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nerdinthelibrary 's review for:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
content warnings: sexual assault, underage sexual acts, domestic violence, gas lighting a spouse, alcoholism, slut shaming, sexism, racism, biphobia, homophobia, mentions of AIDS, chronic illness, death of a loved one, grief
representation: biracial main character, bisexual cuban main character, main f/f relationship, lesbian side character, gay side character, japanese-american side character, various minor gay/bi characters, various minor characters of colour
Re-read 02/10/18:
My audiobook expired at 45% so I didn't get to finish my re-read, but it was just as phenomenal the second time around
Original read 28/08/18
This book was.... holy god, this book was magnificent. It skyrocketed up to one of my favourite books of all time. Nothing's okay and everything hurts.
This is a book about a journalist, Monique, who is chosen seemingly out of nowhere to write a piece about former Hollywood starlet, Evelyn Hugo. Despite her incredible life, including revolusionising film and multiple award wins and nominations, Evelyn is almost exclusively remembered for having seven husbands in her lifetime.
Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing is spectacular and so compelling, even when describing incredibly mundane things. There is a very noticeable difference between Monique and Evelyn's perspective without it ever being jarring, something which a lot of writers don't succeed at.
The book is split into seven parts after Monique meets Evelyn, one part for each husband: Poor Ernie Diaz, Goddamn Don Adler, Gullible Mick Riva, Clever Rex North, Brilliant, Kindhearted, Tortured Harry Cameron, Disappointing Max Girard, and Agreeable Robert Jamison. One of the most fascinating aspects of this book for me was discovering Evelyn's reasons for marrying each husband, as only a few were out of genuine love for them, and the way that her life became framed because of the men she married. Which is a perfect segue into talking about one of my new all-time favourite characters, Evelyn Hugo.
Evelyn is not a good person and she never pretends to be. But she's also not a bad person; she's just a person, a person who was forced to do some terrible things and chose to do some terrible things. She is so endlessly fascinating and feels so damn real. I know I'm not alone in actually thinking she was real at certain points. Sometimes I would want to google pictures of her in her outfits, or read her wikipedia page, or watch some of her movies, and then I felt legitimately heartbroken because I couldn't.
One of the more fascinating things about her was her relationship with her husbands. The first she married as a teenager to get into Hollywood and she decided to leave him; the second she was madly in love with and it ended up not being what she thought it was; the third was a Vegas wedding only to convenience her that ended immediately; the fourth was one of mutual convenience with someone who became a friend; the fifth (and easily my favourite) was nothing but platonic and yet the one full of the most love; the sixth held many similarities with the second, though its end was far less disastrous; and the seventh was one of companionship and love, though not with the man she married.
Reading the ways in which these marriages impacted her was often both heartbreaking and fascinating. In particular the way the media would react to each marriage and each divorce. No matter what, it was always Evelyn's fault: she was cheating, she wasn't loving enough, she put her career first, whatever it was. The look on sexism, particularly within the industry, throughout the entire book was so unfortunately real. Evelyn is only ever viewed as a sex object, even after doing revolutionary performances, winning awards, earning millions, she is still nothing but a pair of tits to many people.
There was also a fascinating look at racism within the industry. Evelyn is Cuban (her real name is Evelyn Herrera (Diaz when she first entered Hollywood)), and she is forced to reject everything about her heritage in order to make it. There's a wonderful scene in which she is at first offended that a woman doesn't realise she speaks Spanish, but then she reflects on how little of her heritage she has kept, and it was done so beautifully.
Now, onto Evelyn's most impactful relationship: a fellow actress, Celia St. James. Their love is complicated, messy, sometimes toxic, and yet always beautiful. They might be one of the most realistic relationships I've read in a long time, loving each other with everything they have but also having the ability to be disgustingly cruel to one another. And the look at Evelyn's bisexuality through their relationship was so well-done, at first Celia assuming she's a lesbian and rejecting the idea that Evelyn could be anything but (she gets over this), primarily due to the word not being used in the mainstream at the time.
