A Review of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

I am always suspicious of books that receive extensive admiration and hype. Perhaps this comes from a fear that the book will not live up to its reputation or perhaps this is merely a rebellion against popular culture. Whatever the case, it has taken me months to actually pick up a copy of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo from my local bookshop. This book tells the tale of a movie star from the golden age of Hollywood and the young reporter who is chosen to write her biography. Written in a split narrative style we follow Evelyn Hugo’s journey from her childhood to the moment that we meet her as a 79 year old widow, while also learning about writer Monique Grant and her stake in the story. I devoured this book in a matter of days, reading late into the night as I sought answers to the questions woven through the tale. But, did the book live up to its reputation?

Without the shadow of a doubt this book was addictive, forcing me to forgo sleep and pressing tasks in order to reach the conclusion. What exactly this pull was I am unsure; however, it was there. With short chapters and an easy to read style, readers soar through the story much as Evelyn seems to dance through her highlife as a Hollywood star. This is not to say that the book is a masterpiece, or work of art by any stretch of the imagination, but there is something inexplicably compelling about it. Unfortunately, the twists and turns that lead eventually to the reveals at the end were somewhat pre-empted. It was clear quite early on why Evelyn had chosen this particular journalist and this was such a pity, as the climactic moments did not feel that they packed as much of a punch as they could have.

The novel was undoubtedly character driven; it was a book about Evelyn Hugo and as such she dominated every page, every aspect of the narrative, leaving little room for much else. One of the draws of the book for me was the setting. The 1950s is a period that has long appealed to me as a reader and I anticipated the opportunity to discover more about life in the movie industry at the point in history. While I felt that there was a sense of the life of a celebrity in the setting of the story, there was the overwhelming feeling that it could have been written about any time. Or, perhaps, this impression was merely due to the speed with which I read the book. Certainly, Evelyn was the protagonist and there was no moment in which you forgot that you were reading the biography of this film star. There was somehow a sense of realism about the character and the presentation of her reminded me of Tina Brown’s The Vanity Fair Diaries. From her origin story in the rough end of New York City to her transformation into a film star, this felt like it could have been the biography of a very real actor. Through focussing upon her personal life rather than her movies, there was the sense that of course the reader would know these films – they were classics after all! In fact, this was one of the most appealing things about the novel – readers were getting the scoop on one of the most famous and private names in movie history. The addition of news stories added to this overall sense of realism.

Evelyn Hugo was an empowered woman fighting for what she wanted and not stopping for breath until she had reached the very top. Yet, she was also a cow. The character is not a nice woman by any stretch of the imagination and every time she did something awful, trampled another person in her journey, readers are unsurprised. Reid’s depiction of the protagonist enables us to draw a true understanding of her and forms her in such a way as to make her predictable while never quite removing the air of mystery. The tale is a heart breaking one, with a redemptive arc that is believable but also is given less focus than the starlit glamour of the early days. In those moments of tragedy (not to give away any spoilers!), there is a sense that they are ever so slightly rushed. The depictions of emptiness and simple practicality rather than panic during these awful moments are painfully realistic, yet they could have been more developed. If you are sensitive and tend to cry at books, you will find that you cry at points, they just may not be when you expect. Whether Evelyn redeems herself I will leave up to you to decide; however, she certainly becomes a mellower, kinder and more remorseful version of her scrappier younger self.

This is perhaps in part due to the three most important relationships in her life, those with the characters of Celia St James, Harry Cameron and Connor. The ups and downs of the protagonist’s relationship with Celia are certainly toxic, possibly slightly too melodramatic and yet beautiful all the same. In contrast, ‘Brilliant, kindhearted, tortured Harry’ is a steady and encouraging presence within Evelyn’s life and without a doubt my favourite character. There is a beauty in the softness of this connection despite all of the mess that seems to follow Evelyn through her existence. I challenge you not to give him just a small piece of your heart as you read. The other characters are not half so well drawn, which is a pity, but that is the challenge of tackling such a lengthy time period. Faces come and go, most of which are not fully drawn (and this includes many of the husbands). There are unforgettable moments, but plenty of forgettable characters moving in and out of the lives of Evelyn, Celia and Harry. The strangest element of this dance of narrative moments was certainly the strange passage of time. There would be a focus upon a particular chain of events without any specific timeline and then a passing mention would be made to how many years it had been since Evelyn and Celia had spoken or how old Connor was which would be a little jarring. Speaking of Connor, the daughter of Evelyn and Harry (this is not a spoiler – we are given the information at the beginning of the book!), she not given very much attention within the narrative. We get fleeting glimpses of her, as though she is present in the life of the adults without being given any consideration. Seeing as her development is one of the most interesting, this is a distinct pity. Of course, one cannot write about the characters of the novel and not speak about the biographer herself. Monique is an eager and slightly less ambitious version of Evelyn. This is perhaps the only really character description that I can give her, as she was certainly not as fleshed out as she could have been. We knew her backstory, her story through the process of writing the biography, but this book was not about her it was about Evelyn.

This is a novel about life: the dirtiness of it, the fight to survive and make something of one’s self. But it also about women, about sexuality, about the challenges that a person must face on a daily basis. While a reader would hope that some of the challenges that the characters face do not exist in today’s society, they are still all too common. Evelyn is a distinctly dislikable character and yet… and yet, like every movie star and movie goer that she encounters, the reader cannot help but be drawn to her. The book is far from perfect, but all the same teaches some valuable lessons about compassion and the messy world that we live in. Ultimately, it is unputdownable and 100% something that I recommend you reading!