Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication date: June 13th, 2017
391 pages
4/5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life.
When she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.
Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.
Review
“Don’t ignore half of me so you can fit me into a box. Don’t do that.”
Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
This was my first TJR read, and it was my February 12 Reads From 12 Friends pick. I am not normally a fan of literary fiction, or just straight fiction, but I did enjoy reading this story.
Evelyn Hugo is a mega movie star from the 50-60’s who had an astounding seven husbands during her lifetime. Now, she is aging and has outlived everyone in her life including her daughter and all seven husbands. She reaches out to have Monique Grant, a reporter, write a story on her. But, when Monique meets with her she learns Evelyn really wants Monique to write her tell-all novel to sell to publishers whenever Evelyn passes. Over the book, Evelyn tells her life story through flashbacks chronologically.
I was incredibly interested in Evelyn’s life. TJR really created a dynamic, morally grey, and just downright interesting character in the movie business. In fact, I liked her parts of the story so much I didn’t really want to read Monique’s parts, though to be fair those parts are short – it really is a book about Evelyn and her life. I rooted for Evelyn, cursed her, and then rooted for her again. She took morally grey to a whole new level, but all seven of her husbands held an important role in her life.
I highly recommend this book if you enjoy literary fiction or other TJR books. Enjoy!
Happy reading, folks!
Baltimore Bibliophile 