{"product_id":"a-ballet-of-lepers-a-novel-and-stories-9780802161208","title":"A Ballet of Lepers: A Novel and Stories","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA never-before-published early novel and stories by the legendary musician, songwriter, and poet Leonard Cohen\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBefore 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 \u003ci\u003eA Ballet of Lepers: A Novel and Stories\u003c\/i\u003e, readers will discover that the magic that animated Cohen's unforgettable body of work was present from the very beginning of his career.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 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, \u003ci\u003eA Ballet of Lepers\u003c\/i\u003e--one he later remarked was \"probably a better novel\" than his celebrated book \u003ci\u003eThe Favourite Game\u003c\/i\u003e--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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Ballet of Lepers\u003c\/i\u003e, vivid in its detail, unsparing in its gaze, reveals the great artist and visceral genius as never seen before.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=AUTH-17634229\"\u003eLeonard Cohen\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Grove Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/21\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 272\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.44lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.10h x 5.40w x 1.00d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780802161208\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0802161200\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC Categories:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-FIC\"\u003eFiction\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-FIC029000\"\u003eShort Stories (single author)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-FIC\"\u003eFiction\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-FIC019000\"\u003eLiterary\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-FIC\"\u003eFiction\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-FIC069000\"\u003eCity Life\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLEONARD COHEN\u003c\/b\u003e was born in Montreal in 1934. Soon after graduating from McGill University, he published his first collection of poems, \u003ci\u003eLet Us Compare Mythologies\u003c\/i\u003e, in 1956. He would go on to publish a dozen more volumes of poetry, including \u003ci\u003eBook of Longing\u003c\/i\u003e; two novels, \u003ci\u003eThe Favourite Game\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eBeautiful Losers\u003c\/i\u003e; and, most recently, a posthumous collection of poems, drawings, lyrics, and drawings in \u003ci\u003eThe Flame\u003c\/i\u003e. A hugely influential and critically acclaimed singer and songwriter, Cohen released fourteen studio albums between 1967 and 2016, the last being \u003ci\u003eYou Want It Darker\u003c\/i\u003e, the title track of which posthumously won him the Grammy for Best Rock Performance. Cohen died in Los Angeles in November 2016.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Grove Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44646538281099,"sku":"9780802161208","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0626\/5100\/7115\/files\/img_b0a6e06f-bc29-449f-be9c-7fdb9eb69fc2.jpg?v=1764097697","url":"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/products\/a-ballet-of-lepers-a-novel-and-stories-9780802161208","provider":"CA Corrections Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}