Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
Happy Publication Day to this incredible new novel by Xochitl Gonzalez.
I was thrilled to get an ARC of her new novel which appeared on some many most anticipated reads of 2024 lists/

Drawing inspiration from Ana Mendieta’s life and her untimely death falling from the 34th floor of a New York apartment—a mystery involving her spouse Carl Andre.

The books narrative unfolds across two decades. We meet our eponymous hero Anita de Monte, an emerging Cuban artist in the vibrant New York art scene of the '70s and '80s. Her path crosses with Jack Martin, a luminary sculptor, leading to a fiery and volatile relationship . When she falls to her death from an apartment window the question remains was it the act of an “unbalanced” woman or murder?

We then meet Raquel, a young Latinx woman studying art history in Brown in the late 1990s. S truggling to fit into this space and fears that she is just an affirmative action student,her world changes when Nick Fitzsimmons enters her life. However, echoes of Anita’s past quickly surface in Raquel’s relationship with Nick, revealing a pattern of manipulation and coercive control.

Anita may not have been able to help herself in life but in death, manages to avenge those who wronged her and help sothers along the way

I absolutely loved this book – i t s such a brilliant exploration of the white male-dominated art world and sheds light on the oppressive structures within the art community and the way people can close ranks on diverse voices.

The two main female characters were fantastic and the two central, utterly vile, male characters were incredibly well portrayed. Chapters from Jack’s point of view added such a layer of intensity and I could feel my blood starting to boil each time we got his perspective which made Anita’s last laugh all the more satisfying. They say revenge is a dish best served cold and this book certainly highlights that.

Highly recommend!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and publisher Bloomsbury for the advance review copy

Anyone who has followed me on here for a while will know that magical realism isn't really my thing, I find it a struggle in books to feel fully invested where the plot hinges on magical realism. This book started off not so promising for me - some fairly dull dialogue, a dual narrative that was just too similar and more than a touch of magical realism - a third of the way in I considered giving up and putting the book aside. I stuck with it though, and I'm glad I did as I ended up really enjoying it.

Why? The book is imbued with a strong feminist spirit and it's wickedly funny at times in its skewering of the art world and one particular pale male stale artist (Anita's husband Jack Martin). The story of Anita de Monte is inspired by the story of real-life artist Ana Mendieta, a Cuban-born emerging artist in 1980s New York (to whom the book is dedicated) who died prematurely in mysterious circumstances (always intriguing and reinforces that truth is stranger than fiction).

The eponymous Anita de Monte is a Cuban-born artist in New York in 1985, married to renowned artist Jack Martin. As she begins to eclipse his illustrious career, a domestic argument between them results in a tragedy. Fast forward 13 years later, and Raquel, a Cuban-born art student is studying at Brown under the tutelage of one of Jack Martin's biggest fans and scholars. When Raquel begins a relationship with a budding artist (white, male, privileged Nick who shows more than shades of Jack Martin in his controlling personality), she loses her identity and her way a little, until Anita opens Raquel's eyes to the art world's abuses and failings of women, and in particular women of colour.

There are elements of the book that don't fully work - the book's main plot really hinges on being set in a pre-internet era, which is fine except that not much time has elapsed since Anita de Monte lived for things to have really changed. The magical realism I've mentioned might be a sticking point for some readers, but I liked that it was a little wild and comical - Anita de Monte as a bat pecking at heads disturbed and entertained me in equal measure!

This was a book that started slow but gathered pace and carried me along with it, A fun, escapist, literary read that speaks to feminism, art and the importance of speaking truth to power. Anita de Monte does indeed laugh last. 4/5 stars

This was such an interesting premise, however I struggled with the writing! I thought the characters were well fleshed out, and I really got to understand the inner workings of the main characters mind. I also enjoyed the slight thriller element to it, I just wish I connected with the writing a bit more!

Anita de Monte Laughs Last
by Xochitl Gonzalez

Based on the shocking death of a real life Cuban American artist who plunged from a 34th story window in Greenwich Village in 1985, this is a reimagining of her tempestuous marriage and the part her ambitious sculptor husband may have played in her death and the narrative of the unhinged, hysterical Hispanic goes unchallenged.