I know I already mentioned the husbands, but I really want to highlight Harry because he's far and away my favourite. You learn very early that Harry's gay, and he quickly becomes Evelyn's best friend. They decide to get married and their marriage is so wonderful. The love they have for each other is never anything but platonic, and yet they're both easily one of the most important people in the others life. They eventually decide to have a child together, biologically, and there's never a big deal made. It's never a problem, and they love their daughter and each other so intensely, and I was genuinely upset when they get divorced even if I did understand it.
Monique and Evelyn's relationship is a very interesting and complicated one. They have a connection that isn't revealed until nearly the end of the book, and it was so well set-up. But Monique individually is such an amazing character, even if she ultimately gets very little screen time (page time??). She is recently divorced, and takes on many life lessons from Evelyn in terms of both her failed marriage and the death of her father when she was a child. I loved how she developed over the book, learning to become more assertive and taking what she wanted, on her terms.
This book was magnificent, gorgeous, exquisite, magic, wonderful, and every other positive adjective in existence. I know that none of her existing work is like this one, but I'm still so excited to read more from Taylor Jenkins Reid, and her next book looks so damn good.
(I would apologise for the extra-long review but I have a negative amount of regrets, everyone needs to read this book ASAP)
representation: biracial main character, bisexual cuban main character, main f/f relationship, lesbian side character, gay side character, japanese-american side character, various minor gay/bi characters, various minor characters of colour
Re-read 02/10/18:
My audiobook expired at 45% so I didn't get to finish my re-read, but it was just as phenomenal the second time around
Original read 28/08/18
This book was.... holy god, this book was magnificent. It skyrocketed up to one of my favourite books of all time. Nothing's okay and everything hurts.
“Never let anyone make you feel ordinary.”
This is a book about a journalist, Monique, who is chosen seemingly out of nowhere to write a piece about former Hollywood starlet, Evelyn Hugo. Despite her incredible life, including revolusionising film and multiple award wins and nominations, Evelyn is almost exclusively remembered for having seven husbands in her lifetime.
“When you're given an opportunity to change your life, be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen. The world doesn't give things, you take things.”
Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing is spectacular and so compelling, even when describing incredibly mundane things. There is a very noticeable difference between Monique and Evelyn's perspective without it ever being jarring, something which a lot of writers don't succeed at.
“My heart was never in the craft of acting, only in the proving. Proving my power, proving my worth, proving my talent.”
The book is split into seven parts after Monique meets Evelyn, one part for each husband: Poor Ernie Diaz, Goddamn Don Adler, Gullible Mick Riva, Clever Rex North, Brilliant, Kindhearted, Tortured Harry Cameron, Disappointing Max Girard, and Agreeable Robert Jamison. One of the most fascinating aspects of this book for me was discovering Evelyn's reasons for marrying each husband, as only a few were out of genuine love for them, and the way that her life became framed because of the men she married. Which is a perfect segue into talking about one of my new all-time favourite characters, Evelyn Hugo.
“I’m under absolutely no obligation to make sense to you.”
Evelyn is not a good person and she never pretends to be. But she's also not a bad person; she's just a person, a person who was forced to do some terrible things and chose to do some terrible things. She is so endlessly fascinating and feels so damn real. I know I'm not alone in actually thinking she was real at certain points. Sometimes I would want to google pictures of her in her outfits, or read her wikipedia page, or watch some of her movies, and then I felt legitimately heartbroken because I couldn't.
“Some marriages aren't really that great. Some loves aren't all-encompassing. Sometimes you separate because you weren't that good together to begin with. Sometimes divorce isn't an earth-shattering loss. Sometimes it's just two people waking up out of a fog.”
One of the more fascinating things about her was her relationship with her husbands. The first she married as a teenager to get into Hollywood and she decided to leave him; the second she was madly in love with and it ended up not being what she thought it was; the third was a Vegas wedding only to convenience her that ended immediately; the fourth was one of mutual convenience with someone who became a friend; the fifth (and easily my favourite) was nothing but platonic and yet the one full of the most love; the sixth held many similarities with the second, though its end was far less disastrous; and the seventh was one of companionship and love, though not with the man she married.
