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A review by maybreads
Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Behold the Dreamers is such an interesting novel, especially for people like me for whom the financial crash is a very formative memory but it mainly consists of listening to the radio and everyone talking about how catastrophic it is without understanding it (aka being born 1997-2001). I had to look up Lehman Brothers.
Behold the Dreamers works very well in utilizing the dramatic irony that the setting of working on Wallstreet (adjacent) in 2007/8 just before a historic irl event creates. It takes these gigantic surroundings and focuses on the life of an immigrant couple whose place is the USA is not secure. They have a narrative foil in the Wallstreet couple which they work for.
I think Imbolo Mbue does a fantastic job of portraying the American dream, assimilation, money struggles and immigration. The novel also comments a lot on corruption and in my opinion gender roles. My heart broke with the character's whenever they experienced a setback.
I think the most interesting aspect of the novel was its portrayal of respectability. Who's a respectable man, what is honorable behavior. Who do the characters not respect and why. Who do they claim to respect but their behavior shows differently. Needless to say that as a reader you will not automatically align yourself with the characters here.
Behold the Dreamers is not a book that you won't be able to put down. Nevertheless it's an enjoyable read that touches on important topics and creates emotional investment in the story. I would even argue that it has a happy ending.
Behold the Dreamers works very well in utilizing the dramatic irony that the setting of working on Wallstreet (adjacent) in 2007/8 just before a historic irl event creates. It takes these gigantic surroundings and focuses on the life of an immigrant couple whose place is the USA is not secure. They have a narrative foil in the Wallstreet couple which they work for.
I think Imbolo Mbue does a fantastic job of portraying the American dream, assimilation, money struggles and immigration. The novel also comments a lot on corruption and in my opinion gender roles. My heart broke with the character's whenever they experienced a setback.
I think the most interesting aspect of the novel was its portrayal of respectability. Who's a respectable man, what is honorable behavior. Who do the characters not respect and why. Who do they claim to respect but their behavior shows differently. Needless to say that as a reader you will not automatically align yourself with the characters here.
Behold the Dreamers is not a book that you won't be able to put down. Nevertheless it's an enjoyable read that touches on important topics and creates emotional investment in the story. I would even argue that it has a happy ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Child death and Death of parent