More than a decade later, Raquel is an art history student in a predominantly white college in Providence. Surrounded by micro-aggressions and exoticised by her love interest, Raquel's life has many similarities to Anita's, and the more research Raquel does on Jack's body of work, the more we learn about Anita's forgotten oeuvre.

As in Gonzalez' breakout success "Olga Dies Dreaming" which I loved, the tone is witty but biting, the voices are distinct and the central theme is of cultural divide. Add to this a strong dose of toxic masculinity, coercive control, female rage and empowerment.

I didn't love this quite as much as Olga. I wish the male characters were written with a bit more nuance to make the marriage of Anita and Jack more believable and to understand what Raquel saw in Nick. It also took me some effort to get into the story after the first explosive chapter. It all kicks off in the last third, which I'm glad I held out for because that title says it all.

I'm looking forward to this author's next book and her fiesty characters with their snarky humour.

Publication Date: 5th March 2024
Thanks to #NetGalley and #bloomsburyuk for the ARC.

Upon reading the blurb for this book, I was instantly captivated, particularly by its focus on art and the shared experience of Anita and Raquel. However, I found myself struggling to engage with the story. While I could appreciate the narrative once I delved into a chapter, I lacked the motivation to continue beyond that. Nonetheless, I believe this book has the potential to be enjoyed by many readers, though personally, it didn't quite achieve that level of enjoyment for me.

On September 8th, 1985, Cuban American artist Ana Mendieta plunged to her death from the window of a 34th floor apartment in Greenwich Village. Alone inside the apartment was her art star husband, minimalist sculptor Carl Andre. Andre was tried and acquitted for Mendieta’s murder, after a brief lull, his career continued to thrive. The narrative spun by Andre – and the white, art establishment who quickly closed ranks against Mendieta – was that his wife was unstable, an “hysterical Hispanic” who likely sacrificed herself because of her bizarre beliefs. Then, and now, successive feminist groups have worked to challenge this image of Mendieta, a pioneering performance and Land artist. And there have been fierce protests against the “not guilty” verdict awarded to Andre.

Xochitl Gonzalez’s novel is a reimagining of the life, and afterlife, of Mendieta, here reframed as Anita de Monte married to older, iconic artist Jack Martin. Gonzalez builds on themes of history, memory, culture and the body that were key to Mendieta’s work. Gonzalez also draws on aspects of her own background through the character of Raquel Toro – who like Gonzalez – leaves her home in Brooklyn to study art history at an upscale, predominantly-white university. Gonzalez story parallels Anita’s experiences in the 1980s with Raquel’s in the late 1990s. A move that provides the space for Gonzalez to tackle broader issues around art, women and ethnicity, and the white men whose work has dominated art history. In addition, Gonzalez explores culture shock, economic and class divides alongside domestic abuse and coercive control. It’s an ambitious, sometimes passionate piece, a work centred on cultural reclamation and cultural resistance, but Gonzalez’s emphasis on immediacy and storytelling manages to make it accessible and relatable.

Raquel is a particularly sympathetic figure, desperately staving off a stream of microaggressions, caught between worlds, no longer sure who she is or what she wants. Initially swayed by her white professor’s obsessive regard for Jack Martin’s work, it’s only when she uncovers Martin’s past and the near-buried work of Anita de Monte that she’s finally able to make sense of her own situation. I loved the ideas, and the barely-suppressed rage, driving Gonzalez’s story but some of her creative choices didn’t entirely convince me. The inclusion of Jack’s voice allowed Gonzalez to recreate the aftermath of Mendieta’s death, as well as the ways in which his position as sole inheritor of her work stifled her legacy – definite echoes of Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath here. But I think many of the episodes featuring Jack might’ve been better left to the imagination. He often felt too much like a stock villain which sometimes undermined the overall force of the narrative. I liked too the image of Anita as a spectre haunting Jack and the New York artworld which so callously discarded her and her work. However, Gonzalez’s plot twist involving Anita’s transformation into something akin to a creature of the night was a step too far for me. But, flaws aside, this was a fairly compelling read, frequently moving and thought-provoking.

