There is a strange bias around coming-of-age novels: the idea that they are reads relegated to adolescence or mandatory stops to pass through at school before moving on to “books for adults.”
We often tend to view the Bildungsroman as a kind of formative gym, a literary genre fenced within the boundaries of youth and conceived exclusively for those traversing the delicate transition phase from childhood to adulthood. In the common imagination, once you cross the threshold of chronological maturity and confront the first real responsibilities of life, that type of narrative should stop speaking to us.
But that is not at all the case.
“There is no age at which one stops looking for one’s place in the world”
There is no age at which we stop searching for our place in the world or where doubts about who we truly want to become fade away. The fears, uncertainties, and desires for change do not vanish after twenty; they merely change shape. And, read again by adults, the journeys of discovery and rebellion undertaken by young protagonists take on an even deeper, more layered, and more conscious meaning.
As mature readers we possess that lens that allows us to grasp the hidden nuances behind the choices of the characters: we recognize the exact moment when pride is masking fear, we understand the weight of expectations, and we grasp the risk of an impulsive decision. Watching a young character clash with the world forces us to reflect on the boy or girl we once were, to ask ourselves which part of that fire has faded and which, instead, is still burning.
In an era dominated by constant pressure to always appear resolved, efficient, and ready for anything, the coming-of-age reading offers us a respite, allowing us to feel incomplete and “in progress,” even if only for the duration of a book. For these reasons, therefore, coming-of-age novels should never be considered a closed chapter with youth, but an opportunity to continue looking inside ourselves.
As a passionate reader, and as a writer who debuted precisely with this genre, here are five reading suggestions in my view suitable for every season of life.
The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino (Mondadori)
A rousing tribute to free thought. The beauty of the novel lies precisely in Cosimo’s indomitable character, in a story that makes you smile and reflect, reminding us how vital it is to defend our spaces of freedom against conventions.
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, from an idea by Siobhan Dowd (Mondadori, translated by Giuseppe Iacobaci)
Emotionally devastating and, at the same time, comforting. Through somber illustrations and masterful narration, the novel tells, with ruthless sweetness, how human it is and how necessary it is to accept our shadows to heal from pain.
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune (Mondadori, translated by Benedetta Gallo)
A heart-warming novel that warms the heart like a mug of hot tea on a rainy day. With humor and deep gentleness, Klune gives us an anthem to second chances: it’s never too late to learn empathy, to make peace with our past, and to ask for help.
The Giver by Lois Lowry (Mondadori, translated by Simona Brogli)
Lowry builds a story with rare clarity, showing us how a life that appears perfect and flawless, and devoid of suffering, can nevertheless be a life stripped of its soul. It is a powerful reminder of how important emotions, both positive and negative, are, and the courage to seek one’s own freedom.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (Mondadori, translated by Marta Maria Casetti)
Sáenz captures with surgical precision the exact moment we stop wearing the armor we have built around ourselves. He teaches us that the greatest courage is not defending ourselves from loneliness, but finding the strength to allow someone else to love us without barriers.
Because, after all, the growth journey of a human being never ends. And these stories remind us that it is never too late to change, to start again, or simply to make room for a new part of ourselves.
THE AUTHOR – Carmelo Romano, a creator known to book lovers by the handle @timidalibreriadelriccio, makes his narrative debut with his first fantasy, The Water Weaver (Fabbri), a coming-of-age story “that invites us to accept life in its weave of light and shadow, because only in the balance between opposites can each of us grow… exist.”
Let us come to the plot of his debut: being admitted to the Ceremony of the Light is the dream of all the newborns. Only then can the water nebulas that completed their apprenticeship at Eden City begin the Training on Earth. Nine months alongside humans to discover what it means to live: this is the destiny set by the Schema, the inscrutable weaving of life guarded by the Weaver. Then there are them: Teo, Neve, Federico, three souls fated to join their threads in a different, revolutionary design, Teo has planned a future made of excellence and perfection; Neve feels she must defend herself from whatever she senses as a threat; Federico hides behind his lightness a deep wound. All three arrive on Earth with blind faith in the Weaver, but soon their certainties are unsettled by events. Enchanted by the promises of the Knotter, mistress of a parallel reality where each can become whatever they want without suffering or error, they will face a dilemma: to stay within the Schema or to take a leap into the void, embracing the mysterious Alternative Way? Suspended between fidelity to the Weaver and the temptations of the Knotter, in a crescendo of challenges, sacrifices, and twists, the three will undertake an adventurous journey, consecrating themselves as thread-brothers beyond any limit set by Space and Time…
Sunday, November 29, at 2:30 PM (in Room 1400 at Base), she will host Build (and Gift) Your “Friendship Bookmarks” – A Free Workshop to Learn How to Make Them (an event dedicated to the “friendship bracelet”); also on that Sunday, at 5:30 PM, in the same venue, there will be a session dedicated to his first fantasy, in which she will discuss it with Martina Levato (@levv97, a well-known content creator) and with the writer Hazel Riley (in bookstores with Santa, I did something bad – The Advent calendar romance, written with Stefania S., Sperling & Kupfer). Following, there will be a signing session.
