This quirky novella narrates two timelines in an alternative-history WWII-era France, in which the war continues, with street-to-street fighting in Paris, in 1950. In the main (1950) storyline, young, burned-out urban guerrilla, Surrealist, and minor mage, Thibaut, eludes mutant monsters, Nazis, and other dangers while trying to do his duty. He meets a mysterious photographer, Sam, and joins her mission to document the real story of Paris for the outside world. In the other narrative, 1941, we learn how this Paris situation came about, as we follow a young American mathematician-mage, who seeks out a Surrealist artists’ colony in the south of France to gain the final spell components he needs for a magical weapon he’s preparing, with which to fight the Nazis. 
This book may mystify many people. There are easy-to-overlook endnotes, which discuss the various pieces of art and people referenced in the story. The story has a framing device. I wasn’t so sure of it at first, but have decided I like it. It adds yet another self-referential layer to a deliciously pretentious story about sweet, pretentious people doing stupid, pretentious things—how all that can go wrong or right in the fight against evil, pretentious ideology. 
I imagine I have a soft spot for this book from fond memories of college-student me, that alternative timeline in my life, when I loved art history and thought deep thoughts about Marcel Duchamp’s works.