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So Long, Marianne: A Love Story (2014)

by Kari Hesthamar(Favorite Author)

3.45 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1770411283 (ISBN13: 9781770411289)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

ECW Press

review 1: SO LONG MARIANNE. A Love Story. (2014). Kari Hesthamar. **.This is the story of Marianne Ihlen, the woman who was the basis for the inspiration provided Leonard Cohen to write, first, the poem, “So Long Marianne,” and later his hit song. It is not really a book about Cohen. Marianne was born in Norway in 1935, raised in a family of working parents. She spent most of her growing-up time trying to figure out who she was and what her interests might be. Her first liaison was with a young man named Axel Jensen. Axel was a writer and an iconoclast. He embraced most of the new thinking of the time, and led Marianne into new areas. They travelled together and ended together on a Turkish island. They had a son, but when the son was about six months old, Axel abando... morened her. At the same time, Cohen was vacationing on the island and met the pair. When Axel left, Cohen stepped in and fell in love with her. He ultimately sent for her to come live with him in Canada, along with young Axel. The story of their lives together after this is the topic of the book. The writing is a little disjointed, but that could be the translation from the Norwegian.
review 2: Marianne, married to novelist Axel Jensen and later the love interest of Leonard Cohen, grew to adulthood in a time when traditional values clashed with the artistic counterculture of the sixties. Her relationship with Axel forced her into the bohemian lifestyle and she was always searching for her own individuality in the relationship while still holding on to traditional roles. Both of these men had strong personalities and both had very loose views on monogamy. This is an interesting look into the lives of artists and I liked the honest examination of the conflict Marianne felt between the artistic life and her own more traditional domestic yearnings. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. less

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