The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins is a novella about fame, deceit, and love told through seven entries of seven husbands of Evelyn's life. Reid follows Evelyn Hugo's allegedly dazzling life as she recalls her time as a Hollywood celebrity from the 1950s to the 1980s. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, marketed as a historical fiction novel set in old Hollywood, is a must-read not just for those in a reading rut but for anybody looking for a new book to fall in love with.
I must admit that this book appeared on my Tiktok "For You Page" a few times before I eventually gave in and went to Z-library (https://z-lib.org/), my favorite Ebook library. Based on the title, I anticipated the book would be a repeated stream of "meet-cute" romances ending in drunken annulment. Low expectations set the tone for the book's scandalous originality, making me pleased I didn't judge it by its cover.
"Don't ignore half of me so you can fit me into a box. Don't do that."
Monique and Evelyn switch views throughout the narrative, which adds to the novel's distinctiveness. The narrator will frequently transition from Monique, dealing with her impending divorce, to Evelyn, recounting her career without warnings. In addition, the book is divided into seven parts, each of which tells Evelyn's seven husbands and their roles in her life.
Though a fragment of an article in the opening of the novel suggests that Harry is one of Evelyn's husbands, as the story progresses, we learn of the platonic nature of the characters and the value of their friendship. I have to admit that Reid is excellent in striking emotion in scenes that require it.
Heartbreak is a loss. Divorse is a piece of paper.
Aside from the numerous emotional twists and turns are thrown at the reader, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo contains many situations to remember and reference in everyday life.
The book's unique concept is also made widely appealing by digging into one of the most popular issues of all time: What is love? What does it mean to be genuinely in love versus having affection for someone else? Perhaps these are the sorts of questions that someone would ask after a brutal breakup or consuming a considerable amount of love poems.
I spent half my time loving her and the other half hiding how much I loved her.
Despite this, Reid appears to go into the interworkings of practically every sort of relationship somewhere in the 385 pages of this book. She even criticizes almost every marriage stereotype. From each desperate suitor came and fled for a different reason, to an overnight Vegas groom and Hollywood's brightest heartthrob.
Reid's writing is incredibly intricate, considering how Evelyn's experiences from each marriage affect the person she becomes as the novel progresses. This fast-paced story ripped right from the gossip columns of the twentieth century will most certainly send you sobbing frantically on the screen of your Ipad or your Kindle. If given a chance, I ensure anyone can fall in love with a book like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
SCORE: 5/5
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