Graphic Novel Review: Golden Boy: Beethoven’s Youth by Mikael Ross

Posted on February 2, 2023 at 6:38 am by Gene Ambaum

Golden Boy: Beethoven’s Youth by Mikael Ross. Translated by Nika Knight. Fantagraphics, 2022. 9781683965510. 194pp.

This entertaining, fictionalized story of Beethoven’s youth and young adulthood is the story of a frustrated, impoverished genius struggling for recognition. Ross’s illustrations are spectacular when Beethoven plays his music — colors swirl in the air to represent its components and its power. Given that this is about a famous composer, there is an unexpected number of hilarious shit jokes.

Ross’s first graphic novel transalted into English, Thud, was great, too. After enjoying Golden Boy this much I plan to read his work whenever I can.