{"id":312483,"date":"2025-11-23T01:03:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T01:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/early-and-rare-books-of-leonard-cohen\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T01:03:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T01:03:09","slug":"early-and-rare-books-of-leonard-cohen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=312483","title":{"rendered":"Early and Rare Books of Leonard Cohen"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Leonard Cohen (1934-2016), songwriter and musician extraordinaire, is best known for the music he made during his lifetime, with albums like Songs of Leonard Cohen <\/em>(1967), Songs from a Room <\/em>(1969), Songs of Love and Hate<\/em> (1971), and Death of a Ladies\u2019 Man<\/em> (1977). He continued recording albums throughout his life, releasing You Want It Darker <\/em>(2016) the year of his death.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet Cohen was also a poet and novelist, and early first editions of his written work are quite valuable, rare, and elusive. Whether you\u2019re interested in Cohen\u2019s music and want to expand your vinyl collection to include rare books, or you\u2019re starting a book collection made up of works by musicians (yes, there are quite a few musicians who have also published books of poetry and fiction), we want to supply you with some of the information you\u2019ll need to start collecting. We\u2019ve put together some details for you about some of the earliest and rarest Leonard Cohen books to seek out for your collection.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Leonard<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/strong>Let Us Compare Mythologies <\/span><\/em>(1956)<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

This is the earliest of Leonard Cohen\u2019s poetry books<\/a>, and it is likely to be the priciest book on this list if you\u2019re able to find one. The first edition was published in Montreal in the McGill Poetry Series by Contact Press, and fewer than 400 copies were printed. The book has been reprinted a number of times since its original publication, most notably by the National Library of Canada in 1989 and in a 50th anniversary edition by Ecco Press. While you can certainly find one of these reprints to add to your library, if you want to add a first edition to your collection, you should plan to budget about $10,000 USD.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Spice-Box of Earth <\/span><\/em>(1961)<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Like many of Cohen\u2019s early works, the first edition of The Spice-Box of Earth <\/em>was published in Toronto by McClelland & Stewart. It has, in our opinion, it is among the best-titled poetry collections, and it contains some of Cohen\u2019s most compelling poems. These are difficult to find, particularly with an intact just jacket in good condition. You\u2019ll likely spend around $500 USD for a first edition and more if you can locate a signed copy. Even some reprints of this rare book<\/a> are highly collectible, such as the Jonathan Cape edition from 1973. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Favourite Game <\/span><\/em>(1963)<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

First editions of The Favourite Game<\/em>, Cohen\u2019s first novel, are quite rare, particularly in very good condition. The novel was published in London by Secker & Warburg, and a U.S. edition by Viking Press in New York the same year with an Americanized title spelling, The Favorite Game<\/em>. These usually sell for anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to well over $1,000 USD if you\u2019re interested in purchasing a galley proof or a signed copy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Leonard<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/strong>Flowers for Hitler <\/span><\/em>(1964)<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

This one\u2019s another McClelland & Stewart publication that\u2019s a pretty rare book<\/a>, particularly with a dust jacket that\u2019s also in good condition. It\u2019s Cohen\u2019s third poetry book, and a first edition (in good to very good condition) might cost you anywhere from $400 USD to over $1,000. There are a number of first edition copies for sale without the dust jacket for significantly less money if you\u2019re hoping to build your collection slowly with a smaller budget. Jonathan Cape pressings from 1973 are also relatively rare and collectible, and are slightly more affordable for entry-level collectors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Parasites of Heaven <\/span><\/em>(1966)<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

While Cohen\u2019s fourth book of poetry, published by McClelland & Stewart like several of his earlier works, might not cost you quite as much as a first edition of Let Us Compare Mythologies<\/em>, it might be more difficult to find. Quite simply, there aren\u2019t many of these for sale, and copies with a dust jacket are scarce. Even the softcover edition, published by McClelland & Stewart in 1966, are collectible and average a sales price of more than $100 USD for a copy in very good condition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beautiful Losers <\/span><\/em>(1966)<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Cohen\u2019s second and final novel is a strange work of historical fiction. The first edition was published in New York by the Viking Press, with the first Canadian edition appearing the same year from McClelland & Stewart. Both copies are rare and collectible, and approaching the price point of Let Us Compare Mythologies<\/em>. Notably, this is the last book Cohen wrote before his career as a musician took off and fans across the globe fell in love with Songs of Leonard Cohen<\/em> and its tracks that included \u201cSuzanne\u201d and \u201cSo Long, Marianne.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A number of these early and rare Leonard Cohen books<\/a>, as we mentioned, have been reprinted if you want to start smaller in terms of price scale. In addition, you should keep in mind that any copies of these books that have been signed or inscribed by Cohen are significantly more valuable and would make exciting additions to any collection. Cohen\u2019s works have also been published in a variety of languages in different parts of the world, and seeking out those editions could add a fascinating angle to any Leonard Cohen collection.<\/span><\/p>\n


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