Golden Boy: Roman (German) Paperback – December 21, 2018

I feel like Joe could have been a boxer and a violinist, but he was too closed minded and thought that only one thing was possible.I gave this five stars because yellow is my favorite color.

I got this book because the play was being revived on Broadway last year and I wanted to figure out if it was something that I would want to see. The written play is very interesting, but, as I never made it to the show, I can't say whether it translates to stage well.

Good script and at this price too.

Though it is rarely performed today, Clifford Odets' Depression-era play GOLDEN BOY was for quite a while the gift that kept on giving. The original 1937 production helped launch the careers of Frances Farmer, Lee J. Cobb, Howard Da Silva, Karl Malden, and Elia Kazan (who acted the role of gangster Eddie Fuseli). The 1939 film version featured William Holden in the title role, with Cobb (who had created the small role of Mr. Carp) as his father. Only thirteen years later, the play had a major Broadway revival, with a cast that included John Garfield, Cobb, Jack Klugman (as Garfield's brother, Frank), and Jack Warden (in the bit role of Mickey). In 1964, GOLDEN BOY was turned into a musical by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, with Sammy Davis, Jr. in the lead. Odets' rhythmic, emphatic way with words inspired many later dramatists, among them Rod Serling, while his moral themes anticipated those of Arthur Miller.The "hero" of GOLDEN BOY, Joe Bonaparte, faces a particularly Miller-esque dilemma. He is caught between his Italian father's wish that he pursue his musical talent and become a violinist, and his own desire to become a prizefighter. In essence, the choice is one between spiritual "wealth" and material prosperity. Joe defies his father and enters the athletic arena, where he achieves money and fame but also powerlessness and an increasing feeling of worthlessness. A sudden tragedy finally causes Joe and his girlfriend, the world-weary Lorna, to see the spiritual bankruptcy of their lives. But can they redeem themselves before it is too late? GOLDEN BOY is a tautly written drama in which every character, every event, and every line is vital. It deserves a modern revival.

Odets subtitled an early draft of the play, An American Allegory. This is the story of Joe Bonaparte who is transformed from an emotional and music-loving young man into a ruthless boxer. In this play music stands for creativity, self-realization and spiritual values. The whole play is, in fact, metaphorically a statement of the conflict between spiritual and material values. The ring is a metaphor for the cutthroat world of American individualism (which proved to be inadequate in the 1930s) where life itself appears as a fight to climb the ladder of success. In fact, the tragic story of Joe is a dramatization of the Horatio Alger formula gone wrong. Joe's dream of money-success is a dream that turns into a nightmare in the aggressive capitalist system.

He may not be quite as well known as Tennessee Williams or Arthur Miller, but Clifford Odets is one of the best American contemporary playwrights out there. "The Golden Boy" is clever and beautiful and should be read by anyone who appreciates true drama.