Many a query describes a novel as a “coming of age” story. I’ve never really understood what this means (coming of age of what?) but I never really had a problem with the phrase. At the very least it connotes a maturation process, which means a character is changing, and a character changing is officially a good thing.
But then a while back I heard (either erroneously or just oneously) that Miss Snark hated the words “coming of age.” And I thought, “Huh.”
Since that time, perhaps because I see it several times a day and perhaps because I have been influenced by Her Snarkness, my feeling about the phrase “coming of age” has gradually morphed from benign curiosity to morbid hostility. But then again, what if coming of age is a necessary term?
So… Can I get a ruling on “coming of age”? Two options below. Love or loathe. No indifference allowed!
150 says
Why is there no “Don’t care” option?
Nathan Bransford says
150-
It’s right next to the “read the post because I said no indifference allowed” option.
150 says
*sigh*
I lose at reading comprehension. I’ll be in the corner.
ORION says
In the UK my novel was called “a coming of age story like no other…”
I personally like it- but I know it’s become a bit of an over-used cliche- I think it’s still can be a good description of a novel.
Erik says
It’s more than a cliche, it’s vaguely euphemistic.
Yes, it’s an important part of life. No, we shouldn’t appear to be vaguely embarrassed by it.
Joshua Skurtu says
It’s been over-used to the point of being a cliche. Cliche = makes Josh want to smash things. It’s almost as cliche as having a young, un-magical man in a fantasy setting full of magic who must save the world from an all-powerful evil. But he doesn’t want to, but he must, but then he realizes he has to self-sacrifice. Then he miraculously survives. Then Frodo wakes up and all his friends are A-OKAY. (Everyone steals LOTR and calls it original)
sex scenes at starbucks says
If you’re indifferent, then don’t vote.
I guess I think all novels are a coming of age story if it involves the sort of change I think a character must undergo to make a novel worth reading. Coming of age says to me “kid growing up” rather than “character growing” and sets me off cuz I’m often not interested in reading about a young age group.
Anonymous says
Just find a better way to say it, that’s all.
Anonymous says
I’d have trouble naming a non-genre debut that wasn’t at least partially a coming of age novel. Michael Chabon’s coming of age Mysteries of Pittsburgh is arguably his best novel.
ilyakogan says
Don’t you get it? Age is the new recreational drug – it’s when you dissolve two ecstasy pills in a can of coke. All those queries you are getting – they are from barely literate teens. It should be “Coming off age”…
Furious D says
I think it’s just a way for critics, and back-cover blurb writers to make their word count quota.
Kylie says
I recoil from “coming of age”. If that is the best that someone can come up with to describe the book, what really happens??? Probably some kid or teen is growing up. That doesn’t sound original, gripping, or like much of a plot line. Sometimes growing up can be an interesting plot line (like The Catcher in the Rye) but “coming of age” usually leaves something more to be desired. The character can by all means “come of age,” but please God something else had better be taking center stage in this book I [paid $19.99 for/drove all the way to the library on $4 gas/et cetera]. If the author or editor falls back on calling the book a “coming of age” story, that usually sets off warning bells in my mind that this could be a bit dull.
But that is only my opinion. Like I said, there are some truly original “coming of age” stories that are by no means dull.
clindsay says
OMG, I see so many coming of age queries in a week. They are “charming” and “whimsical” and “heart-wrenching” and “poignant” – what they rarely are is orignal or well-written.
Feh. Coming of age (for me, at least) is right up there with “elves” in a query letter. Guaranteed to start me off in a bad mood.
(I am under-caffeinated. Can you tell?)
Colleen
Brian says
A querier may employ the term “coming of age” if the querier is uncertain of the best way to present their manuscript.
Is it YA? Is it literary adult fiction with a teen protagonist? The line is becoming more blurred every day (witness Margo Rabb’s recent NYT essay).
Like YA, the meaning seems to change depending on who uses the term. For instance, I’ve seen CATCHER IN THE RYE described as coming of age but Kylie would seem to disagree. What is coming of age to me may differ to another set of eyes.
Does “bildungsroman” have more cache simply because it’s foreign? How would you feel, Nathan, to start receiving queries labelling the manuscripts as bildungsromans? Would that ease the quandary you feel over COA?
