205 pages
English language
Published 2016
"A thriller of war that never was--of survival in an impossible city--of surreal cataclysm. In The Last Days of New Paris, China Mieville entwines true historical events and people with his daring, uniquely imaginative brand of fiction, reconfiguring history and art into something new. "Beauty will be convulsive." 1941. In the chaos of wartime Marseille, American engineer--and occult disciple--Jack Parsons stumbles onto a clandestine anti-Nazi group, including Surrealist theorist Andre Breton. In the strange games of the dissident diplomats, exiled revolutionaries, and avant-garde artists, Parsons finds and channels hope. But what he unwittingly unleashes is the power of dreams and nightmares, changing the war and the world forever. 1950. A lone Surrealist fighter, Thibaut, walks a new, hallucinogenic Paris, where Nazis and the Resistance are trapped in unending conflict, and the streets are stalked by living images and texts--and by the forces of Hell. To escape the city, he must …
"A thriller of war that never was--of survival in an impossible city--of surreal cataclysm. In The Last Days of New Paris, China Mieville entwines true historical events and people with his daring, uniquely imaginative brand of fiction, reconfiguring history and art into something new. "Beauty will be convulsive." 1941. In the chaos of wartime Marseille, American engineer--and occult disciple--Jack Parsons stumbles onto a clandestine anti-Nazi group, including Surrealist theorist Andre Breton. In the strange games of the dissident diplomats, exiled revolutionaries, and avant-garde artists, Parsons finds and channels hope. But what he unwittingly unleashes is the power of dreams and nightmares, changing the war and the world forever. 1950. A lone Surrealist fighter, Thibaut, walks a new, hallucinogenic Paris, where Nazis and the Resistance are trapped in unending conflict, and the streets are stalked by living images and texts--and by the forces of Hell. To escape the city, he must join forces with Sam, an American photographer intent on recording the ruins, and make common cause with a powerful, enigmatic figure of chance and rebellion: the exquisite corpse. But Sam is being hunted. And new secrets will emerge that will test all their loyalties--to each other, to Paris old and new, and to reality itself. Praise for China Mieville "[Mieville's] wit dazzles, his humour is lively, and the pure vitality of his imagination is astonishing."--Ursula K. Le Guin, The Guardian, on Three Moments of an Explosion "Dark and thought-provoking."--The San Diego Union-Tribune, on The City & The City "Richly conceived."--The New York Times Book Review, on Embassytown "Mieville more than delivers."--San Francisco Chronicle, on Kraken "Compulsively readable."--The Washington Post Book World, on Perdido Street Station"--
"From the bestselling and award-winning master of sci fi, fantasy, and speculative fiction: a Surrealist bomb transfigures war-torn Paris into a phantasmagoric dreamscape, unleashing a race of nightmarish creatures"--
I was "meh" on this until the end when it all came together for me. Not my favorite [a:China Miéville|33918|China Miéville|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1243988363p2/33918.jpg] but still worth it.
This was quite an interesting ride. I was not too familiar with Surrealist art, but gained a deeper appreciation of it thanks to this novella. I also appreciated its length since a much longer novel would have been exhausting with all the craziness that takes place. The characters were decent, but the main selling point was New Paris and the unique setting were art and devils roam the streets alongside Nazis and resistance fighters. While not my favorite Mieville story, this is in line with the weird fiction he is known for.
For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2020/08/book-review-last-days-of-new-paris-by.html
I wanted to look at the Surrealist art that Miéville refers to before 'finishing' this book.
I came across the excellently curated Graphic Annotations of China Miéville’s The Last Days of New Paris and a useful review Who’s up for some Surrealist warfare? The Last Days of New Paris, by China Miéville.
That was quite a hard read, and it didn't particularly resonate with me. I think that if I'd had a background in art history I'd appreciate it some more. As it was, I think that maybe the depth of the author's imagination of the view was too broad to be carried into his writing.
Note that the afterward isn't so much fourth wall breaking, as fourth wall rebuilding.
Great book. Lots of layers of imagery and plenty weird. I suspect I'll need to read it again to get some of what the author is trying to convey.
Astonishing
I've no idea how anyone could come up with a story and world this wonderful, but of course Miéville did. Looks like it might be my best read of 2016.
