While We Were Dreaming

English language

Published March 15, 2023 by Fitzcarraldo Editions.

ISBN:: 978-1-80427-028-8

(1 review)

Startlingly raw and deeply moving, this extraordinary debut novel from one of Germany’s most ambitious writers is full of passion, hope and despair. 

Rico, Mark, Paul and Daniel were 13 when the Berlin Wall fell in autumn 1989. Growing up in Leipzig at the time of reunification, they dream of a better life somewhere beyond the brewery quarter. Every night they roam the streets, partying, rioting, running away from their fears, their parents and the future, fighting to exist, killing time. They drink, steal cars, feel wrecked, play it cool, longing for real love and true freedom.

1 edition

Lavinia reviewed While We Were Dreaming by Katy Derbyshire

Review of 'While We Were Dreaming' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

“While We Were Dreaming” by Clemens Meyer is a powerful novel that follows the lives of a group of boys in Leipzig during the tumultuous years of German reunification. In the wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the subsequent years, many young people in the former East Germany found themselves struggling to come to terms with the sudden changes in their lives. The characters’ dreams and aspirations are constantly challenged by the harsh realities of their environment.

Clemens Meyer explores these changes, describing vividly the desperation, confusion and lack of direction that permeates the lives of these boys. His writing is raw and visceral, which adds authenticity to the characters and their experiences.

Meyer employs a non-linear and complex narrative structure that helps to tell the story from the perspective of the different characters in the book. I found it very interesting, but for some …

“While We Were Dreaming” by Clemens Meyer is a powerful novel that follows the lives of a group of boys in Leipzig during the tumultuous years of German reunification. In the wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the subsequent years, many young people in the former East Germany found themselves struggling to come to terms with the sudden changes in their lives. The characters’ dreams and aspirations are constantly challenged by the harsh realities of their environment.

Clemens Meyer explores these changes, describing vividly the desperation, confusion and lack of direction that permeates the lives of these boys. His writing is raw and visceral, which adds authenticity to the characters and their experiences.

Meyer employs a non-linear and complex narrative structure that helps to tell the story from the perspective of the different characters in the book. I found it very interesting, but for some readers, that might be disorienting. The vivid descriptions of sex, drugs and violence can also make the reading quite uncomfortable at times.
Overall, While We Were Dreaming is a challenging book that explores the struggles of young people on the margins of society to find their footing in a world that seemed to be changing too quickly for them to keep up. It is not a book for everyone, but for those who are willing to persist and confront the darker aspects of the human condition, it can be a rewarding read.