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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
March 2022: Classics
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[WPF] The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 2 stars
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Oh drat Theresa - sorry this didn’t work for you. I’ve got it on my list too. It might have slipped down somewhat …
Well, it does fit PS prompt for a sapphic book...and gave me 3 votes and 2 participation points in WPF. That helped it get the 2nd star too. 😁
Has to be a silver lining in there somewhere
Sorry you didn't like it. Boring was not a word I'd use to describe it. Trashy maybe, but I'm not sure I've read anything quite like it before. I pictured Elizabeth Taylor too, mainly because of all her marriages. When my new bookclub selected it last year, I decided to read it again, and I liked it even more the second time. I noticed more of details and nuance in the story, especially leading up to climax and ending. They gave the story more emotional depth than I noticed the first time. Even though I lost the surprise I found it more satisfying.
I think they’re making this into a Netflix.
I didn't care for it either, Theresa. Big time soap opera. I'm not surprised about Netflix.
Oh dear. I’m pretty sure this book is winning for one of my Bookclub reads for next month. It sounds like it might not be my cup of tea either. I might do an audiobook and put it on faster, just do I can join the discussion. I already missed this month’s read because it had trigger themes that weren’t going to work for me. Great review and I do prefer to be forewarned. The premise sounded ok…but I’m really not into soap operas and only tolerate those types of books if they are actual memoirs and even then I do a lot of eye rolling alongside feeling very sad for the person concerned. I would never wish for fame. Anonymity suits me to perfection.
Theresa wrote: "*Yawn* Shocking how boring and derivative I found this! What little of the themes and events might be considered 'new' - and I have grave doubts on whether any are - are shallowly handled. This ver..."I appreciate your response to this book. I gave it a higher rating, but I never felt comfortable about it. On the one hand, it was easy reading. I kept turning the pages. But I couldn't decide if the writing was shallow and superficial or if that was the author's intention because the characters were shallow and superficial. I never felt the depth of the character's, mostly Evelyn, feelings even when they should have been most emotional.
But then, I'm with Jemima. Anonymity suits me. I distrust the sincerity of the constant performer.
Jemima wrote: "Oh dear. I’m pretty sure this book is winning for one of my Bookclub reads for next month. It sounds like it might not be my cup of tea either. I might do an audiobook and put it on faster, just do..."Jemima - I don't know what your triggers are, and you don't have mention them, but there is physical abuse in the storyline.
Evelyn Hugo is a Movie Star, a legendary one of the caliber of Elizabeth Taylor. Decades after she retired from films and stepped away from the limelight, she contacts a trendy magazine to do a piece on her donation of her most famous gowns to be auctioned as a favorite charity fundraiser, and she demands that only Monique, a low level staff writer, can interview and write the piece. Monique shows up to do it and Evelyn pulls a bait and switch, offering Monique a unique opportunity to write her biography, but under stringent terms.
The book reads basically as Evelyn giving us her autobiography, with occasional breaks to Monique's life. I found the entire character and plot points in and around Monique to be poorly elucidated, and frankly, totally unnecessary. I also found most of Evelyn's 'scenes', those especially with the love of her life, to be the equivalent of childish temper tantrums.
And it just read so flat. There were enough moments however to merit 2 stars. Barely.