Book Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Evelyn Hugo is one of the biggest movie stars of all time. She doesn’t even have to have something to say for people to listen
Not everything that glitters is gold; Hollywood glamour and the rise out of poverty sounds like a Disney fairy tale. But it isn't always like that. Rising to fame in 1950s America when you’re Cuban isn't exactly easy. But Evelyn Hugo, a tour de force of ambition, beauty, and a body to die for, took it all in her stride. Or so it seems. Behind the bright lights and sweeping dresses at the Academy Awards, the world of acting and fame is like that fixed Hollywood smile. It's all fake, painful to hold and all about money. Evelyn Hugo charms her audiences; she is the epitome of a bombshell, but she’s a woman in a society that saw women purely for their looks and body type: they didn’t hold much power. She became elusive, an intimidating glamorous thing that people knew of. Admired and adored for whom they think she is.
So, imagine our protagonist, Monique’s, surprise when she gets the call to interview the elusive Evelyn Hugo. Monique works as a lower writer; her career has stalled, and her personal life is the messiest thing. Yet, suddenly she finds herself opposite a legend. One who will tell her everything. Every sordid affair that she’s supposedly done. A tell-all. Unashamed and brash. The truth, the whole truth and all its dirty fingerprints staining the lives of those around her. It is an interview of a lifetime that will change Monique’s life irrevocably in more ways than she knows. Buckle up, dear reader - you’re in for a ride. True, Evelyn had seven husbands – but Evelyn Hugo defines herself as so much more than the scandalous seven husbands and sordid affairs that kept gossip columnists employed.
Dear Reader, you’re going to laugh, and wince but, most of all, cry your goddamn heart out. Taylor Jenkins Reid, if I had a hat I’d take it off to you. Brava, only you could make someone who is selfish, cold-hearted and willing to sacrifice just about anything and anyone empathetic. Evelyn is not a good person, but my god! Do you end up loving her! Go ahead and read this book: it's brutal but worth it.