Is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Worth the Hype?

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has taken over the book-reading world by storm, and for good reason. Ever since it was published in the summer of 2017, the novel has become a favorite for many who have had the pleasure of reading it. Taylor Jenkins Reid writes such beautiful books filled with intrigue and romance, and this is no different. Perhaps her masterpiece, The Seven Husbands is a novel that will leave you thinking about it long after you’re done reading it.

The Plot

Evelyn Hugo, a classic Golden Age Hollywood star, now at 79 years of age, is finally willing to do a tell-all interview. Although on the surface she says this interview will only focus on her auctioning some of her old and famous dresses. Realistically, whoever breaks this story would surely be set up for a good and long career in writing due to the magnitude and stardom of Evelyn. That’s where our POV character comes in. Monique Grant is not well known or particularly successful as a journalist yet, but this could be the opportunity of a lifetime if she could only get the chance. Luckily for her, for some reason, Evelyn has asked for her specifically to do the interview, and now all she has to do is write about the life of one of the biggest Hollywood stars ever… no pressure, right?

Where the story begins and where it leads to is nothing short of remarkably surprising. Unexpected twists and turns appear when you least expect them. As you may have guessed from the title, the story does go through the seven marriages of Evelyn’s life, as Monique, the interviewer, tries to find out who was Evelyn’s true love. The way the story reveals itself page-by-page will get you invested at first and then break your heart by the end.

The Golden Age of Hollywood 

The manner in which Taylor Jenkins Reid incorporates classic Hollywood into the story is amazing. Especially if you’re a fan of movies from around the 50s and 60s, you’ll catch a lot of great references. Real-world movie and actor titles and names show up here and there.

It’s obvious that the author’s biggest strength is getting you to care about a distant world and about these huge fictional movie stars. Romance is at the heart of the novel, and most people who have finished reading will tell you that by the end they couldn’t help but get deeply emotionally imbued.

The main character, Evelyn Hugo, was somewhat based on classic actresses like Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner, who went through similar things that the character goes through in the novel.

The Impact of the Novel

Alongside the novel being nominated for many, many, literary awards, the overall reception from the readers especially has been beyond words.

Netflix has already acquired the rights to make a film based on the novel. Though, in theory, perhaps a show with many episodes would tell the story better, a movie if done right could also introduce a new audience to this special novel.

Once you’ve read it and slightly recovered from the emotional turmoil, you will want to go back to it and read it again. This novel has no modern equal to it in the sense of sheer impact and beauty. Some people go through their entire lifetimes trying to create beautiful art that will connect with a large number of people, but Taylor Jenkins Reid has already accomplished that goal.

With each word, this mesmerizing novel feels like it’s feeding that part of the brain that needs to be reminded of just how great books can be. This sort of rejuvenation in the want and joy of book-reading doesn’t come often, but you better seize the opportunity when it does come along. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a clear-cut example that there are still masterclass writers out there providing the world with magical pieces of literature every now and then.

Photo: Olga Strel/Shutterstock

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