Rating: 3 to 3.5

DNF on page 140

I've resisted doing this because this is my most anticipated release of the year, but sadly I must have give up. I'm not enjoying reading this and that's a shame. I find the characters to be boring, the art talk to be great for putting me to sleep and the plot? I can't tell you what this is about these many pages in.
I thought surely by the 100 page mark I'd develop some interest but no. I'm more bored now than when I started. For this reason I have to quit because no book is worth this much effort. Even the themes which is what made the author's previous book such a fascinating read are not present. I can't tell you a single thing the book is trying to say.


Maybe you need to care about art to enjoy this one. I'll pick up the author's future works because this is not it.

I loved how well the dual timelines wove seamlessly together, it was really well done. The controlling relationships in both eras were so tense and uncomfortable, it was not enjoyable to read these types of slow-burn scenarios but it was written so well that you could feel every emotion.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

Xochitl Gonzalez's story has potential, but i found her execution cliched. the simplistic characters and cheesy dialogues detracted from the otherwise compelling story

This book follows two parallel stories, Anita de Monte, artist in 1985, and Raquel, art history student in 1998. It explores themes of racism in the art world and in Academia as well as abusive dynamics between white men and women of colour, specifically within historically white institutions.

I thought this book was well done. The characters felt real and I felt frustrated on their behalf for what they experienced. I think Raquel's story specifically dealt really well with how racism can be internalised and turned into shame, and how it feels to lose yourself in an exciting new relationship that then becomes controlling. I will say I didn't initially expect the cause of Anita's death which happened early on, but once I was able to adjust my expectations it was fine.

After reading the book and looking into it a bit more, I discovered the story of Ana Mendieta which gave the story a whole new level of meaning to learn it was inspired by her life.

Truly, 5 is not enough stars for this book.

The story follows two strands - Anita de Monte is a Cuban artist who is married to Jack Martin. Anita is wild, free, passionate and at the beginning of her career whereas Jack is a brutalist/minimalist sculptor who is at the height of his. However as Anita's star begins to rise Jack becomes increasingly critical and then violent which erupts tragically one night, the consequence of which is that Anita goes "out the window" to her death. Suicide or murder?

The second strand follows Raquel, an art history student desperate to fit in at her Ivy League college. She thinks her prayers have been answered when Nick Fitzsimmons notices her. Nick's family are so establishment they might as well have come over on the Mayflower.

History begins to repeat itself as Raquel tries to fit into Nick's world by erasing her whole identity. But will writing her thesis about Jack Martin change the Raquel's new version of herself.

So at this point I should say a quick thankyou to another GR reviewer who has pointed me to an artist called Ana Mendieta who I had never heard of (nor had I heard of her husband, Carl Andre) or their story on which this book is so clearly based. So thankyou, Jessica Woodbury.

I can't think of many things I like so much in s novel as to be so engaged in the story that I talk to the characters. I did that almost constantly throughout this exceptional novel.

I loved it even though it absolutely drove me crazy to see these women twisting themselves into pretzels to be what their men wanted them to be. I'm not sure I've been quite this engaged or enraged by a book in a long time. Xóchitl Gonzàlez's characters bounce off the page. The writing is visceral, brutal amd emotive. It forces you to confront domestic abuse and coercive control head on.

It's an absolutely brilliant piece of work that's had me fumbling about to learn more about the work of Ana Mendieta. And for that alone I'd thank the author. However I thank her more for giving me a book to really sink my teeth into.

Very highly recommended.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for the advance review copy. I'm going to do some deep breathing to calm down now.

In "Anita de Monte Laughs Last," Gonzalez crafts a gripping narrative that spans two tumultuous decades, chronicling the lives of two remarkable women, Anita and Raquel. Against the backdrop of shifting cultural landscapes in 1980's and 1990;s, Gonzalez masterfully weaves a tale of resilience, ambition, and justice.

Anita, a tenacious Cuban artist, battles against the suffocating grip of an overbearing artist husband who begrudges her burgeoning success. The novel captures the tension between Anita's artistic aspirations and the oppressive control of her spouse Jack. The story takes a tragic turn as Anita meets her untimely demise at the hands of her jealous husband, sparking a relentless pursuit of justice.

