Originating from Germany, the term "Bildungsroman" combines "bildungs," meaning formation, with "roman," signifying a novel. This genre of literature hones in on the evolution or education of a central character. While Christoph Martin Wieland’s The History of Agathon, dating back to 1766-1767, is considered an early example, it was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship, penned in 1795, that shifted the focus from philosophical to personal development, bringing the genre to prominence.

Uniquely, the Bildungsroman genre seeks to engage readers in a journey of personal enrichment as the protagonist matures from youth into psychological and emotional adulthood. This narrative typically follows a structured pathway: an intelligent and sensitive protagonist departs from home, encounters a series of conflicts and growth phases, faces tests through crises and romantic entanglements, and eventually finds a befitting role to utilize their unique talents. Occasionally, the protagonist's journey culminates with a return home, illustrating a successful transformation. Alternatively, some narratives conclude with the protagonist's untimely death, hinting at potential left unrealized.

English novelists often introduce external conflicts to complicate the character’s quest for self-identity, while their German counterparts tend to delve into the hero’s internal struggles. Whether viewed as a quest for life’s meaning or as a medium for expressing the author’s social and moral views, the protagonist’s journey is central to the Bildungsroman.

The genre thrived until about 1860 but waned in influence due to anti-German sentiment during the world wars and the rise of diverse new novelistic experiments. Nonetheless, the Bildungsroman has persisted, with distinctive variations, across numerous cultures. Notably, James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man in 1916 exemplifies the genre's endurance, highlighting its adaptability and continued appeal to authors across the globe.