Although the German name sounds technical, the term “bildungsroman” (more commonly known as the coming-of-age story) can be attributed to a huge range of popular novels and stories ranging from 19th century literature such as Northanger Abbey and Great Expectations, to modern classics like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher in the Rye. Googling “bildungsroman” will lead you to the simple definition of “a story in which the protagonist grows and develops from a child to an adult”; but having read any of these titles, you realise that their core plots, absorbed by the emotional undoing and reconstruction of their protagonists, are far from this bland definition. In fact, forget bland entirely; the coming-of-age novel might actually be the most important genre.
Since the coining of the term ‘teenager’ in the mid-20th century, bildungsroman have flourished in popular culture. Take The Catcher in the Rye, published in 1951. The plot centres around two days in the life of disillusioned Holden Caulfield, a troubled 16-year-old grappling with his identity following expulsion from school, leading him to evaluate his relationship with his friends, family, and the world. One reviewer comments that the book serves as a “wake-up call to all teenagers” as it “sends out the message that we should all remain hopeful”, while another recalls “falling in love” with the book at 17 while they were “mainlining ennui”. Likewise, Douglas Stuart’s Young Mungo (2022) follows the story of Mungo, a teenage boy growing up in the schemes of Glasgow in the 1990s. A modern bildungsroman, the novel immerses readers in its heartbreaking themes of sexual violence, substance abuse, and forbidden love, experienced from the perspective of a gay protagonist. As Mungo gains certainty of who he is and where he fits into his surroundings, it is impossible not to identify with the teenage struggle of asserting your identity, especially when that identity is disputed by the world around you.
As archetypes of the coming-of-age novel these novels certainly speak for the genre itself. From the advantageous position of the reader, you witness how those before you have dealt with their own journey, offering advice on how to handle real-life human experiences through fiction. Through the coming-of-age novel, the reader matures alongside the protagonist. So, read a bildungsroman and enjoy the benefits of increased emotional maturity, before you’re too old!
Photo by marieke koenders on Unsplash