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Bildungsroman

By Mark Flanagan, About.com

Definition: A bildungsroman is a coming of age novel, tracing the development of a character from childhood to maturity. Literally translated from German, bildungsroman means "novel of education" or "novel of formation."
Examples: J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series is a bildungsroman tracing Harry Potter's transition from childhood to adulthood.

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