The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has such a stronghold on the LGBT narrative during the ’80s. Some of the anecdotal conversations were absolutely gold. I was left inspired by this fictitious and flawed character who needed the bare minimum of just being loved. Although I had a perception this was going to be YA, it is actually Adult Fiction and deals with a lot of sensitive topics like Relationships, Adultery and Sexual Identity in a very nuanced way. One of the reasons this will be an all-time favourite read is the rich writing and the impact done by the ever so beautiful and strong Evelyn Hugo
This book has been on a lot of readers favourite lists. It was about time I check this one out myself. And, what better month than reading it during pride month! While I thought this book is going to probably be sad and kept gasping on some of the things in this book. In other words, I was totally blown away by the end of reading this book. The audiobook totally sucked me in and I finished this in no time. ON A WEEKDAY!!!
About | The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo
Ageing and reclusive Hollywood movie icon 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 is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way,
Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways
NFF EVALUATION
| AREA OF FOCUS | RATING |
|---|---|
| COVER | ★★★★ |
| CHARACTERS | ★★★★★ |
| ATMOSPHERE | ★★★★★ |
| WRITING STYLE | ★★★★ |
| PLOT | ★★★★★ |
| SUSPENSE FACTOR | ★★★★ |
| LOGIC/ RELATIONSHIPS | ★★★★★ |
| EXPERIENCE | ★★★★★ |
PERFECT IF :
- you are a fan of the 80’s Hollywood and love celebrity fiction
- you are wanting to read a diverse cast of LGBTQ+ characters that isn’t YA
HIGHLIGHTS
- Badass Female Main Character
- Friendship, Betrayal and Relationships
- Character Driven Story
FOR FANS OF :
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkin Reid
{Writing Style , Famous People Fiction}
Evidence Of an Affair by Taylor Jenkin Reid
{Adultery, Adult Contemporary, Writing style}
THINK TWICE IF:
- You despise books set in the 50’s or late 80’s
- Not a fan of “too much” melodrama
TRIGGER WARNING
- Domestic Violence
- Adultery
REP/DIVERSITY
- Bisexual, Gay & Lesbian Character
{Main Cast} - Mixed Race
Character
{Main Cast} - Latina Protagonist
- Interracial Relationships
Book Aesthetics | The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo
Thoughts | The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo
Loyalty, Friendship & Betrayal
“People think that intimacy is about sex. But intimacy is about truth. When you realize you can tell someone your truth, when you can show yourself to them, when you stand in front of them bare and their response is ‘you’re safe with me’- that’s intimacy.”
– The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkin Reid
Her compassion for Harry aka her bestfriend shows the real essence of friendship and loyalty in this book. The theme of adultery , domestic violence and betrayal is explored through the relationships she had with one of her husbands in particular. Besides the obvious melodrama, this book had sone real cute friendship and love dynamics.
WRITING
“That’s the part I was stuck in, the part where you accept the apology because it’s easier than addressing the root of the problem,”
– The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkin Reid
Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is the third book I have read by the author. Certainly, there is no doubt I love her writing style. The way she writes her fiction characters makes it so hard to believe they aren’t real people. I listened to the audiobook on Scribd and it really brings out the emotion in the story. I loved how the book also had small newspaper articles featured written about her , precisely highlighting how the media portrayed her as compared to what was truly going on which took the whole “celebrity” persona on another level. Which in return helped in showing the cost of fame she had to pay
In addition, the chapters were short and switched between Monique and Evelyn telling her story. The book resulted in being an extremely fast paced read for me. Moreover, I loved how there were so many good quotes and passages that highlighted not only the relationship aspect of the book but also the political and social outlook on the LGBT community in the 80’s. The ending was wholesome and I was left wanting more like I always do when I read a Taylor Jenkin’s book.
EVELYN HUGO & {Her Close Ones}
“I spent half my time loving her and the other half hiding how much I loved her.”
– The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkin Reid
I love character driven books. The main protagonist Evelyn Hugo is a nonbinary person living in the 80’s. Subsequently, it also represents her “love life” and her ambitious career . She is bold, confident and mesmerizing. I also loved Cecelia and Harry so much. All the characters in this book are flawed and have their own struggles to face which made this so realistic and heart wrenching to read.
HOLLYWOOD & THE 80’s !!!
Through Evelyn’s struggle in the film industry during the 1950’s ‘s and the cost of fame during the late 80’s , we get to see how the majority of the LGBT community struggle to live as they are. The time period this was set in makes the book so much more emotional and melodramatic than it would normally be. Consequently, she had to hide to her sexuality in fear she wont be accepted. This was a time period when the LGBT community in USA wasn’t socially accepted.
RATING : 5.0/5.0
Overall, I highly recommend this book. There isn’t too much you need to know before picking this one up. Although, you may come to realize how little money, fame and everything else that follows pales when compared to love and friendship in one’s life.
DETAILS
Pages : 391
Genre : LGBT, Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction
Published On : 13 June, 2017
Publisher : Atria Books
Where To Buy : Amazon | Book Depository