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

China Miéville's imagining of a Paris still under Nazi occupation in 1950 and beset by wild manifestations of Surrealist art striding the streets is deeply flawed despite its inventive premise and descriptions that are often dazzling. An alternating storyline set in 1941 is flat and explains the obvious, and even the more successful chapters set in 1950 never feel urgent, despite what the novel insists are the highest possible stakes. Still, this short book (200 generous spaced pages) is a joy whenever Miéville drops in a 'manif', a surrealist impossibility conjured into life and action, which fortunately for this reader was often.