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A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 07:46
by Cristina Chifane
Would you describe the novel as a coming-of-age story or even a buildungsroman? If so, which characters are on a path to maturity and wisdom? Are there any characters that stagnate or others on a descending path?

Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 09:36
by djr6090
What is a buildungsroman? I've never heard of that before.

Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 10:49
by Nym182
cristinaro wrote: 15 Feb 2020, 07:46 Would you describe the novel as a coming-of-age story or even a buildungsroman? If so, which characters are on a path to maturity and wisdom? Are there any characters that stagnate or others on a descending path?
I also haven't heard of a "buildungsroman"... But I think that the author's intent was this to be a coming-of-age story, especially Adam and to some lesser extent Carly (regarding her and Dauma fusing ) but I also think it fell flat.

I think the other Descendants Carly and Adam meet are pretty stagnant. It seems like they are only there to be used, such as Rye... she's a quick fix to allow the characters to move long distances in a short time frame and that's really her only value.

Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 11:19
by Cristina Chifane
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.

Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 12:14
by Nym182
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.
hmmm interesting... that may have been the intent of the author, but I don't think she achieved that goal

Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 19:40
by djr6090
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.

Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 10:18
by readerrihana
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.
What age would be maturity years?

Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 13:23
by AntonelaMaria
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.
I agree 100 %. I think we are trying to make this book much more that it is.

Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 13:25
by AntonelaMaria
Nym182 wrote: 15 Feb 2020, 12:14
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.
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.

Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 19:35
by Brenda Creech
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!

Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 17 Feb 2020, 01:31
by Howlan
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.

Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 17 Feb 2020, 03:27
by OfficialEmma
I will say the author should have slowed down so as to properly develop the characters. Adam developed more than others. And this book doesn't meet up with a coming-of-age book. However, the tale is an interesting one.

Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 17 Feb 2020, 03:50
by Cwaganagwa Dorothy
Yes, your idea is a good suggestion. Adam is on his way to maturity. There no stagnate characters, only that they were not as well developed as Adam was.

Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 17 Feb 2020, 04:36
by That Reviewer
Bildungsroman? Haven't heard that before. I'm going to look deeper and see how that genre works.

For your question, if I consider Adam's life journey, I would say this book passes for a coming-of-age story.

Re: A Coming-of-Age Story?

Posted: 20 Feb 2020, 12:09
by Howlan
OfficialEmma wrote: 17 Feb 2020, 03:27 I will say the author should have slowed down so as to properly develop the characters. Adam developed more than others. And this book doesn't meet up with a coming-of-age book. However, the tale is an interesting one.
Yes, definitely the story is a unique one. It is rare to see such dark mental states tackled in a YA story.