Book review: Fighting the Nazis with surrealist weapons in The Last Days of New Paris

In the book, Chinese writer China Mieville seems to be suggesting that art and culture remain a powerful salve against the forces of extremism and fascism.

The Last Days of New Paris by China Mieville.

Towards the end of British writer China Mieville’s latest fantasy novella, his young protagonist, Thibaut, muses: “Something doesn’t make sense.” “Really?” replies Sam, his mysterious sidekick. “Just one thing?”

It’s not an altogether unexpected line: after all, Thibaut has just destroyed a centaur that is part giant, part Second World War German panzer tank. In a world in which the Nazis are still in power in the 1950s in Paris, but are battling figures from surrealist paintings – “manifs” – that have come to life, it probably pays for Mieville to be just a little sardonic.

The 44-year-old has been picking away at the boundaries between surrealist fantasy and literary fiction for some time now – most notably in 2011's Embassytown.

It is not particularly unfair to suggest some of his flights of fancy are an acquired taste: undoubtedly The Last Days of New Paris might be a struggle for those who find the prospect of the river Seine infested with sharks with canoe-seats for backs a bit silly, rather than a lovely nod to the parlour game of consequences played by surrealists in 1929.

But Mieville – as the copious research notes at the back of this dazzlingly inventive tale reveal – does somehow make sense of a world in which a version of André Breton's surrealist manifesto Exquisite Corpse is battling the Nazis and their allies. Which happen to be the forces of hell – a relatively horrifying arch enemy, you'd have to suggest. Meanwhile, Thibaut takes on almost superhero-like powers as he tries to make sense of what is happening to Paris and who is on what side.

How does he overcome demons and Nazi-developed paintings brought to life? He has a special pair of bulletproof pyjamas.

You can argue whether a mock essay at the back suggesting The Last Days of New Paris is a "true" story told to Mieville is really necessary. But for all the playful elements – there's even a video game-style "end of level baddie" feel to the climactic battle – this is a wildly imaginative tale with a nightmarish, dreamlike quality and real substance.

Mieville seems to be suggesting that art and culture remain a powerful salve against the forces of extremism and fascism – and while this novella perhaps won’t stay that long in the memory – the ideas it grapples with certainly should.