A Boy Named Rose - Gaëlle Geniller - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Gaëlle Geniller

GENRE: Graphic Novel.

RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A stunning graphic novel depicting the coming-of-age of a young dancer in 1920s France. Works beautifully as an alternate-history story where people are a bit more open about gender inclusivity. Definitely worth a read at least for the illustrations.

Story Synopsis:

Twenty-year-old 'Rose' has spent his whole life amid the dancers at Le Jardin, a cabaret managed by his mother. Rose identifies as a man but he loves to don feminine apparel and dance away on the stage. The book depicts his uncertainties, stage fright, social anxiety, and self-acceptance.

While I usually talk about illustrations at the end of my reviews, this book deserves a change in the typical order. Though it has plenty to offer, its best feature is the visual extravaganza on every page. Never have I seen such soul-satisfying artwork! Right from the flowers in the background to the outfits to the outdoor scenes, every panel seems like a frame from a top-notch animated movie. There's such intricate detailing and such lushness to the colours that I could just stare at the graphics for hours in awe and wonder.

Of course, graphics alone aren't enough. Without a worthy story, even the best illustrations can go only so far. Thankfully, in this case, the story is more than worthy.

One would assume that a story about a cabaret would be risqué, or that the life of its dancers would be shown as full of struggles, or that outsiders would view them with scornful eyes. But the way the dancers have been written in this story left me feeling like I knew them as persons rather than as showgirls. Not once does the book become judgemental about their profession, nor does it portray them in a demeaning or vulgar manner. Even when certain revelations indicate how degrading opinions about the profession existed, this was relegated to the background and never overpowered the story. Though there is partial nudity on a few pages, it is handled with class and never the focal point of that panel. To me, this genuine and respectable portrayal of the human side of cabaret performers was the second biggest achievement of this book, second only to the graphics.

Rose is a vulnerable and loveable central character. Like his name, he is tender-hearted and beautiful, spreading joy with his looks and grace. Also in a nod to his name, he looks at life mostly with rose-tinted glasses, being positive even when it's tough to be so. Sometimes, the thorns in his life overcome him, but the amazing support system he has through the other flowers of Le Jardin and through his friend Aimé ensures that Rose returns to being rosy.

I enjoyed how every dancer of Le Jardin was appropriately named after a flower, and even their costumes and accessories signified the flower they were. (I was today years old when I learnt that marguerite is a kind of flower! 👀) The bond among the ‘flowers’ and their relationship with their beloved Rose comes out wonderfully.

Aimé is also an interesting character, in that he never looks at Rose in a sexual way. The connect between the two is more of the heart than of the body. (I must clarify that the book never takes things to the romantic level, though the blurb hints otherwise. Any romantic connection between Aimé and Rose is only vague and never brought to the forefront.)

That said, the book isn't flawless. I'd have preferred Rose's age to be established right at the start rather than waiting till almost the end to know that he's twenty. I’d have liked the story to be a little less saccharine and a bit more layered. I'd have loved some more details about Rose’s parents and the circumstances of his birth in Le Jardin. But in the grand scheme of things, these points are relatively trivial, especially as the overall impact of the book is exhilarating. The title tells us clearly that the story is about the boy named Rose, and that's all we get.

Though a historical story, it's better to go into this novel expecting an alternate reality. No matter how forward Paris might have been in the 1920s, it still wouldn't have been this accepting about same-sex friendships and about men dancing in a feminine way, and so on. The inclusivity is too modernised to be authentic, and the lack of gender conflict stands out, just as the scene with one character asking another about their preference of pronouns does. But I didn't mind all this. I might have judged it differently were it a historical fiction novel, but a graphic novel can get away with flexible storytelling.

The prepublication version I read had some typographical errors, so I hope that these will be ironed out before the final printing. Also, while the entire text has been translated from the original language the book was written in, the letter at the end is still in French. Luckily, I know un peu de français, so I could understand the content. However, the letter is quite relevant for the finale, and hence needs to be in English so that readers who might not know French can get proper closure.

All in all, this was the beautiful graphic novel where visuals, gender themes and characters come together to create a mesmerizing impact.

Definitely recommended, and not just for its artwork. The story offered me a sensational escape from historical actualities, and the sketches elevated my spirits to a whole new realm.

My thanks to Fairsquare Comics and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “A Boy Named Rose”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.