Best maturation novels

Apologies, I don't know what a maturation novel is. Perhaps a coming-of-age story?_?

Am I the only one who read that as "masturbation"? I'm guessing you haven't had much luck with Google searches because I haven't really ever seen that term used. Maybe try searching for "books with college aged MC"?

Satyesu, this sounds like New Adult fiction. I bet if you do some searching around for that category, you'll find a bunch of stuff. New Adult aims at a reading age group just above YA.

Moving this to book club.

I'd suggest looking for coming-of-age novels and/or Bildungsroman.

Putputt said:

Am I the only one who read that as "masturbation"? I'm guessing you haven't had much luck with Google searches because I haven't really ever seen that term used. Maybe try searching for "books with college aged MC"?

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No. No you are not.

Putputt said:

Am I the only one who read that as "masturbation"? I'm guessing you haven't had much luck with Google searches because I haven't really ever seen that term used. Maybe try searching for "books with college aged MC"?

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ap123 said:

No. No you are not.

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*stares at desk. slowly raises hand*

Yup. I had a flash of lewd dyslexia. (dyslewdia?)

You're not alone.

Coddiwomple said:

*stares at desk. slowly raises hand*

Yup. I had a flash of lewd dyslexia. (dyslewdia?)

You're not alone.

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Back to the OP. Satyesu, there are so many types of coming-of-age novels. Can you tell us a bit more about what you'd like to find? A few recent ones that come to mind that aren't YA: The Girls, by Emma Cline, Tell the Wolves I'm Home, by Carol Rifka Brunt, We Love You, Charlie Freeman, by Kaitlyn Greenidge, A Tale for the Time Being, by Ruth Ozeki, maybe even Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

I'd venture that James Farrell's Studs Lonigan would fit the category, although with a definitely much bleaker tone.

Putputt said:

Am I the only one who read that as "masturbation"?

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I did the same thing and was excited because I thought I would have a lot to contribute to this tread. Turns out I have nothing.

Some personal favorite Bildungsromans:
Call Me Asher Lev
The Chosen
Jane Eyre
Wuthering Heights
Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man
Go Tell It on the Mountain

Anne of Green Gables would probably be here if I’d ever actually read the book.
I’m told I should really read The Magic Mountain.

If we include speculative fiction coming-of-age novels I bet have a lot more.

satyesu said:

The biggest [theme?] is going from an ultra dogmatic, black-and-white, prejudiced view to a nihilistic, cynical one; and then wonder at the universe and acceptance of others (or, hard-line Catholicism to nihilist atheist to "spiritual, but not religious.") I was looking at Siddhartha​ by Herman Hesse.

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I would definitely check out the works of Chaim Potok, James Baldwin, and James Joyce. This is right in their wheelhouse.

Make fun of me for this, but I loooooooved Of Human Bondage.

pharm said:

If we include speculative fiction coming-of-age novels I bet have a lot more.

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Spec fiction is definitely worth including. I thought that the science fiction novel Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin was a classic coming of age story. Even though it happens in outer space, it still seems so relevant to experiences on Earth. The book is from 1968, so it's from the Revolution days.