This was actually the book that I had read before “The Ex-Wives Club” and probably one of those books that have sat on my “most popular books that I better be reading” list.
I have heard of Daisy Jones and the Six, own a copy of Malibu Rises, (both are on my list, by the way) yet I haven’t gotten around to reading them both. Taylor Jenkins Reid did a pretty good job with this one – so I think this may have set some high expectations for her other books.
Set in 1950s Hollywood, the novel follows legendary actress Evelyn Hugo as she recounts her glamorous and turbulent life story for a memoir – revealing her life from rags to riches and the nitty gritty which brought about fame in the tabloids – “How on earth did she have seven husbands – and what was it like with each one?” In her memoir recount with Monique Grant, she goes through each and every detail which goes through stories that have been unturned and a large mystery that is yet to be revealed.
I think the takeaway wasn’t about her truth and how she really was deep down – which was something that she wanted to show to the world, but rather more of what everyone chooses to show and hide just so that the world can see their best versions of self. The struggles that she went through were intense as an actress – having to compete at the Academy Awards “all the time” and moving up husbands one by one, not only for fame but for a sense of longing. But most of all, how she had to conceal her true feelings in every romantic relationship as a sacrifice to state what she truly wanted.
My rating –
I think giving this a 4 would suffice, given that the details were pretty intricate. The book actually felt like a true memoir and not a novel that had someone writing a memoir, which I found to be a unique writing style.
For more details about the Book:
Name of the book – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Author – Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre – Historical Fiction
Year of Publication – 2017
Goodreads Link – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32620332-the-seven-husbands-of-evelyn-hugo