Adaora A. says
I don’t like it at all. I have a hard time dealing with the fact that I have to label my MS as fitting under the umbrella of as particular genre, and to have to throw out the annoying “coming of age,” is just as big fat no thanks in my book. I think it’s an easy way of labeling – but not really having to label (again something I kind of hate doing) – your book. So glad your not so into it either.
So now I have to ask what you’d prefer. So, let it all hang out for us, if you please Nathan!
JES says
I started out in the “Hmm, y’know, don’t really care…” non-voting booth.
Then I read the phrase “coming of age” in, like, a half-dozen previous comments (out of 14), and began to get a sense of what it’s like to find it in multiple queries a day.
“Loathe” it is!
Jade says
A youth comes of age. He also comes to terms with the fact his father’s serving a life sentence for murder. Which sounds more interesting? Which would intrigue an agent more?
Nicholas Tam says
Loathe, loathe, loathe. Too many first-time authors “write what they know” and jump immediately to their most recent experience of personal development. Too many publishers mistake Copperfield for a copper mine. I read the words “coming of age” and my impression is “serial, boring, cliché”. If a coming-of-age novel is at all interesting, it is interesting for more unique and marketable reasons.
Then again, I am of the opinion that, contrary to what Anonymous wrote above, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh is Michael Chabon’s least-best novel (yet good enough that I hesitate to deploy the word “worst”).
“If you can spell ‘bildungsroman’, you can do better.”
Random Girl says
Honestly, if I see “coming of age” anywhere on the inside or outside of a book cover, I stay as far away from it as I can. I’m not saying they’re all bad, they’re just not my thing.
JJ says
I don’t mind the phrase. While I don’t “love” it, I certainly don’t “loathe” it, and as you said indifference was not allowed, I went with the former.
However, I have reservations about the term. I love bildungsromans in general: anything from James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man to Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass. But that’s because I think a “coming of age” is part and parcel of any novel, to see how a character grows and changes over the course of the narrative. I believe there are multiple “coming of ages” in real life, therefore the term as a genre label is pointless and far too vague. In many ways, I think it just comes with the territory.
Precie says
Ick. Whether referring to book or film, “coming of age” is an immediate turn-off for me. And I don’t think EVERY story about a young person experiencing character development can or should be classified as “coming of age.” Just tell the story.
JohnO says
I neither love nor loathe it. It’s a useful phrase, and you’ll find it defined in most glossaries of literary terms (e.g., “A type of novel where the protagonist is initiated into adulthood through knowledge, experience, or both, often by a process of disillusionment. Understanding comes after the dropping of preconceptions, a destruction of a false sense of security, or in some way the loss of innocence.”)
I heard people argue (a la anonymous, comment #9) that everyone’s first novel is a coming-of-age story. That isn’t entirely true, but the trend is sure there. So at the end of the day, you’ll need something to describe novels of that type.
Besides, more interesting is the Künstlerroman. Can’t wait for the day when you get a query with that in it!
Adaora A. says
I think using the phrase dumbs down the impact that saying what the book actually is about, would have. I mean there are SO many books out there using “coming of age” as their bait that it sort of – to me – becomes a kind of “so what” thing.
Just saying…
Sam says
In the UK the coming-of-age literary novel is pretty much out of fashion at the moment. According to several agents it’s very hard (or harder than normal, at least) to get a coming-of-age book published as a début over here (Vernon God Little being the exception that proves the rule) – which is a shame as many writers’ first effort tend to be that kind of book. I know one writer who was taken on by a major publisher but told that they wouldn’t publish his c-of-a novel first. They published it three of four books down the line, after he’d established himself. It was a great success.
Is it a similar story in America? I seem to think of America as the home of the c-of-a novel, so the attitude may be warmer over there. The Catcher in the Rye has to be the most famous coming-of-age novel around.
But, of course, writers shouldn’t try to second-guess the market, and should just write the book that’s in them, waiting to be written…
Maxxie says
Writers use “coming of age” because it doesn’t label their genre like young adult fiction or chick lit. Coming of age implies maturing and that frankly can happen when your 30. People use it for queries because if the agent is not specifically into young adult fiction they can still query you since “coming of age” is so nice and non specific.
