Source: taylorjenkinsreid.com
In Taylor Jenkins’ The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, a 79-year-old Hollywood actress dishes on her scandalous and glamorous life to Monique Grant, an unknown magazine reporter. An astonished Monique wonders, “why me?” Whatever the reason, she uses this opportunity to jump start her career.
Monique listens in fascination as Evelyn recounts her rise to fame from Los Angeles in the 1950s through the 1980s when she retired from show business. Monique feels connected to the star. It will become clear that their lives intersect in tragic and irreversible ways.
Monique is a 35-year-old striving to be a better journalist while also grappling with her husband leaving her. I was delighted to read that Monique is biracial–black and white. Her boss, Frankie, for Vivant magazine, is black. Monique says, “And if I’m being honest, there is something very inspiring about a black woman running things.” Evelyn Hugo is Cuban. Having two main characters who are minorities was a brilliant choice. The representation means a lot to me.
The heart of the book is the story of Evelyn’s seven husbands. All of Evelyn’s seven husbands have a descriptive adjective stuck to their name, “Poor Ernie Diaz,” “Goddamn Don Adler” (who honestly was probably the worst one of them all), and “Clever Rex North.” These adjectives fit, especially for “Goddamn” Don Adler. It’s wild reading about seven husbands, a number I could not imagine having myself.
Evelyn Hugo is “ruthlessly ambitious,” although some of her decisions often led to heartbreak. Evelyn uses sexuality and beauty as power.
There are tabloid-style articles throughout the novel, showing the drama Evelyn endured in the glamorous Hollywood life. There are themes of unexpected friendship and forbidden love. The LGBTQ relationships are fascinating. It was tough having to hide your truth and identity in a world that was not very accepting.
One of my favorite moments is when Evelyn describes the difference between sex and intimacy: “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.” Evelyn can be a wise character.
The many twists and turns made me gasp. I felt sad reading the ending, which is truly heartbreaking and kind of painful, especially for Monique.
Evelyn Hugo was a glamorous but complex human being who led a very scandalous life. Monique was the right choice to tell her story. Evelyn thinks of Monique as an incredibly talented writer, even if Monique didn’t see that. Evelyn gets under Monique’s skin, challenging her as a journalist like nobody ever had before.
Reading about the glamor and scandals of life in Hollywood is a totally different experience than seeing it on television. I think anyone interested in becoming a journalist should read this book. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a captivating novel with so many lessons to learn.
