Coming of age novels are great to read while young, but they are equally pleasant to read while an adult. I recently re-read some of my favorite novels from my more formative years and can say that most of the are just as good today as they were 20-plus years ago. And reading them as an adult gives a much different perspective than reading them as a young gun.
So if you are looking to read a book you probably missed from your younger years, or just looking for a good novel as a gift for someone young, then here is the best Coming-of-Age novel.
The Catcher in the Rye
(If you haven’t read this novel, then you are missing out on a slice of American culture)
There is something about Holden’s Caufield’s narrating in this book that really goes to the heart and soul of what it is like being a young person. The style, the angst and the naïve look on the world was perfectly captured and this book is hands-down the best coming of age novel that I have read.
Which begs the question: what is a coming of age novel? For me, they are stories that reflect on what it is like to be young and so full of wonder; that yearning for knowledge and understanding in a world that has very abruptly come into consciousness.
Just think about it. The difference between ten years-old and fifteen years-old is arguably the single 5-year span in a person’s life that has the most amount of change. And radical change at that. Puberty is usually gone through during this time and the hormones are raging. The social dynamic of high school is staggering.
You finally become aware of adult themes and you understand the cold hard realities of the world. That life isn’t fair and there will be a struggle to get through it, or to achieve what you want to. Then there is the biological desire that comes during this period.
Suddenly, boys aren’t looking at girls the same, and vice versa. This complicates an already complicated time. That is why there have been so many novels written about this time period: because everyone can relate to it personally in some way or another.
And that is why I like Catcher in the Rye. It encapsulates all of this in a voice that is totally believable and genuine to the actual tendencies and thought processes of kids at this age.
Again, there have been dozens of coming of age novels that I really loved, so maybe it would be more fair to say this is the best PG-13 coming of age novel.
I have other selections in the Rated R and PG categories, as well. Perhaps the topics for another day.
Nonetheless, the beautiful thing about coming of age books is that you can read them at any point and still feel connected to the story. Of course, if you read this type of book while actually coming-of-age, then you can understand first-hand the topic of the book and relate real time.
But recently I have noticed that upon re-reading some of these old gems, I can actually relate better as an adult because I have more time in place so that I am far enough removed from actually being that age.
If that makes sense.
So I have been re-reading a lot of the most classic coming of age novels recently and I am thoroughly enjoying them, decades after reading them the first time. So if you have not read this coming of age classic, or it has been years since the last time, then I recommend you sit down and give it a go and see what it means to you now, as an adult.