A Coming-of-Age Story?

Use this forum to discuss the February 2020 Book of the month, "Opaque" by Calix Leigh-Reign
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Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Post by Nym182 »

AntonelaMaria wrote: 16 Feb 2020, 13:25
Nym182 wrote: 15 Feb 2020, 12:14
cristinaro wrote: 15 Feb 2020, 11:19

Sorry, I've accidentally added an extra "u". It's "bildungsroman", a genre dealing with the psychological and moral development of a character; it usually follows the character's growth from his/her birth and childhood to his maturity years, sometimes throughout his/her entire life. For example, novels like Charles Dickens' "David Copperfield'" or "Great Expectations" are famous novels belonging to this genre.
hmmm interesting... that may have been the intent of the author, but I don't think she achieved that goal
I can't for the life of me understand what the intent was. Because I clearly can NOT connect the first and second parts of the book. It is like intent changed.
I agree haha I feel like they are two different books smushed together and barely smoothed out :lol2: :lol2:
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B Creech wrote: 16 Feb 2020, 19:35 I guess a coming-of-age story, especially for Adam. I think Carly may be descending since the loss of her parents. She can't accept it and she is becoming angry over it. Anger is a part of the grief process, but she seems to be getting stuck in that stage of grief. I wonder how she will be in the next book in the series? Hopefully moving on!
I think it would be really interesting to read about Carly kinda losing her grip on herself and going off the deep end a bit... might make her a bit more interesting to me!
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!” HST
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Post by Nym182 »

Howlan wrote: 17 Feb 2020, 01:31 I think this definitely is a coming of age story. However, Adam's character is like a roller coaster goes up and down, Carly is pretty stagnant, and I think the side characters have no development what so ever so They too can be stated as stagnant.
I agree about the stagnant characters especially... take Rye for example... It's like the author just needed a shortcut around getting her characters from point A to point B quickly so they created Rye... I can barely remember any of the other descendants...
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Post by Brenda Creech »

Nym182 wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 15:12
B Creech wrote: 16 Feb 2020, 19:35 I guess a coming-of-age story, especially for Adam. I think Carly may be descending since the loss of her parents. She can't accept it and she is becoming angry over it. Anger is a part of the grief process, but she seems to be getting stuck in that stage of grief. I wonder how she will be in the next book in the series? Hopefully moving on!
I think it would be really interesting to read about Carly kinda losing her grip on herself and going off the deep end a bit... might make her a bit more interesting to me!
Well, that is certainly true. She seemed a little too perfect in this book. If her anger changed her that would be interesting.
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Post by Nym182 »

B Creech wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 19:38
Nym182 wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 15:12
B Creech wrote: 16 Feb 2020, 19:35 I guess a coming-of-age story, especially for Adam. I think Carly may be descending since the loss of her parents. She can't accept it and she is becoming angry over it. Anger is a part of the grief process, but she seems to be getting stuck in that stage of grief. I wonder how she will be in the next book in the series? Hopefully moving on!
I think it would be really interesting to read about Carly kinda losing her grip on herself and going off the deep end a bit... might make her a bit more interesting to me!
Well, that is certainly true. She seemed a little too perfect in this book. If her anger changed her that would be interesting.
I agree!
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!” HST
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 15:11
AntonelaMaria wrote: 16 Feb 2020, 13:25
Nym182 wrote: 15 Feb 2020, 12:14

