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cseguiharris's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexism, Racism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Eating disorder
okiecozyreader's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I really loved Olga Dies Dreaming and I was so excited that Anita de Monte Laughs Last was so much fun to listen to. I highly recommend the audio with multiple narrators. Jessica Pimentel does an incredible job as Anita de Monte in the 1980s. She adds so much to the reading, it truly is like listening to a movie.
Anita de Monte is based on the life of Ana Mendieta who was an artist who died in 1985 when she fell or was pushed out of an apartment window (and was married to sculptor Carl Andre). As someone who loves art, this book (and others like Still Life by Sarah Winman) make you think about how few women artists we really know. Author Xochitl Gonzalez found Ana Mendieta in an art history class.
Anita de Monte tells her story as a ghost, recalling the event that caused her death and moments with her husband Jack after her death.
In another timeline, Raquel is in art history classes at Brown studying Jack and and discovers Anita de Monte. We find similarities between their relationships and the way women artists are treated and valued.
There is also some magical realism woven into this story as she tells it from a ghost’s perspective and her interactions with her husband (iykyk).
“And, from what I was eavesdropping in the gallery that night, most of these men not only hated feminist art, but I suspected, hated women as well.”
“And then. And then I was sent to America, and rendered invisible. Rendered lifeless. Alone.”
“Well, it felt like even when I bury myself in your f*ing soil, I’m still not American enough. … To prostrate myself, in some way, for having gone to such pains to become one with a place that rejected me over and over and over again.”
“ presume her to be grateful for it, even - was only possible because he had told her, in ways great and small, that he knew best and she had signaled that he was correct.”
“She realized that so much of what she thought as good art had simply been that which had been elevated by John Temple, because it was understood by and spoke to and created by men just like John. And that in the omission of things that were made by or understood by or in conversation with people like her, Raquel had, unconsciously, begun to see those things as lesser. And that revelation sparked one that was even more painful: the reason that Raquel subconsciously believed that Nick knew “better” than her was that it was Nick’s point of view had been affirmed and internalized by the white walls of every museum or gallery that had ever been told was worth looking at.”
“…she had firmly placed them behind a wall called her past; a section of her mind she didn’t like to visit much.”
Anita de Monte is based on the life of Ana Mendieta who was an artist who died in 1985 when she fell or was pushed out of an apartment window (and was married to sculptor Carl Andre). As someone who loves art, this book (and others like Still Life by Sarah Winman) make you think about how few women artists we really know. Author Xochitl Gonzalez found Ana Mendieta in an art history class.
Anita de Monte tells her story as a ghost, recalling the event that caused her death and moments with her husband Jack after her death.
In another timeline, Raquel is in art history classes at Brown studying Jack and and discovers Anita de Monte. We find similarities between their relationships and the way women artists are treated and valued.
There is also some magical realism woven into this story as she tells it from a ghost’s perspective and her interactions with her husband (iykyk).
“And, from what I was eavesdropping in the gallery that night, most of these men not only hated feminist art, but I suspected, hated women as well.”
“And then. And then I was sent to America, and rendered invisible. Rendered lifeless. Alone.”
“Well, it felt like even when I bury myself in your f*ing soil, I’m still not American enough. … To prostrate myself, in some way, for having gone to such pains to become one with a place that rejected me over and over and over again.”
“ presume her to be grateful for it, even - was only possible because he had told her, in ways great and small, that he knew best and she had signaled that he was correct.”
“She realized that so much of what she thought as good art had simply been that which had been elevated by John Temple, because it was understood by and spoke to and created by men just like John. And that in the omission of things that were made by or understood by or in conversation with people like her, Raquel had, unconsciously, begun to see those things as lesser. And that revelation sparked one that was even more painful: the reason that Raquel subconsciously believed that Nick knew “better” than her was that it was Nick’s point of view had been affirmed and internalized by the white walls of every museum or gallery that had ever been told was worth looking at.”
