This is a pretty hard-hitting and visceral novel which perfectly encapsulates the atmosphere in a poor district of Leipzig in East Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, focussing on the lives and misadventures of a group of teenage boys growing to manhood in a toxic and misogynistic environment. It feels realistic and authentic, and is in fact semi-autobiographical, and it’s a raw and bleak read. Even moving at times – but only up to a point, because it ultimately becomes tedious to read, page after page, about the boys’ rampaging and irresponsible behaviour, which never changes as they grow up. They spend their time partying, drinking, taking drugs, fighting, stealing cars, being arrested, spending time in youth detention centres or prison as they become adults, and where violence and gang warfare is the backdrop to everything they do. The narrative is non-linear, a series of vignettes, which jumps about in time and it is thus sometimes difficult to figure out exactly where we are. There’s no overarching plot, little character development and certainly no redemption. The episodic structure prevents the reader (at least, this reader) becoming emotionally invested in the characters, and although there are at times flashes of humanity, even vulnerability when the boys are younger, and they do evoke some sympathy for their plight, it all went on for far too long and after a while I just wanted it to be over. A shorter book with a tighter narrative would have had more impact.

This is a hugely impressive novel, fluently translated, which traces the story of Danny, the narrator, and his group of friends as they negotiate the transition from teenage into adulthood in Leipzig before, during and after the collapse of East Germany. Essentially, they experience and get involved in all sorts of anti-social behaviour, from violence and petty crime to football hooliganism to visits to brothels and an extended stay in a youth offender institution. Their attitude to women is problematic to say the least, but feels both real and challenged by the novel as a whole. The episodic structure, which shifts backwards and forwards in time, means it takes a little time to find your way into the book, but once you're there, it's both very entertaining and a sharp portrait of a society in flux. It's definitely a bit too long, but nevertheless well worth the time investment.

Clemens Meyer’s autobiographical debut novel Als wir träumten, originally published in 2006, and now issued by Fitzcarraldo Editions in an English translation by Katy Derbyshire, has achieved something of a cult status in Germany as a fictionalised, literary account of the so-called “baseball bat years”. This term refers to the period right after the unification of West and East Germany, characterised by the rise of right-wing violence in the East. Meyer’s novel, in fact, is set in Leipzig over a period of roughly a decade straddling the eighties and nineties, and follows the misadventures of the teenage narrator – Daniel “Danny” Lenz – and his group of friends as they try to navigate their way into adulthood without ending up dead or in prison. (Spoiler – not all of them succeed)

The novel paints a bleak picture of the time, as the boys grow into men in an environment marked by poverty, alcohol, violence and delinquency. Their lives are unmoored and rudderless, a feeling further emphasized by the book’s episodic structure. The novel’s chapters do not follow a chronological order. Instead, the narration jumps backwards and forwards, and requires concentration until the pieces start falling into place. Just to give some examples, one of Danny’s friends insists on being called “Pitbull”, but it is only late in the novel that we learn how he got his nickname. Another dies after a carjacking gone horribly wrong, but he resurfaces in later episodes in the book (obviously set at an earlier date).

At over 500 pages, the novel is, in my view, overlong, especially considering the absence of an overarching plot, and a tendency for repetition (there’s a limit to the number of description of fights, beatings and drunken evenings, which one can take at a sitting). I admit that when I first started reading it, it tired me out around half way through, but I then picked it up again after a hiatus of over a year and appreciated it much more. And despite first impressions, it’s not all doom and gloom. Underneath the darkness, there’s often a streak of humour, as well as, perhaps more surprisingly, bursts of warm humanity.

Katy Derbyshire deserves special kudos for bringing this translation project to fruition. Obviously, all translations present their specific challenges, but when the language and setting are so place-and-time-specific as in this novel, full as it is of the “street slang” of the period, it’s particularly difficult to retain the novel’s original impact and meaning. Derbyshire succeeds in rendering Meyer’s work in a tone which rings authentic and true. It’s eye opening to read about Derbyshire’s own account of the dilemmas she faced and choices she made in translating the novel.

3.5*

https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2024/08/while-we-were-dreaming-by-clemens-meyer.html

“While We Were Dreaming” – Clemens Meyer (translated from German by Katy Derbyshire)

“But it was the drugs, the bastard drugs that messed everything up, that smashed up our dream, the dream not even the Markkleebergers, the hools, Engel’s people and all the cops in Leipzig could put a stop to.”

Set in Leipzig in the years before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall, “While We Were Dreaming follows a group of young men growing up in the shadow of this collapse, their lives tinged with crime, drugs, gang violence and stints in prison.

One thing to be prepared for: this is a very male, macho book, one built of male loyalty to each other and violence solving issues, and any women in the book are very much seen through the lens of a teenager, either sexual object or motherly authority figure with very few exceptions over the near 600-page novel (too long, in my opinion).

