A review by shukalido
The Last Days of New Paris by China Miéville

challenging slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

"The poets and artists and philosophers, resistance activists, secret scouts and troublemakers, had become, as they must, soldiers."

A frustratingly exciting yet tedious linguistic enterprise that is entirely fitting of Miéville.

This novelette is truly a victim of its own brevity. It is exquisitely researched and whilst I can appreciate the underlying political commentary and allusions, I can't help but feel everything within this book deserves to exist within a sprawling, 20th century sci-fi epic. The last third of this book carries the extent of the tension. I cared little for the extensive cast of eccentrics, again due to briefness.