bildungsroman

bil·dungs-ro·man or Bil·dungs·ro·man
A novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a usually youthful main character.

That really is a word! I kind of thought Jay McInerney made it up for his New York Times review of Benjamin Kunkel's debut novel, Indecision. Seriously, that is a new one on me.

So is wanderjahr: a year spent wandering or travelling itinerantly; also called Wanderjahr
Etymology: the original German word meant a year taken to travel and perfect one's knowledge or skill after an apprenticeship

The only thing missing from this review was Sturm und Drang. Since when did Jay McInerney start teaching English at Frankfurt University?

OK, all that aside it does seem like Mr. McInerney liked this book so I may need to add it to my "to read" list. Also noted in the review is that a new novel by Mr. McInerney is due out soon. This struck me strange. Is it just me, or does it always seem like Jay McInerney and Brett Easton Ellis always publish around the same time? The last coincidence being the publication of Model Behavior and Glamorama within maybe months of each other. (I could look it up, but I am too lazy. All my energy for google was spent on the GermanGreman lesson. )

Are Jay and Brett locked in competition for most literary figure born out of the 80's Vintage Contemporaries scene OR are they actually the same person and deliberately publishing at the same time to throw us off the scent?

Maybe I am over thinking this...