The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in 2025 Reading Challenge

Nov 23, 2019 Lulu rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: general-mainstream, lgbt, books-read-in-2019

4.5*

At first, I couldn't stand the writing style, but it was easy and quick enough to read that I thought I'd push through. I also just wanted to know what all the hype was about! I don't know when it happened -- possibly as Harry Cameron and Celia St. James became more prominent -- but I got incredibly absorbed after about 100 pages, and read the majority of it in one sitting.

It's easy to make me cry, and boy did this make me cry at multiple points. While I had some complaints -- the narrative ...more

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Sep 25, 2019 Meera rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, scribd

2.5

Initially I really liked this book and Evelyn. I liked how strong she was while she pursued her goals. But as it went on, I started losing interest because it seemed like the same storyline being repeated. I thought this was going to be more serious than it was. It was entertaining at times but because I was bored the rest of the time, I don’t know if I’ll read any of her other books.

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Jul 18, 2023 Sabrina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, romance, hollywood, lgbtq-literature, historical-fiction, lgbtq, read-in-2023, queer

Evelyn Hugo, a famous, but now retired movie star, uses false pretenses to hire Monique, a little-known writer, to write a piece on her for a magazine. It turns out, however, that Evelyn wants so much more from Monique, including writing her life story in a full tell-all autobiography. Monique is sure there is a catch, but Evelyn assures here that all the other main players are dead and no harm can come from telling her life's history.

Hugo escapes her poverty stricken and harsh life in Hell's by Evelyn Hugo, a famous, but now retired movie star, uses false pretenses to hire Monique, a little-known writer, to write a piece on her for a magazine. It turns out, however, that Evelyn wants so much more from Monique, including writing her life story in a full tell-all autobiography. Monique is sure there is a catch, but Evelyn assures here that all the other main players are dead and no harm can come from telling her life's history.

Hugo escapes her poverty stricken and harsh life in Hell's by marrying someone, not for love, but for the means of escape. This is perhaps the first time she realizes that she can use her body and her looks to get what she wants.

This book by Jenkins Reid, chronicles Hugo's live as her star rises and falls and rises again in Hollywood over the decades. In tracking her rise and fall and rise again as Hollywood's darling, we also see how Hugo uses her marriages to manipulate her stardom and success in both films Hollywood but in other countries as well.

However, the story of Evelyn Hugo and her seven husbands is so much more than Monique first realizes because Evelyn has secrets, and as Hugo begins to relate her story she begins to reveal those secrets because she finally feels that she is at a point where she is free to share them.

Because the novel alternates between Evelyn and Monique and between Evelyn's past in Hollywood and her present day as a rather reclusive retired Hollywood star, we also learn more about Monique as a writer along with tidbits of her personal life, especially since she spends hours at Evelyn's apartment listening and recording Evelyn's recollections of her life and career.

When I first began reading I wasn't sure that I would enjoy the book as much as I ended up doing because I found Evelyn's character really dislikeable and manipulative, but the more I kept reading the more I began to admire the character and the way that she saw persevered in Hollywood for decades. Underlying the main plot is a really strong commentary on the idea of female beauty and aging. I especially like that this commentary doesn't seem to be overdone and preachy.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo turned out to be so much more than I originally thought it would be, and by the time I finished, I realized that it was one of my favorite reads so far this year.

4.5 stars (round to five since the GR system doesn't let you chose half stars.) ...more

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