“…she had firmly placed them behind a wall called her past; a section of her mind she didn’t like to visit much.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Death, Murder, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
kelly_e's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Title: Anita de Monte Laughs Last
Author: Xóchitl González
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: March 5, 2024
I received a complimentary ALC from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Theatrical • Electric • Haunting
📖 S Y N O P S I S
1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten—certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by progeny of film producers, C-Suite executives, and international art-dealers, most of whom float through life knowing that their futures are secured, Raquel feels herself an outsider. Students of color, like Raquel, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret.
But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.
💭 T H O U G H T S
After being captivated by Xóchitl González's writing in her debut, Olga Dies Dreaming, I immediately added Anita de Monte Laughs Last to my list of anticipated releases for 2024. I was graciously offered an ALC, which I tandem read with the book once it was released.
The audiobook, narrated by a full cast of Jessica Pimentel, Jonathan Gregg, and Stacy Gonzalez is absolutely fantastic. I would even venture to say the narration takes this book to the next level. The narrators really bring their characters to life and I could hear the emotion of the narrative in their voices. Because the story is told from multiple perspectives and in a nonlinear fashion it was definitely easier for me to tandem read than listen alone.
The pacing starts out on the slow side, yet it builds steadily to a satisfying ending. I will admit to being slightly caught off guard by the ghost element, but somehow it fit perfectly into the narrative. There is ample commentary on race and womanhood and when the two stories start to converge the story gets stronger.
I don't know that I enjoyed this one as much as her debut, yet it was definitely worth my time. It's easy to imagine Anita de Monte Laughs Last transitioning to the big screen down the road. This book isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but it establishes Xóchitl González as a force in the literary world.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• art history
• strong female characters
⚠️ CW: toxic relationship, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, racism, sexism, misogyny, classism, death, murder, cursing, drug use, drug abuse, alcohol, infidelity, mental illness, eating disorder, anorexia, body shaming, fatphobia
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Everything worth doing hurts at least a little bit."
Author: Xóchitl González
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: March 5, 2024
I received a complimentary ALC from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Theatrical • Electric • Haunting
📖 S Y N O P S I S
1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten—certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by progeny of film producers, C-Suite executives, and international art-dealers, most of whom float through life knowing that their futures are secured, Raquel feels herself an outsider. Students of color, like Raquel, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret.
But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.
💭 T H O U G H T S
After being captivated by Xóchitl González's writing in her debut, Olga Dies Dreaming, I immediately added Anita de Monte Laughs Last to my list of anticipated releases for 2024. I was graciously offered an ALC, which I tandem read with the book once it was released.
The audiobook, narrated by a full cast of Jessica Pimentel, Jonathan Gregg, and Stacy Gonzalez is absolutely fantastic. I would even venture to say the narration takes this book to the next level. The narrators really bring their characters to life and I could hear the emotion of the narrative in their voices. Because the story is told from multiple perspectives and in a nonlinear fashion it was definitely easier for me to tandem read than listen alone.
The pacing starts out on the slow side, yet it builds steadily to a satisfying ending. I will admit to being slightly caught off guard by the ghost element, but somehow it fit perfectly into the narrative. There is ample commentary on race and womanhood and when the two stories start to converge the story gets stronger.
I don't know that I enjoyed this one as much as her debut, yet it was definitely worth my time. It's easy to imagine Anita de Monte Laughs Last transitioning to the big screen down the road. This book isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but it establishes Xóchitl González as a force in the literary world.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• art history
• strong female characters
⚠️ CW: toxic relationship, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, racism, sexism, misogyny, classism, death, murder, cursing, drug use, drug abuse, alcohol, infidelity, mental illness, eating disorder, anorexia, body shaming, fatphobia
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Everything worth doing hurts at least a little bit."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Classism, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Body shaming, Mental illness, Infidelity, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Murder
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
anorexiamarcostorin's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic friendship, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Classism
anxietee9's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Toxic relationship, Classism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Grief, and Body shaming
Moderate: Body horror, Dysphoria, Xenophobia, Eating disorder, and Sexism
Minor: Homophobia, Vomit, Alcohol, Murder, Rape, Gaslighting, and Drug use
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
TL;DR: So disappointing! Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xóchitl González is another well-written, captivating read that I gave a low rating to because I have fundamental ethical issues with how the author chose to write this story. In short, this book champions the value of remembrance and the important role someone’s cultural background and life story plays in their art, but González betrays these very values in the act of writing this book.
