As we know it, James Ellroy is a huge, huge Beethoven fan.
He just told the Observer that:
The most important male figure in my life has been Beethoven. I'd say he is my closest friend. He is the most unfathomable and inexplicable genius in world history. I guess I identify with him because I'm a megalomaniac, and if you want to identify with a great artist, go right to the top.