bildungsroman

/ˈbɪldʊŋzroʊˌmɑn/

Pen a novel that follows the moral and psychological development of a character from youth to adulthood, and you've written a bildungsroman! Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is a great example of a bildungsroman.

This German literary term comes from Bildung, "education or growth," and Roman, "novel." You can think of this type of book as a novel that focuses on the spiritual education or psychological growth of a protagonist over time. If you love so-called "coming-of-age" books, you're already familiar with bildungsromans — and now you have a new word for them!

Definitions of bildungsroman

1. noun

   a novel that focuses on the intellectual, moral, and psychological growth of the main character
   type of:

   novel

   an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story