Book Review: Historic Fiction Exploring Fame, Womanhood & A LGBTQ+ Love Story
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
By Taylor Jenkins Reid
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5
Genre: Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+ Literature, Romance
Published: 2017
Synopsis:
Evelyn Hugo, an old Hollywood actress who hasn’t granted an interview in years, hires Monique Grant, a relatively unknown journalist, to write her memoir. Monique, who is facing struggles in her own life with her career and impending divorce, embarks on a series of interviews with Evelyn. Through these interviews, we uncover a deeper understanding of Evelyn’s life, her loves, her losses, and her triumphs that go beyond what the tabloids have portrayed.
Highlights:
Set in 1950s Hollywood:
The book explores the experience of being an actress in Hollywood during the 1950s and the sacrifices it requires in order to make a name for oneself.
Female-centric characters & story:
This story centers around Evelyn Hugo, her love life, career, and family. It is a story that focuses heavily on female characters, with beautifully written character portrayals.
LGBTQ+ literature:
The timeline in this book covers the period from 1950s Hollywood to the present day. Among other things, it explores how the world has changed for the LGBTQ+ community over the years.
Review:
A beautifully written book with strong female characters and a great story! I buddy read this one, and we could not put it down once we started reading it. Evelyn Hugo is one of the best fictional characters I have read about in a long time.
This is my second book by Taylor Jenkins Reid (TJR), and one thing I noticed in both books is how she writes characters with depth, making them relatable. As a reader, I understood each character’s nature and the reasons behind their decisions. Evelyn Hugo, the protagonist of this book, is unapologetic, ambitious, and passionate. She is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her career and the people she loves. While the book primarily focuses on Evelyn, it also explores her relationships, particularly the one that defines her life. As the story progresses, each character develops and grows, and I appreciate how TJR captures this in her writing.
I enjoyed the historical fiction aspect of the book, which delved into the nature of Hollywood from the 1950s to the 1980s. It explored what it was like for women and LGBTQ+ individuals during that time period. The story includes tabloid articles about Evelyn’s acting career, which are interspersed with the chapters she narrates to Monique. It was entertaining to see the stark contrast between the tabloid gossip and the actual truth.
I didn’t mention anything about her seven husbands in the review because none of them stood out to me, except Harry Cameron. If you have read this book, let me know if you felt the same way. It is a book that explores relationships, love, loss, and loyalty.
I highly recommend this book to historical fiction and romance lovers! Easily one of my top reads from 2022.
Question: Have you read this book?
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