Fast forward to Rachel, a determined Hispanic student in an esteemed American college, grapples with societal expectations and prejudice. As she navigates the complexities of a relationship with a wealthy white classmate, Gonzalez deftly portrays the stark disparities in privilege and lifestyle. Rachel's journey unfolds as a poignant exploration of societal divides, drawing readers into the contrasting worlds of social classes and cultures.

"Anita de Monte Laughs Last" emerges as a compelling testament to the enduring strength of women in the face of adversity. Gonzalez's prose is both vivid and evocative, breathing life into each era. This thought-provoking and emotionally charged story leaves a lasting impression, inviting readers to reflect on the resilience and triumphs of women throughout time.

Anita de Monte truly did laugh last in this fantastic piece by Xochitl Gonzalez, author of Olga Dies Dreaming. This story is narrated through the POV of 3 characters; Anita, a Cuban artist raised in foster care in Iowa. Jack, a white American artist and Anita's husband. Raquel, a Hispanic art student attending Brown University in Providence raised in New York by her mum. Anita's and Jack's timeline starts from around 1985 and Raquel's timeline from 1998 until all characters end up on the same timeline.

This is the story of Anita, a Cuban artist in New York, who is constantly navigating the world of art. A world which is made of "first world art" and "third world art". Her relationship and marriage to Jack is the perfect example to what we call a 'toxic relationship'. Full of abuse and projections due to his insecurities, always trying to hold Anita back so he feels bigger. Thus, Anita finds herself navigating a world and relationship full of racial micro-aggressions. It all ends for Anita with a tragedy but Anita lives on after her death in the most satirical way.

Meanwhile, about a decade later, Raquel is experiencing the same racial micro-aggressions while studying art at Brown University. She also ends up in a very similar relationship to that of Jack and Anita. However, the most prevalent part of Raquel's timeline is the realisation that white men have such control that they are able to erase parts of history completely. In this case, the eradication of Anita de Monte and her work from art history.

With themes of racism, micro-aggression, emotional abuse, domestic violence and Santeria beliefs, this is a must read! I found it a little slow paced at first but I felt that at one point it really picked up and I could not let it go. I also cannot stop thinking of the story and the brilliance and relevance of the themes found within. Which is why this is a 5 star read for me.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and Netgalley for sending me this ARC.

I found the premise of this book really appealing but found it really hard to get involved with the book. Even 100 pages in I was not particularly involved with the lives of the characters. Nice idea but the execution was not for me.

This book was utterly gripping and I couldn’t put it down. It’s so ferocious, so powerful and totally brilliant.

We have two timelines, Anita de Monte, an artist living in New York who was originally from Cuba. We start with her death in 1985 and then have chapters of the previous years where we learn her history, her art and inspiration, her husband and their turbulent relationship. We also have chapters from Raquel’s perspective, an art student and hip-hop radio presenter who is studying Anita’s husband for her thesis. This leads her to discover Anita’s work and her shocking death.

This book is exciting as is but what I loved about it was how raw the writing felt. It felt like such an honest and passionate outpouring. I was absolutely captivated.

Some of the content is hard to read and trigger warnings for assault and abusive relationships. However it never felt gratuitous, it always felt like it was necessary to understand the rage of the characters. We also see Xenophobia and prejudice explored in this book.

I haven’t read this author’s previous book but I certainly want to after reading this. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, the publisher and Net Galley.

narrators
1. Anita de Monte, the artist. Dating Jack, a famous minimalist artist in the 1980’s, born in Cuba and living in different places following Jack and his exhibits. She dies in 1985 and the story is told by her as her ghost. She is a naturalistic artist.
2. Raquel Toro in 1990 is an art history student from Brooklyn NYC, studying at Brown and interning at RISD for the summer. She is doing a paper on Jack Martin and dives into Jack and Anita’s life.
3. Jack, the minimalist artist and wife murderer.

Both women are incredibly well rounded latina women. Strong, smart, witty and passionate trying to navigate a “white” world who sees them as the “other”. Racism both in big and small way as micro aggressions run through the book and will make your blood boil.
Both timelines are very well fleshed out and I loved all the art history and artists mentions.
The book takes an interesting look at romantic relationships and what one has to give up for them.
Both characters though from different backgrounds and eras travel parts of the a similar path. They are both fascinating and have so many layers to them. They feel so vivid and like they are talking to you, one on one.

