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A review by mfinke
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith
4.0
[b:The Last Painting of Sara de Vos|25664459|The Last Painting of Sara de Vos|Dominic Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494524049s/25664459.jpg|45487238] was an enjoyable window into the art world, and while there are several dimensions through which to analyze the story, my favorite is through the intersection between art and wealth. On one hand, we have a deeply personal depiction of art in Sara de Vos's storyline. The personal nature endures throughout Sara's storyline, even though the realities of wealth and poverty shape her life. Her last painting is possibly the most personal. On the other hand, Ellie's story reveals the just how much art and wealth is intertwined. Her passion and abilities are constrained by her poverty as a student in Brooklyn, and while her forgery explores the limits of her talent, it also shows how easily that talent is monetized. Meanwhile Marty controls access to art through his wealth yet fails to form a personal relationship with art.
Dominic Smith's prose matches the artistic nature of his subject matter. At times, this makes it a joy to read. At other times, however, the story drags because of it.
I would also describe this book as forgettable, but the word is harsher than I mean it to be. I read so many forgettable books, and being forgettable is not necessarily negative. It depends on the author's intentions: are they trying to create a work that sticks in the minds of their readers, or are they trying to create something that is fleetingly beautiful? I think many authors would aim for the former, but that's probably a mistake. Smith's book achieves the latter goal, and while I won't think about this book for years to come, it is still beautiful in this moment.
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5
Spoiler
For Marty, the loss of property motivates his pursuit of Ellie and blinds him to the harm he causes (until it's too late). Even in the end, Ellie's redemption is only made possibly by Marty's wealth.Dominic Smith's prose matches the artistic nature of his subject matter. At times, this makes it a joy to read. At other times, however, the story drags because of it.
I would also describe this book as forgettable, but the word is harsher than I mean it to be. I read so many forgettable books, and being forgettable is not necessarily negative. It depends on the author's intentions: are they trying to create a work that sticks in the minds of their readers, or are they trying to create something that is fleetingly beautiful? I think many authors would aim for the former, but that's probably a mistake. Smith's book achieves the latter goal, and while I won't think about this book for years to come, it is still beautiful in this moment.
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5