I get that this is supposed to be weird. I get (some of) what the Surrealists were trying to do and the context in which they were thinking. I even kinda get the origins of this novella after reading the explanation after finishing it. It still didn't really capture me. Sure, it's fun and weird to think about this alternate history, but I couldn't really let myself float into it and allow subconscious reaction. I even tried when I couldn't relax into it, which didn't exactly help. Instead, the constant name-dropping and switches in timeline forced a constant running critic, attempting to keep track and think about whether I should have known about someone. Ultimately, an interesting piece, but only okay. ( )

I hate this book.

(It should always be remembered that I am a nobody who knows nothing who believes enjoying things is better than hating on them, so if you like this, I love that for you, and this is all just some random gal's opinion.)

After Reading References:
(This is a fantastic article with images and links: https://medium.com/@Nicky_Martin/graphic-annotations-of-china-mi%C3%A9villes-the...

I'm frankly exhausted and almost too tired to hold the elation I have for never having to touch this book again after I return it to the library tomorrow, but I am finally completely finished!

I've gone beyond apoplexy into critical parent disappointment because Miéville shows how dedicated their research into Surrealist works and alludes to interesting ideas they left out of the book.

After Reading Author's Note:

I genuinely thought reading the author's note would make me feel guilty for how much I hated this book and display Miéville's adoration and dedication to Surrealism, but this was not the case.

There's an aside about him being interested, but not an expert in Surrealism, and then a very bizarre anecdote that I will not share because I think it is technically a spoiler, but I will say that I don't believe it for a second, at least the vast majority of it, which may very well be the point. It is by far the best piece of writing in the book and has the most feeling a surreality too.

It also feels like a poor excuse for why this book sucks so very much and only made me more angry and disappointed with the decisions made in the writing of this book. If any of the note is real and he believes what he claims, it only makes how bad this book is so much worse and even more disrespectful.

It's entirely unfair of me, but I actually feel annoyed at Miéville for not humanising themself or making me feel bad about my utter abhorrence of this book.

Intial Reaction:

[I am writing this initial review before reading the author's note and references and plan to follow up once I have read them]

I am too tired and lost in nihilistic rage to give this the proper rant review it deserves and I need for catharsis, but I think I can safely say that, while I have read and abandoned many other books that were actually problematic and harmful, to me, personally, this is the most offensive thing I have read this year and my frustration and confusion are only exceeded by my anger and despair.

Imho this is just a crap fantasy story I would expect from a 90s game tie-in, like the early Magic: The Gathering, D&D, or Warhammer with surrealist, Paris, and Nazi aesthetics. I wouldn't enjoy this if it was set in Pyrexia, Sigil, Zharr-Naggrund, or Commorragh (like Miéville, I can flex references, as a treat), so why should I care when it is a toothless portrayal of the Nazis in Paris with the veneer and refernces to surrealism seemingly without any actual engagement or understanding of the motivations and aspirations of the movement.

I cannot fathom a conscious point beyond the surface level and this doesn't seem to be an exercise in unconscious expression in the Surrealist tradition, so I'm utterly perplexed.

Everything I know about Miéville and their other books, and the deep knowledge and reverence on display here only leave me more baffled as to why this book is as seemingly vacuous as it is.

No offence to Miéville and no disrespect to anyone who likes this book, but fucking hate it and it is by far my least favourite read of 2023. ( )

I liked this, but felt that it asked a bit much of it's audience. Evocative as heck, but a little too weird to be properly enjoyable. ( )

Miéville is so hit-and-miss sometimes - other books by him just flow off the page, but this was really difficult to read, like wading through treacle.

A lot of the images were great, of course, but so absurd that I had trouble imagining everything sometimes. A couple of weeks after the fact, I'm having trouble trying to think what actually happened during the story.

Then there's this weird coda where the author explains how a weird-looking old French guy had told him the story, that he's just transcribed into the book. I'm totally not sure what to make of that. ( )

Hard to follow at times, some of this is me not being familiar w/surrealism & not realizing what’s important to the story, I liked the concept of this different universe ( )