As far as I know you don’t exactly represent chick lit or romance but using the words “coming of age” one can easily get you read a chick lit query. I think the reason agents feel “snarky” afterwards is not that they are bored but because it isn’t their genre. They were subtly tricked.
Ulysses says
I’m afraid I’ve never understood what “coming of age” really means.
I think it has something to do with being able to get into movies without adult supervision.
Unfortunately, the phrase “coming of age” is so vague it’s useless as description. I think a writer needs to sell their work on details.
Eric says
Coming of age, as most of you here no doubt know, is derived from the French “comage,” whose etymology lies in cheese-making. Thus the time worn phrase, “the comage of the fromage,” to denote a cheese that has reached maturity.
Dan says
Would ‘Bildungsroman’ be preferable? At least it shows a greater command of the thesaurus.
Sheila G. says
If I were reading queries, I think I would be more bothered by the self-congratulatory descriptors that Colleen mentioned than by a cliche. But maybe that is because I don’t see it 20 times a day.
Do people really describe their own work as “heart-wrenching,” “charming,” “poignant,” and “whimsical”?
I could never do that. Do I need to be less modest?
I’m curious, what is your reaction when someone describes their work in such a way?
Kat says
Eric said: Coming of age, as most of you here no doubt know, is derived from the French “comage,” whose etymology lies in cheese-making. Thus the time worn phrase, “the comage of the fromage,” to denote a cheese that has reached maturity.
I knew there was a reason I find so many coming of age novels cheesy. 😉
Deirdre Saoirse Moen says
Miss Snark is right about one thing: everyone comes of age.
That said, the process and challenges are different for different people, and it’s also obvious that there’s a built-in niche for coming-of-age stories in young adult.
I suspect a lot of people who loathe the term aren’t in the target market anyway.
spyscribbler says
I love it.
Except when I don’t. Then I loathe it.
Joanne says
The phrase seems a little bit of a cop-out, a sort of catch-all that has too many possibilities. Unless it’s accompanied by more details, it seems a flag that the writer hasn’t thought-out the core theme?
ChadGramling says
At Risk of being a plagiarist,
“I think using the phrase dumbs down the impact that saying what the book actually is about, would have. I mean there are SO many books out there using “coming of age” as their bait that it sort of – to me – becomes a kind of ‘so what’ thing.”
That’s pretty much it. If you use “coming of age” you are taking the easy way out of truly explaining the plot. Tell me HOW the character comes of age, WHY he/she comes of age and WHAT it means for them and/or the other characters in the work. The coming of age part should be obvious if that is done.
ChadGramling says
BTW: Kudos to Adaora A. for the quote (see above).
RED STICK WRITER says
The following definition is provided at m-w.com:
the attainment of prominence, respectability, recognition, or maturity
Wikipedia offers the following:
Coming of age stories may include puberty tales, loss of virginity, or trouble one has gotten into while working as a camp counselor. (See also rite of passage.)
The term coming of age is also used in reference to different media such as stories, songs, movies, etc. that have a young character or characters who, by the end of the story, have developed in some way, through the undertaking of responsibility, or by learning a lesson.
I think that “love” and “loathe” are a bit extreme. There are far too many things in this world that require either positive or negative passion to those degrees without picking on “coming of age.” For instance, one can love monkey fiction and loathe missing the monkey fiction trend. Oops. I guess one could loathe a monkey coming of age story.
cc says
To Nicholas Tam and Anon 10:50–
re: Michael Chabon’s, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. It is my fovorite book of his, indeed one of my top favorite books of ALL TIME!
To each his own.
re: Nathan’s post. In a way, amost any book can be described as a “coming of age” novel, simply because the nature of a main character requires him to change emotionally or in terms of awareness from point A to point B. Meaning he does “come of age” in some capacity even if he was 40 to begin with, right?
That said, yeah, it’s an overused phrase.
Dwight Wannabe says
Love the concept/theme.
Loathe the taxonomy.
“Coming of age” is so 1970s. Synonymous with the ABC Afterschool Specials.
“I think we’ve learned a valuable lesson today, Dutch…”
…
And now I’ve watched my cursor blink for ten minutes and I can’t think of a good postmodern replacement for “coming of age.”
Maybe it’s the implied passive voice: That maturation is an event that happens to a protag. Perhaps it’s better when protags achieve something as a result of their newfound self awareness.