hmmm interesting... that may have been the intent of the author, but I don't think she achieved that goal
I can't for the life of me understand what the intent was. Because I clearly can NOT connect the first and second parts of the book. It is like intent changed.
I agree haha I feel like they are two different books smushed together and barely smoothed out :lol2: :lol2:
Yes the smoothing was very rough on this one.
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 15:12
B Creech wrote: 16 Feb 2020, 19:35 I guess a coming-of-age story, especially for Adam. I think Carly may be descending since the loss of her parents. She can't accept it and she is becoming angry over it. Anger is a part of the grief process, but she seems to be getting stuck in that stage of grief. I wonder how she will be in the next book in the series? Hopefully moving on!
I think it would be really interesting to read about Carly kinda losing her grip on herself and going off the deep end a bit... might make her a bit more interesting to me!
I would love if Carly changes consciousness and have Dauma's persona. It would be cool and perhaps then she could show Adam some tough love as well.
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 15:15
Howlan wrote: 17 Feb 2020, 01:31 I think this definitely is a coming of age story. However, Adam's character is like a roller coaster goes up and down, Carly is pretty stagnant, and I think the side characters have no development what so ever so They too can be stated as stagnant.
I agree about the stagnant characters especially... take Rye for example... It's like the author just needed a shortcut around getting her characters from point A to point B quickly so they created Rye... I can barely remember any of the other descendants...
Yes, these characters were hardly involved. I expect to see more of them in the series.
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Post by Howlan »

B Creech wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 19:38
Nym182 wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 15:12
B Creech wrote: 16 Feb 2020, 19:35 I guess a coming-of-age story, especially for Adam. I think Carly may be descending since the loss of her parents. She can't accept it and she is becoming angry over it. Anger is a part of the grief process, but she seems to be getting stuck in that stage of grief. I wonder how she will be in the next book in the series? Hopefully moving on!
I think it would be really interesting to read about Carly kinda losing her grip on herself and going off the deep end a bit... might make her a bit more interesting to me!
Well, that is certainly true. She seemed a little too perfect in this book. If her anger changed her that would be interesting.
Other than her emotional outbreaks Carly really was a model girl.
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Post by ciecheesemeister »

I suppose Adam did have a degree of moral development. He didn't seem like he was going to be kidnapping store clerks anymore and he had a degree of remorse when Mark died. However, I still don't see him as a particularly good or likable character.
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Post by Howlan »

ciecheesemeister wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 17:11 I suppose Adam did have a degree of moral development. He didn't seem like he was going to be kidnapping store clerks anymore and he had a degree of remorse when Mark died. However, I still don't see him as a particularly good or likable character.
Still he may have got rid of some qualities but still he is very annoying. If you start reading the second book you see Adam is back on track.
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Post by Odette Chace »

djr6090 wrote: 15 Feb 2020, 19:40
cristinaro wrote: 15 Feb 2020, 11:19
djr6090 wrote: 15 Feb 2020, 09:36 What is a buildungsroman? I've never heard of that before.
Sorry, I've accidentally added an extra "u". It's "bildungsroman", a genre dealing with the psychological and moral development of a character; it usually follows the character's growth from his/her birth and childhood to his maturity years, sometimes throughout his/her entire life. For example, novels like Charles Dickens' "David Copperfield'" or "Great Expectations" are famous novels belonging to this genre.
Thank you for the explanation. But I don't think (i)Opaque(/i) compares to Dickens.
Hahaha, I don't think so either!

I don't think the story started early enough in Adam's life to be dubbed a "bildungsroman," regardless of its lack of literary merit. He doesn't have enough of a character arc either, as his motivations are changed more so than his morals.
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Post by piplup45 »

As far as bildungsroman goes, I feel as though that may have been a concept she was going for, but I don’t feel like her character developments were done well enough to consider it. There was so much lacking.

Perhaps I could justify calling it a coming of age story, but once again, I found it to be all about angst and just not really have enough substance for even that.
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Post by Tars »

In a way this book is both - coming-of-age story and bildungsroman. It is all matter of perspective and from what angle every single reader individually prefers to look at it. In my opinion, exactly this aspect makes this book great one - that anyone can find in it to what relate and it would be true for everyone.
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Post by Zaddy_007 »

cristinaro wrote: 15 Feb 2020, 11:19
djr6090 wrote: 15 Feb 2020, 09:36 What is a buildungsroman? I've never heard of that before.
Sorry, I've accidentally added an extra "u". It's "bildungsroman", a genre dealing with the psychological and moral development of a character; it usually follows the character's growth from his/her birth and childhood to his maturity years, sometimes throughout his/her entire life. For example, novels like Charles Dickens' "David Copperfield'" or "Great Expectations" are famous novels belonging to this genre.
In this context I could say it is a coming-of-age story
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