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A review by withlivjones
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Not gonna lie, when I started reading a book entitled “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”, I was not expecting it to be as sapphic as it was! But that’s the point - just as Evelyn had to mislead the public in order to control the narrative she was putting out, the title draws the reader in with the idea that Evelyn is an insatiable sex symbol who easily tires of men, and only when one is engrossed in the story is it revealed that she was actually completely devoted to one woman. This book is almost the opposite of the unreliable narrator trope - Evelyn has been an unreliable narrator all her life, and it’s only now that she is being completely, brutally, honest, even if that truth hurts.
The Old-Hollywood world that TJR has built seems so realistic, down to the explorations of racism, sexism, ageism, and homophobia rampant in the industry. Every character is fleshed out with their own motivations so that no one person is painted as the villain and even Evelyn’s abusers receive some (somewhat undeserved) sympathy from her. Evelyn herself is not supposed to be a good person - she’s messy and complex, with a consistent set of principles that characterise her actions throughout the novel.
However, I did find that the twist ending fell a little flat. There was so much build up to it and just not enough payoff. Perhaps if there had been more of Monique’s narration (which seemed to become less frequent as the novel progressed) or some actual foreshadowing to how Monique’s and Evelyn’s lives intersected instead of just “you’re going to find out why I chose you soon and it’s going to be super shocking and you’re going to hate me”, I think the twist would have had a greater effect. Even if the twist had been revealed earlier in the novel, as soon as it became relevant, that would have given Monique and the reader more time to process it and potentially increase its effect.
Overall, however, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Complex characters and a beautiful love story set perfectly within the context of Old Hollywood.
The Old-Hollywood world that TJR has built seems so realistic, down to the explorations of racism, sexism, ageism, and homophobia rampant in the industry. Every character is fleshed out with their own motivations so that no one person is painted as the villain and even Evelyn’s abusers receive some (somewhat undeserved) sympathy from her. Evelyn herself is not supposed to be a good person - she’s messy and complex, with a consistent set of principles that characterise her actions throughout the novel.
However, I did find that the twist ending fell a little flat. There was so much build up to it and just not enough payoff. Perhaps if there had been more of Monique’s narration (which seemed to become less frequent as the novel progressed) or some actual foreshadowing to how Monique’s and Evelyn’s lives intersected instead of just “you’re going to find out why I chose you soon and it’s going to be super shocking and you’re going to hate me”, I think the twist would have had a greater effect. Even if the twist had been revealed earlier in the novel, as soon as it became relevant, that would have given Monique and the reader more time to process it and potentially increase its effect.
Overall, however, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Complex characters and a beautiful love story set perfectly within the context of Old Hollywood.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Abortion, and Death of parent