Anita de Monte Laughs Last follows two timelines. The first follows the titular Anita de Monte, an upcoming Cuban American artist in a fractious marriage with Jack Martin, a minimalist darling in the art world. Jack’s cruel narcissism and Anita’s strong sense of self-worth clash repeatedly, until one day Anita is found dead after a fall from their New York City apartment in 1985. The second timeline takes place in the late 1990s from the perspective of Raquel, an art history student at Brown University who is eager to find her place in the elite art world. Raquel chooses to write her thesis on Jack Martin but discovers the forgotten art and life of Anita de Monte in the process, changing her life trajectory.
The chapters from Raquel’s perspective are the strongest part of the story. Raquel’s life, perspective, and relationships are fleshed out and vibrant; González expertly builds the world around her and explores how that world’s exclusivity, xenophobia, and racism negatively affects Raquel’s career and personal life. The little details make this story come to life, and it’s clear that it comes from a place that is close to the author’s heart and experiences. Through Raquel’s work in the art world, the book also makes some interesting points about culture, art, and storytelling.
Anita’s chapters are captivating due to González’s strong writing style, but something about Anita’s character feels off to me. Anita is significantly less developed as a character than Raquel; despite the book’s repeated assertions that Anita’s Cuban identity and past profoundly shape her character and her work, these elements remain blurry and underdeveloped. I looked up reviews of this book on GoodReads and discovered that Anita’s story is directly inspired by the true life and death of Cuban American artist Ana Mendieta, right down to the small details about Anita’s life and work. (Thank you to Avery Desmond for bringing this to my attention in their review!)
This is a problem for two reasons.
One, González never makes it clear to the reader that Anita’s story is a fictional retelling of a real-life tragedy. Nowhere in this book does it say that it was inspired by real people and events, and the author does not mention Mendieta by her full name; the most she gets is a quick first-name mention in the dedication. Which is so fucking weird, especially since one of the book’s biggest morals is how important it is to remember the names and contributions of women of color in art, especially for people like Anita, who were victimized and mistreated in their life and death. So why does it feel like González is intentionally deceiving her audience and burying the real story of Ana Mendieta?
Two, González is a non-Cuban author fictionalizing the story of a real Cuban American person, and it shows. Her depictions of Cuba and Anita’s Cuban-ness feel way more stereotypical and flat compared to Raquel’s. The book asserts that Anita is more than just a “spicy Cuban” stereotype, but ultimately, that’s all she really gets to be in the story. The author relegates her background, family life, and relationship to Cuba to just a handful of sentences, and almost all we see of Anita are moments where she’s angry, spiteful, or vengeful. That’s not to say that Anita doesn’t have a good reason for her anger, but I think a Cuban author who truly felt strongly about doing service to Ana’s story would do a much better job at crafting a fully realized character. Again, González’s choice to write Anita clashes with the values espoused in the book, which makes clear the perils of divorcing art from a person’s cultural background. Why did González feel like she was the right person to tell Ana Mendieta’s story, and why doesn’t she even acknowledge that she’s telling it?