The inspiration for this book is the mysterious 1985 death of Cuban American artist Ana Mendieta and her then husband.
The book also touches on problems still pervasive in the museum industry, of choosing to ignore the problematic human behind the artist. And disproportionately heralding and displaying art made by white men.
I could go on raving about this book for hours. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

Wow! Just wow. That's my reaction to this truly outstanding book. As someone who has always loved art in literature (to the point that I wrote a comparative lit essay around 'The Flanders Panel' and 'The Girl with the Pearl Earring'), I was hoping that this book would be right up my street. I couldn't have been more correct.

From the vivid, raw descriptions of the artwork, and the emotions that are so deeply tied into it, to the strong women that are the central characters of the novel, every page was a joy to read. The parallels, and later divergences between Anita and Raquel were masterfully balanced, as was the switching in both times and perspectives. Even the characters that you love to hate were well-written, and well-rounded terrible people.

This book, and everything it entails is a damning indictment of the artistic world, and the white-centric, male-dominated spaces that write the history we read, the lessons we learn, and the art we see, to the detriment of the incredible talents of women in the global majority. Xochitl Gonzalez shines a light on this, and if you aren't incensed at various points, you're not reading the same book as me!

I enjoyed Olga Dies Dreaming, and I loved Anita de Monte Laughs Last. Great writing, moving back and forth in time showing different characters' points of view. Fun and tragic at the same time, the book deals with art, racism, classism and male ego fragility, with a touch of magical realism.

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘦? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦?

Anita de Monte Laughs Last is the story primarily of two Latina women. Two women who never met and who largely have very little to do with each other. One, Anita, is an artist on the rise, who happens to be married to Jack Martin, a household name in the Art World. She longs for the day that Jack Martin is described as her husband rather than the other way around, and their relationship is as volatile as it is passionate, with Jack minimising her and her own identity at every opportunity, trying to shrink her into a biographical footnote of his own, rather than as a relevant and talented artist. The other woman is Raquel, a young woman the summer before her senior year at Brown University, majoring in Art History. She has never heard of Anita, despite being separated by mere decades, but Jack Martin is the pet subject of her thesis advisor. Raquel has spent her life dreaming of the Art World, desperate to prove herself worthy of it, worthy of attending a school like Brown, but the lack of people who look like her both in her cohort and her syllabus has ingrained in her that she doesn’t fit, that she should be grateful for every room she is “allowed” into. When she falls in love with Nick Fitzsimmons, an up-and-coming artist with enormous wealth and connections to every corner of the Art World, even to Jack Martin himself, again she finds herself being “let” into worlds that were previously closed, but at what cost?

This book was great. I really enjoyed this depiction of the Art World that scrutinises the racism and classism inherent in it. Gonzalez expertly depicts how institutions are built with these issues at their core and how the powerful use their power. She also did an amazing job of depicting the psychological impact these institutions have on marginalised people whether through overt racism or more subtle or even unintended alienation. The subtle ways she depicted controlling relationships were masterful, weaving in little details in early sections to build up the reader’s understanding of the extent of it, then when the big moments occur, you can see how it has built up to that point, making those moments even more awful.

A core theme in this book is legacy and memory, and I can’t say too much about it in the interests of a spoiler-free review, but I will say I really enjoyed Gonzalez’s portrayal of it. She deals with death in a way that is heartbreaking, funny, and touching, with a lasting message that will sit with you.

All that being said, I did think things were wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly at the end and either it shouldn’t have been quite so neat or perhaps the ‘ending’ section should have started earlier. I also thought at times, Gonzalez made Raquel a little too inconsistently naive, especially when it came to matters of discrimination in academia. For instance, she would complain to the only other student of colour in her classes that their lesson plans solely focused on white artists but then later expressed incredulity that the professor could teach classes and not mention non-white artists as if it is a realisation she has only just had, that it almost never occurred to her that there were Latina artists in the first place. I understand the point Gonzalez was going for, but it just felt a little inconsistent.

On the whole, I really enjoyed this book, and think it is well worth a read. Thank you very much to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for my ARC of this book.