Monday, September 3, 2018

Book Review: The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: June 13, 2017
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: 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 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 through the decades—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: The Seven Husband's Of Evelyn Hugo is probably one of the best books I've read all year. I went into it thinking that Evelyn Hugo was a character similar to Greta Garbo with the husband count similar to Elizabeth Taylor.

Monique is the writer Evelyn has chosen to write her biography. She's very much a secondary character though. This book is all about Evelyn, though we know that there's going to be something that links the star with her.

Evelyn's life is stunning, coming out of Hell's Kitchen to Hollywood and the men and the woman who made her who she was.

If you were expecting a super sexy book, that isn't what you get here, though Evelyn is definitely a woman whose career is made because she's a sex pot. Her greatest films are those that push the boundaries of the time.

What this book is about is her long abiding friendship with Harry Cameron and her long relationship with Celia St. James.

Ah Evelyn and Celia oh man. These two women had such ups and downs. As much as this book was about Evelyn and her husbands it is also about her sexuality, which at the time of her fame was not the norm. See Evelyn is bisexual. Those husband's she's loved or used or both all of them. Each one served a purpose in her life and her career.

She was an amazing character. I couldn't understand Monique's feelings for her at the end, before the big reveal. I really felt Evelyn was a character you really loved, even when she was doing unlovable things. She's selfish, ambitious and definitely one helluva woman.

For me the book ended when she finished her story. I know the connection between Evelyn and Monique needed to be made, but all I cared about was Evelyn. I also admit I cried for her and with her at several points in this book.

Rating: 5 flowers


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