Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid Rating: 5/5 stars
Favorite Quote: “I liked being tempted. I liked knowing I might make the wrong decision.” Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Washington Square Press, 2017, p. 207.
Review:
This novel is essentially two stories in one: the contemporary story of a young journalist given the change of a lifetime to interview a somewhat reclusive actress, and the past story - the actress’s story…Evelyn Hugo’s story, told largely through the lens of each of her marriages, though ultimately (and here’s where I will try to avoid any spoilers), the story of her marriages often takes a backseat to the other people in her life. (There’s literally so much I want to say here, but to avoid spoilers, I’ll refrain.)
What to say about this book that has not already been said? I was honestly hesitant to read this book because of the hype surrounding it. All I heard was that I would love it, and I feared that I would be disappointed if it was simply a good book that I liked, rather than loved. Those fears were 100% unfounded. This book dragged me out a reading slump and brought back a joy for reading I honestly don’t think I realized I lost (more on that below).
So, what exactly did I love about this book, other than everything? The settings were rich, the character development was incredible and so, so, so believable - these characters suffered tragedy and violence, and they experienced triumph and unimaginable success and the reader is brought along for the ride.
The dialogue, too, was so rich but also so believable. Oftentimes, in books that I don’t love as much, I fall out of the story if the dialogue is too unrealistic or too stilted. I don’t think that happened a single time while reading this book. I have not stopped singing the praises of this book since I read it, and I highly doubt I’ll stop anytime soon.
About that Quote:
Picking a favorite quote from this book was challenging because I love the whole thing. I read this book during a challenging period in my life when reading had largely fallen by the wayside - it was a pleasure and a stress relief that I didn’t really feel like I could allow myself at the time. But this book brought the joy I had for reading back into my life. And for that I am so, incredibly grateful.
But the reason I chose this quote over all the other incredible ones I thought about picking is that, this quote shows that despite this book being about glamorous people leading glamorous lives, the reason the book is so enticing is because the characters seem so much to be real people.
Have you read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo? Tell me your thoughts below!
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