“Isn’t it awfully convenient,” Harry added, “that when men make the rules, the one thing that’s looked down on the most is the one thing that would bear them the greatest threat? Imagine if every single woman on the planet wanted something in exchange when she gave up her body. You’d all be ruling the place. An armed populace. Only men like me would stand a chance against you. And that’s the last thing those assholes want, a world run by people like you and me.”
Reading the ways in which these marriages impacted her was often both heartbreaking and fascinating. In particular the way the media would react to each marriage and each divorce. No matter what, it was always Evelyn's fault: she was cheating, she wasn't loving enough, she put her career first, whatever it was. The look on sexism, particularly within the industry, throughout the entire book was so unfortunately real. Evelyn is only ever viewed as a sex object, even after doing revolutionary performances, winning awards, earning millions, she is still nothing but a pair of tits to many people.
“You wonder what it must be to be a man, to be so confident that the final say is yours.”
There was also a fascinating look at racism within the industry. Evelyn is Cuban (her real name is Evelyn Herrera (Diaz when she first entered Hollywood)), and she is forced to reject everything about her heritage in order to make it. There's a wonderful scene in which she is at first offended that a woman doesn't realise she speaks Spanish, but then she reflects on how little of her heritage she has kept, and it was done so beautifully.
“Make them pay you what they would pay a white man.”
Now, onto Evelyn's most impactful relationship: a fellow actress, Celia St. James. Their love is complicated, messy, sometimes toxic, and yet always beautiful. They might be one of the most realistic relationships I've read in a long time, loving each other with everything they have but also having the ability to be disgustingly cruel to one another. And the look at Evelyn's bisexuality through their relationship was so well-done, at first Celia assuming she's a lesbian and rejecting the idea that Evelyn could be anything but (she gets over this), primarily due to the word not being used in the mainstream at the time.
“Haven’t you been listening to a single thing I’ve told you? I loved Celia, but I also, before her, loved Don. In fact, I’m positive that if Don hadn’t turned out to be a spectacular asshole, I probably never would have been capable of falling in love with someone else at all. I’m bisexual. Don’t ignore half of me so you can fit me into a box, Monique. Don’t do that.”
I know I already mentioned the husbands, but I really want to highlight Harry because he's far and away my favourite. You learn very early that Harry's gay, and he quickly becomes Evelyn's best friend. They decide to get married and their marriage is so wonderful. The love they have for each other is never anything but platonic, and yet they're both easily one of the most important people in the others life. They eventually decide to have a child together, biologically, and there's never a big deal made. It's never a problem, and they love their daughter and each other so intensely, and I was genuinely upset when they get divorced even if I did understand it.
“If there are all different types of soul mates,” I told Harry one afternoon, when the two of us were sitting out on the patio with Connor, “then you are one of mine.” Harry was wearing a pair of shorts and no shirt. Connor was lying on his chest. He hadn’t shaved that morning, and his stubble was coming in. It had just the slightest gray patch under his chin. Looking at him with her, I realized how much they looked alike. Same long lashes, same pert lips. Harry held Connor to his chest with one hand and grabbed my free hand with the other. “I am absolutely positive that I need you more than I’ve ever needed another living soul,” he said. “The only exception being—” “Connor,” I said. We both smiled. For the rest of our lives, we would say that. The only exception to absolutely everything was Connor.”
Monique and Evelyn's relationship is a very interesting and complicated one. They have a connection that isn't revealed until nearly the end of the book, and it was so well set-up. But Monique individually is such an amazing character, even if she ultimately gets very little screen time (page time??). She is recently divorced, and takes on many life lessons from Evelyn in terms of both her failed marriage and the death of her father when she was a child. I loved how she developed over the book, learning to become more assertive and taking what she wanted, on her terms.
“As I tell my mom I love her and hang up the phone, I feel proud of myself, smug even. I have no idea that in less than a week, Evelyn Hugo will finish her story, and I’ll find out what this has all been about, and I will hate her so much that I’ll be truly afraid I might kill her.”
This book was magnificent, gorgeous, exquisite, magic, wonderful, and every other positive adjective in existence. I know that none of her existing work is like this one, but I'm still so excited to read more from Taylor Jenkins Reid, and her next book looks so damn good.
(I would apologise for the extra-long review but I have a negative amount of regrets, everyone needs to read this book ASAP)