Book Review: Hollywood's Secret Heartbreaker - The Scandalous Life of Evelyn Hugo

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves a gripping, emotional story. From the first page to the last, this book had me completely hooked, with its complex characters, intricate plot, and powerful themes.

The novel tells the story of Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo, who at 79 years old decides to give her first and only interview to unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant. However, what starts as a typical celebrity interview soon turns into an unexpected and fascinating journey through Evelyn's life, including her seven marriages, her rise to fame in Hollywood, and her complex relationships with her colleagues and loved ones.

One of the most impressive things about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is the way that author Taylor Jenkins Reid manages to make Evelyn such a compelling and relatable character. Despite being a larger-than-life Hollywood icon, Evelyn feels like a real person, with all the flaws, regrets, and joys that come with a full life. Her story is one of love, ambition, loss, and self-discovery, and it is impossible not to become invested in her journey.

The supporting characters in the book are equally well-drawn, from the men who were married to Evelyn to the people who helped her along the way. Reid has a real talent for creating characters that feel fully fleshed-out and three-dimensional, with their own motivations, secrets, and desires.

But The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is more than just a juicy tale of Hollywood gossip and romance. At its core, it is a book about identity, power, and the sacrifices we make to achieve our dreams. Evelyn is a woman who has fought tooth and nail to achieve success in a male-dominated industry, and she is not afraid to use her sexuality and her charm to get what she wants. But as she reflects on her life, she begins to question whether the price she paid for her success was worth it, and whether she has lost touch with who she really is.

The novel also tackles issues of race, sexuality, and gender in a thoughtful and nuanced way. Evelyn's story takes place over several decades, and the book does not shy away from the discrimination and prejudice that she and others face in Hollywood and society at large. At the same time, it celebrates the resilience and strength of those who fight against these injustices.

Beyond its thematic depth, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is simply a great story, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Each of Evelyn's marriages is different, and the book explores the unique dynamics of each relationship, from the passionate love affair with her first husband to the friendship-turned-romance with her seventh. The narrative is structured in a way that keeps the reader engaged and invested, with each chapter revealing a little bit more about Evelyn's past and her motivations.

Overall, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a triumph of storytelling, a book that manages to be both entertaining and thought-provoking, romantic and realistic, escapist and socially conscious. It is a book that will make you laugh, cry, and think, and it is one that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. If you haven't already read this book, I highly recommend that you do.