The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: A Novel

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

"Riveting, heart-wrenching, and full of Old Hollywood glamour, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is one of the most captivating reads of 2017." -BuzzFeed

"The epic adventures Evelyn creates over the course of a lifetime will leave every reader mesmerized. This wildly addictive journey of a reclusive Hollywood starlet and her tumultuous Tinseltown journey comes with unexpected twists and the most satisfying of drama." -PopSugar

From the author of Daisy Jones & The Six-an entrancing novel "that speaks to the Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor in us all" (Kirkus Reviews), in which a legendary film actress reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn's story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways.

"Heartbreaking, yet beautiful" (Jamie Blynn, Us Weekly), The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is "Tinseltown drama at its finest" (Redbook): a mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means-and what it costs-to face the truth.

• ISBN10: 1501139231
• ISBN13: 9781501139239
• Publish Date: 13 June 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 30 March 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Atria Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Jane]

I'm impressed. Although entirely fictional, Evelyn Hugo's story left me aching for more, yet oddly satisfied at once. There is a bittersweet peace of mind she leaves the world with. I had to keep reminding myself how she's a character the author created -- not someone who was actually living and breathing on this planet, in our real lives, whose legacy was transferred to the pages of this book so the world could know the real her. It's that well-written.

"The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" is the best book I've read this year thus far.

I do feel it may be ignored by a community of people who may most love this book, so: if you haven't gathered from the shelves I added this book to, it's not a hetero-heavy romance. The epic love is that which she shares with two very special people in her life, who remain in and out of it all throughout the telling of her story. Best of all? This isn't a love story that's been told thousands of times already.

Full review to come. ;)

[pagesbycyndy]

Review:

As soon as I read the synopsis I knew that I had to read this book! Monique has no idea why Evelyn Hugo has chosen her to write the story of her life and make no mistake the public cannot get enough of this aging super star. Evelyn Hugo is still an icon even into her older years. I was fascinated by this book, I felt like I was on the journey with them, riding along on the story of Evelyn's life and it was intriguing. Monique is on a journey as well, the journey into her career and personal life. I witnessed the character of Monique grow page by page, she is learning from a master on how to make the most of the life that she has. There is the underlying question throughout the book as to why did Evelyn choose Monique, how are they connected and I was sure that there is a connection somehow and what debt does Evelyn owe to Monique. I had tons of theories but none of them were correct. The question that Monique asks Evelyn in their first meeting " Which husband was you great Love?" sets the stage for the rest of the book. As Evelyn slowly recounts her life story, the story of her great loves and why so many husbands I begin to see that Evelyn was more that just a blonde movie star bombshell. The real story of Evelyn's one true love may be a bit shocking to some but it was a sweet love story and I am so happy that I read this book. You could say that these lovers were star crossed in a way, they had wonderful happy years and some tragic ones as well. I love Hollywood and the glimpse into this life was nice to read about. The ending answered all of my questions but not in the way that I thought they would be answered.

Final Thoughts:

This book kept me interested from the beginning to the end. I loved that it was not your traditional cut and dried romance. The ending was both sad but signaled a new beginning for Monique. To say that I was surprised by the truth of what Monique meant to Evelyn is an understatement. This was one hell of a story and I would read it again!

 

 This review was originally posted on Cindy's Book Binge

[girlinthepages]

*A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I fell in love with Taylor Jenkins Reid about a year or so ago, after reading Maybe in Another Life. I loved her ability to write adult fiction that felt relevant to me in my twenties, to developed extremely nuanced relationships and to write protagonists who all felt distinct and yet familiar at the same time. I've read almost all of her published works, so when I heard about The Seven Husbands on Evelyn Hugo, I have to admit I was a bit confused- it's a huge departure from her other novels which have largely surrounded young married or soon to be married couples and the growing pains of their relationships and own self discovery. However, since it was a novel by TJR I of course had to request it from NetGalley and it's one of the best, most unique books that I have read in a long, long time.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has two parallel narratives, focusing on the young reporter who is interviewing Evelyn, and Evelyn herself who is finally ready to confess the truth about her scandalous life as a Hollywood bombshell. Evelyn is reminiscent of classic film stars such as Marilyn Monroe, and learning about her life is fascinating as one can definitely draw parallels to actual stories, celebrities, and Hollywood happenings from that era. The narrative is broken up into seven main parts based on Evelyn's seven husbands, and it was such a clever way to craft the distinct chapters in Evelyn's life and relationship with fame. I absolutely loved this storytelling method, and was eager to return to Evelyn's narrative of the past whenever the story switched to present day.

Sure, this story has scandal, drama, romance, and all of the other makings of an enticing and engaging read, but what I found most compelling about the novel and about Evelyn was the earnest feminism and themes of female empowerment and diversity, even if Evelyn herself was deeply flawed in some of her ideologies and actions. Evelyn is born the daughter of Cuban immigrants and after the death of her mother, decides that she is going to escape her poverty ridden life in New York by becoming famous by any means necessary. Evelyn is unapologetic about using her looks, her sexuality, and her genuine feminine wiles to get to the West Coast and get ahead, ready to take any opportunity that presents itself in life. While such methods may seem unorthodox this day in age, Evelyn's options were more limited back in the 1940s, with her looks the only tool she's ever known how to wield, and the story raises interesting questions surrounding the use of a women's appearance for gain and the double standards surrounding women's sexuality and female power. In a lot of ways Evelyn isn't a likeable character- she's cunning and ruthless and her ambition and personal success comes before anybody else. Yet there's something so refreshing about reading about someone who is so unapologetic about their life and the choices they've made, who owns their legacy flaws and all. I found Evelyn to be an extremely empowering protagonist despite her rough edges and deep flaws.

The story also covers major decades in Hollywood's history, from the 40s up through the 90s, and its fascinating to see how Evelyn's style, the roles she received, etc. changed from decade to decade. It was also interesting to see how culture shifted so much in the course of 50 years from the civil rights movement to the awareness of AIDS to how domestic violence is viewed, and how these elements of how the world was changing did and did not impact and penetrate the Hollywood scene. Hollywood itself was a character in Evelyn's story, and even getting a chance to look behind the curtain through Evelyn's story does not demystify it completely.

Overall: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is definitely a departure from TJR's usual style, but she exceeds all expectations I had, creating a character so complex and dynamic and likeable yet unlikable at the same time. Evenlyn will remain one of my favorite fictional protagonists for a long, long while to come. This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages