A Broken Hallelujah

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In this philosophical biography, Liel Leibovitz looks at what it is that makes Leonard Cohen an enduring cultural icon. Born into a religious Jewish family - for years a reclusive lyricist on the Greek island of Hydra, known for his bold political commentary, his devotion to Buddhist thought and his later despair over contemporary Zionism - Cohen hardly follows the rules of rock convention. Yet the prophetic themes of his music, often filled with pessimism and apocalyptic visions, prove redemptive to an audience that spans generations, from those who listened in the 1960's to today.