The book is told in a very non-linear fashion, effectively a series of vignettes which appear out of sequence (I think this is a clear Tarantino nod), which actually worked quite well for me. We see the various characters grow and shrink, with secrets and actions often only revealed after their consequences are shown to us. Watching certain characters, Mark and Rico in particular, return from the repercussions of their actions through a time skip is often a gut punch, as we know what is coming and can do nothing to stop it.

Is this a perfect book? Far from it, and some people are going to hate it. However, I have to say I was drawn in by its rawness, the wild stories and bravado of the young teens striking a chord with how I remember feeling at points as a youth. It somehow felt fantastical and yet achingly real, and I see why it got prize buzz.

A cautious recommendation from me – if you go in prepared for the subject matter, there’s a lot to like here, I think.

TW: violence, d***s

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

While We Were Dreaming tells the story of a group of young boys in East Leipzig, growing up in the late 1980s following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Its central character, Daniel, and his friends Rico, Pitbull, Walter, Mark and Paul are growing up in difficult family circumstances, surrounded by alcohol, drugs, gangs and general poverty in East Germany, and their decisions are often a reflection of their unstable environment.

👍🏼The Good:
- the characters really make this book brilliant, they are extremely well thought out, and come across as very realistic
- certain scenes of tension having been built up over time were written very well and give a good insight into the character’s emotions through showing rather than telling
- although it was occasionally confusing, I enjoyed the non-linear timeline and piecing together the story as each chapter finished

👎🏼The Not-So-Good
- although I enjoyed the majority of the book, it is nearly 600 pages long and not what I’d call an easy read, so towards the end I was struggling a little to stay focused

I found it somewhat similar to Trainspotting (which I’ve only watched not read) in terms of the content, so if that sounds up your street, then add this to your list!

Took me a while to get into and to be honest the first 50 pages felt like a slog, but ended up really enjoying it. Very bleak but also funny in parts. Definitely not for everyone but I will definitely be buying a physical copy of this to reread in the future.

A well-written, insular read that centres a group of boys at the fringes of Germany, unheeded in the time of its reunification. Realistically speaks from the mundanity of daily life but it could also get quite tedious, especially through quite a male-dominated perspective, not separate from rage, misogyny, and violence. Though it could get confusing, I did quite like the element of surprise offered by the non-linear perspective. Overall, glad I read it, and my sincere gratitude to netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy.

I wanted to read this, particularly after it came up for the international booker prize but I found the male dominated, vivid and lurid narrative difficult to contend with. Not one for me!

I found this book captivating for its slow burn of drama, and the ways that the characters' innocence and naivety were constantly both upended, but also attempted to obscure the terrifying realities of the world around them.

Their slow panic and realisations of the ever-changing landscape around them built to a powerful, if fearful, end.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book, at times hard to read, because how lost most of those kids were... It was another time, when the dinamic between people was different, but at the same time, the same. Really enjoyed these friendships, but sometimes just felt like shaking them all! Put some sense into those heads.
I liked the prose, and didn't really have a problem with the time jumps.
Will be reading Meyer's other works in the future.

OMG OMG this book is nominated for Bookers! Wish it made it to shortlist but yeah, the fact that it actually got the recognition makes me so happy!

While we were dreaming was a ride.

Our narrator is Danny, a kid growing up in Leipzig, spending time with his friends: Rico (passion: boxing), Mark (it's drugs), Little Walter (stealing cars), Stefan/Pitbull (quite a story here for his name) & others. As you can see from their interests, the world they are living in is full of fighting, stealing, drugs, violence, porn. At any point in the book, one of them (or all) is in jail, at the police station, recovering from a fight, getting into a fight, there is no hesitation to get violent with them or with the people around. It it interesting that the title indicates a glimmer of hope, while the horrible things that happen to them/are caused by them seem inevitable, just the way things are. It is a world where only fists solve anything, if you want to protect your circle. Clearly, it is male oriented novel, women do not appear often and when they do, it is mostly in a sexual or domestic violence related context. While I would not like all my books to be like that, I think this is a well crafted novel, painting a raw, cruel picture of life during and after the fall of the Wall.

Now, going to my favourite part, the structure. The story is told in a non-linear way, I really enjoyed connecting the dots during this long journey of 500 pages. You might find out that a character is dead and only later discover why, how, you know that Stefan changed his name to Pitbull, but why? These building blocks help us, as readers, to better understand the relationships between characters, between these friends that sometimes help each other and sometimes betray each other in the worst possible way.

This is a 3.5 stars book for me, rounded up to 4 stars.

My personal order for International Booker 2023:
1. Still born (now shortlisted) - 4 stars
2. While we were dreaming - 3.5 stars
3. Pyre - 2 stars

Thanks to Fitzcarraldo Editions and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

“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.

Although it’s long, this book was wild and bizarre and managed to keep me engaged throughout. The way the story started out with the teenagers behaving in questionable ways had me hooked instantly. I definitely think it should have been shortlisted for the international Booker prize 2023.

Couldn’t really get into this book past the first few pages in the end unfortunately. Writing style was not for me nor was liberally stating a female in a coma as a slut. I’m sure there’s plenty of people who will get into this past the first starting pages but not for me on this occasion unfortunately. DNF.