Maris Bosquet says
I agree with Maxxie that COA is nice and non-specific, but I also think it appears ad nauseum because writers think it’s what agents and editors are looking for, a perception reinforced by the marketing of books as COA stories. (Please see Orion’s post on how her book was marketed in the UK.)
Cate says
I absolutely loathe it.
Either it means- “kid grows up” …and…?
or more and more often, “kid realizes he/she is really an angel/dwarf/greek god/monster/boring jerk” or, “this is the entire plot. Nothing else really happens.”
Adaora A. says
@Red stick writer – I don’t think folks are picking on “coming of age” per say. To me, the annoyance comes from how it is a sort of security blanket in terms of coming up with a way to make a book sound interesting. To help sell it. It’s an easy explanation, and indeed in reading it, folks tend to find no more need to wonder what it’s about when reading the back flap. It just agrivates mne personally.
Maris Bosquet says
So which do we love/loathe more–the phrase, or the concept behind the phrase? Are they inseparable?
And, if COA as a phrase did not exist, but the concept did, what would that concept be called, if not COA?
Lynne says
Lovely overworked cliche. Kick it.
wonderer says
I love a good coming-of-age story (preferably combined with the fantasy genre, but that’s just me). I also like writing them. To me, there’s something very powerful about that point in someone’s life.
But I don’t think I would use that phrase in a query letter. As chadgramling said, I’d rather mention a few of the plot details so the agent will understand that the story is about the character maturing, without my having to say so. (AKA, showing not telling. As always.)
TALON says
A phrase that’s overdone loses impact…like when you hear a song you love on the radio about a 1,000times then you start switching channels when it starts playing.
Still, nothing beats reading or creating a “coming of age” story. Those pivotal moments in our lives when we knew there was no going back to childhood are always bittersweet.
I guess there will be a replacement phrase that in years to come will be the new cliché and then we can go back to using “coming of age” and it will be regarded as fresh.
Anonymous says
I guess I wasn’t aware that people were describing their novels as coming of age in query letters.
Query letter are supposed to be short, sweet, and to the point. Your manuscript would be better served by saying, When X discovers Y he must Z and G, or else H will happen. There shouldn’t be any extra room there to write the phrase “coming of age” in the query. Isn’t it a given that the character WILL change by the end of the book?
And honestly, I’ve NEVER read “coming of age” on a published book’s jacket copy or back copy like so many have stated — Am I missing something?
Mary says
I think you have to be old enough to put the coming in age in perspective to like the phrase 🙂
Elyssa Papa says
Hm. I guess I’m in the minority. I love the term. Maybe I’d feel differently if I were reading queries “coming of age” ad nauseum, but I don’t know. I think it can sum up the type of book in a simple phrase.
Cory says
I voted love, because it’s descriptive, and isn’t that what matters? By no means do I think that it should be the only way to describe a book. If it’s a good book, there will be better and more exciting ways to describe it that are more likely to catch the attention. Still, if a big part of my story is that a character undergoes vast changes to their personality by learning and experiencing more about the world around them and growing into their own as a result, within the context of a well-told, original story, why shouldn’t I be allowed to use the phrase? You can have a romance, or you can have a romantic coming-of-age. You can have a paranormal, or you can have a paranormal coming-of-age. It gives you information about the story, and considering it’s an element so common in so many novels I don’t think the story element can be dismissed out of hand as bad or boring, and thus the way to describe it shouldn’t be, either.
If the pitch is exciting, why dismiss it based on genre?
Or maybe this is just me panicking because I was describing a future idea of mine as a paranormal coming-of-age to myself and I have no clue how else I’d pitch it.
Joe Iriarte says
I exercised my inalienable right not to vote. Anarchy Now!
I don’t doubt the phrase is over-used, but I love to read coming of age stories. I think I probably described my first trunk novel as a coming of age story. Maybe that’s why it’s a trunk novel. I’m with those who feel it’s a very powerful time of life and fertile ground for novels.
My current novel, which I’ve finished the first draft of but am still revising before starting to pitch people, has a young protagonist, but it didn’t even occur to me to call it a coming of age novel. *whew* Bullet dodged. The thing is, my pitch is focused on the action and the plot, of which I have, if anything, too much. As Anon 1:33 noted, I don’t have room to go describing the story in such vague terms.