintain them,
while the fifteen stories, as well as the playscript, probe the inner
demons of his characters, many of whom could function as stand-ins for
the author himself. Cohen's work is meditative and surprising, offering
playful, provocative, and penetrating glimpses into the world-weary
lives of his characters, and a window into the early art of a
storytelling master.
A Ballet of Lepers, vivid in its detail, unsparing in its gaze,
reveals the great artist and visceral genius as never seen before.