This is my favorite book of all the books longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2023. I will not, I can not, forget the power of Clemens Meyer’s story, and his mates’, with whom I lived for the duration of the novel. I felt their every bruise and wound, I felt their longing and their determination. It has my highest praise.

This novel is not going to be for everyone. However, I loved it.
We follow a group of friends, all boys, who after the fall of the Wall, grow up in a rather tumultuous environment. Their homes are not safe, the streets are dangerous, they can only rely among themselves.
There were beautiful written scenes which were claustrophobic, full of tension and kept you on the edge of your sit. You did not know when someone was going to die or when something was going to go completely wrong, but you knew it was going to happen. This sense of impending doom was everywhere.
The story jumps from future to past and sometimes you did not even know if what you were reading was true or not.
Drugs, alcohol, theft, cars, fights, physical abuse... these boys lived it all.

I am very glad I read this novel, I want to keep reading Meyer in the future.

Longlisted for the International Booker Prize for 2023, this German coming-of-age epic finally gets an English translation almost 20 years later. And a worthy read it is, too. Not easy, it has to be said. It is almost relentlessly and grimly masculine - sex, drugs, violence, and just general boyishness growing up in the years either side of the Berlin wall coming down. What keeps your attention is the writing, and the sometimes non-linear narrative that jumps about.

It is, though, a book that will divide readers. It is worth persevering, and deserves its place on the longlist. I suspect it will also reach the shortlist. 4 worthy stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

'While We Were Dreaming', written and published in German in 2007, recently translated beautifully into English by Katy Derbyshire, looks at the life of a group of young men from around twelve years old to early adulthood (eighteen/nineteen).

Danny, Rico, Mark, 'Porno' Paul, Stefan ('Pitbull') and Little Walter live in Leipzig; and were thirteen years old in 1989 when the Berlin Wall was torn down. So we see them growing to adulthood in the turbulent years following the Reunification of Germany.

Teenage years are already difficult enough, but when you live in a 'rough' urban area of an Eastern European city with not a lot to lose and everything to gain, there are many more difficulties and trials to face.

Clemens Meyer has written in jumbled vignettes, skipping to and fro throughout the years so that at times it can become difficult for the Reader to place where we are in the boys lives and what age they must be. This confusion is often added to by the dawning realisation we come to as we read that the narrator here isn't necessarily particularly reliable. I felt that, as is often the case with young men like these who have something to prove and a reputation to build or maintain, some of these stories were perhaps exaggerated; or, a tale heard about someone else might have been co-opted and worked into their own 'Legend'. Then we also have the fact that liberal amounts of alcohol and much drug-taking are involved in the stories/memories recounted, which seemingly begins to build from the earliest age covered here to the point that around their mid-teens they seem to be existing in such a haze of substance abuse we can surely doubt much of what they seem to recall?

As I reached the final section of the piece, I also began to imagine the writer himself, trying out different versions of the same scenarios to see which one works best. So in this respect, like the last Fitzcarraldo work I read, 'The Private Life of Trees', Meyers also seems to have created something which is as much about the art of creating and story-telling as it is about the subjects and setting of his novel.

The title of the novel is after all 'While We Were Dreaming' and I think it safe to say that, one way or another, we can't be sure what is 'real' and what has been imagined. However, regardless of the slightly 'fever dream' presentation, I found this work to be entirely engaging and one of the reasons for that was that I could genuinely relate to the characters. I expect that a reason that some people will really enjoy this read is that they, like me, also come from a background like that depicted in this book. While I was born and raised in the North-West of England, rather than Eastern Germany, I too grew to adulthood in the grim post-industrial poverty soaked areas (though in the '70s and '80s) which bred the escapist recreational drug-taking, drinking, theft and joy riding which we see described here. I knew boys like our main characters in 'While We Were Dreaming'. I indulged in some of the behaviours depicted during my own teens.

I don't want to give anything more away, but I think Clemens Meyer has written a very clever depiction of what might have been real in that place, at that time. Everything is painted in such a wonderfully (though depressingly) atmospheric way. The football violence, the grim streets and blocks of flats/apartments, the techno clubs and raves in abandoned factories, 'red light' areas - and even the consequences of the boys' wild behaviour; all are faithfully recreated in this novel.

I enjoyed this book very much and had great appreciation for the skill with which it was both written and translated. In my opinion 'While We Were Dreaming' deserves to be recognised in prize lists this year. I am grateful to Fitzcarraldo Editions and Netgalley for furnishing me with a digital ARC, this title is now on my list of books I would love to buy a physical copy of sometime soon.

This is a great new translation of a German classic written nearly 20 years ago about life in Berlin in 1989. It is a rich, layered story, sometimes bleak and shocking, but also sometimes very funny. It's authentic and honest. a book with depth and emotion. These characteristics have been kept alive in this excellent translation. It is a slightly challenging read, but once you are in it becomes a page turner. A worthy Booker nominee.