I’m so disappointed, because Raquel’s story could have stood on its own as this book’s only narrative. As I said earlier, Raquel’s chapters are well-written, powerful, and engaging. González wouldn’t need to change anything about Raquel’s story, except to replace the name “Anita de Monte” with “Ana Mendieta” and mention the real-life artist in an author’s note. But because González decided to appropriate a historical tragedy without acknowledgment, this book left a bad taste in my mouth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Murder, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Racism
Moderate: Eating disorder and Body horror
bibliomich's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Following two parallel stories set a decade apart, Anita de Monte Laughs Last dives deep into the themes of art, ego, racism, classism, feminism, and love. And Xochitl Gonzalez does this with such brilliant wit that the book had me literally laughing out loud one second, and then dropping my mouth in astonishment in the next.
What I loved:
- The audiobook narration. If you can listen to this one, I highly recommend it. The book rotates between three different narrators, all of whom bring so much life and passion to the characters' voices.
- The characters: Anita de Monte is the queen of revenge, and I loved every second of it. Beyond the title character, though, Gonzalez has created a full cast of characters whom you love to love and/or love to hate.
- The way the author depicts the art world: I'll admit--I know nothing about the art world, art history, or art genres, but it didn't matter at all. Gonzalez swept me up into this world, and even though I was coming in with no prior knowledge, I felt like I understood it all. The elitism, the b.s., the racism--all of it was so well illustrated that I could see these scenes playing out in my mind as if I were standing there in those very galleries.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advanced listener copy!
What I loved:
- The audiobook narration. If you can listen to this one, I highly recommend it. The book rotates between three different narrators, all of whom bring so much life and passion to the characters' voices.
- The characters: Anita de Monte is the queen of revenge, and I loved every second of it. Beyond the title character, though, Gonzalez has created a full cast of characters whom you love to love and/or love to hate.
- The way the author depicts the art world: I'll admit--I know nothing about the art world, art history, or art genres, but it didn't matter at all. Gonzalez swept me up into this world, and even though I was coming in with no prior knowledge, I felt like I understood it all. The elitism, the b.s., the racism--all of it was so well illustrated that I could see these scenes playing out in my mind as if I were standing there in those very galleries.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advanced listener copy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Death, Eating disorder, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Murder, and Racism
leechspit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book felt like a love letter to Ana Mendieta and all Cuban Americans and all artists of color trying to make it in a still very white space. Anita del Monte Laughs Last will start conversations. I didn’t see the parallels until they discussed her work and death and I had to stop. It intrigues me in such a way that I needed to stop and remember who this person really was. I remembered the stories, the struggles, and the reality that this is still a very big part of creative industries. This book has feminism, passion, love for self, hate for self, finding one self. The audiobook version was probably best, as I felt my heart ache and eyes water, and reading would have been an impossible task. I was reminded of the struggle, ni de aqui, ni de alla, and how Rachel must have felt during her key moments of the story. Fitting in is only part of the problem, making space is the larger part.
Of course, the narrator was incredible, and I could feel the passion in the characters and writing. Rachel’s story reminded me of a few other stories, where the main character loses her identity, but has an incomplete redemption arc, because that’s what real life is like. She was a work in progress, and it felt real to see that. Anita has a sort of redemption arc, but in the sense that she gets closure. The minor characters are well developed and I enjoyed their contributions but I could have done without the twist of the art history girls. I suppose it’s to make us feel better about how miserable they really are, but it felt a bit out of place, and I felt it did not contribute to the overall narrative. A fantastic book overall, I do wish I had read this and shared it with my friends when I was younger, so that we could still make a difference. This book breaks you down and empowers you with the same breath.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, and Murder
Minor: Infidelity
laurrelise's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Anita de Monte Laughs Last is the perfect book for anyone in the art world, especially women who may feel they don’t belong.
I was not obsessed with this book, but I did immensely enjoy it. I found myself wondering what may happen next when I wasn’t reading. I really enjoyed the supernatural aspect and all the different POVs. The audio narration was spectacular. Jack’s POV was so well done that, at times, I found myself actually believing what he was saying. Anita and her art felt real; I found myself wanting to Google the art pieces mentioned.
Good for fans of Yellowface, feminine rage, and dual timelines.
Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Homophobia, Murder, and Racism
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