On a cosy Saturday evening, I finished a novel called “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, or more precisely “Die Sieben Männer der Evelyn Hugo” since I read it in German. Shout out to my best friend Maria, who kindly gifted me this copy.
The book is about the fictional Hollywood Diva, Evelyn Hugo, who is, after a long time, ready to talk about her numerous and scandalous marriages. Moreover, Hugo reveals who her true love is. Her willingness to be candid is, however, tied to one condition: Monique Grant from Vivant Magazine needs to write her story. A lot of people are irritated, since Grant does not belong to the crème de la crème of writers. Nevertheless, Hugo insists on her condition. Even Monique herself does not understand the reason why she is chosen. Eventually, she will find out why. Meanwhile, she uncovers a truth about her past and finds out that it is connected to Evelyn.
At first, I liked the setting of the interview because I had never read a book like that. However, I need to admit that it was also kind of annoying for me. I was not invested in Monique’s story and skimmed over it at first. I preferred the Hollywood life of an iconic actress rather than the relationship problems of a magazine writer. While reading, my opinion about Monique shifted somewhat—probably due to the reveal at the end. The plot twist nails it. To be honest, this story takes a turn that I would have never imagined in my wildest dreams. Chapeau!
The writing style fits the interview setting, but in some parts of the book, it lacks sophistication and a certain je ne sais quoi. In the dramatic scenes, the writing style shifts to a rather poetic style, which kind of felt a bit too try-hard. However, the dull writing style may also come from the translation. It is impossible to translate a text that resembles the original to a hundred per cent since translation always includes interpretations.
Another point that I did not like about the story was how the fact that Evelyn is a Latin American is portrayed in the story. This would have contributed to a promising storyline, but the Author chose to only mention her Latin American heritage occasionally. I think that this makes the story superficial and unfinished like a draft rather than a published novel. The story overall has a promising potential which it does not use to its full extent. Additionally, most of the characters, including almost every husband of Evelyn, are written in a flat 2D-ish way. That is why I did not care for most of them. However, I did like Harry. I had an ambiguous relationship with Evelyn. I cannot say that I liked or hated her. All I can say is that she has a character development which others lack. Another character who I think is well written is Don Adler. Although this figure is an awful person and I despise him, he felt like a person who could live outside of the book, like Evelyn and Harry. Celia—another central figure—annoyed me. She accuses Evelyn of the same things repeatedly. Of course, she certainly has a point with some of her blame, but she is also not without fault. The fact that neither she nor Evelyn address this issue makes Celia’s character flat and tiresome.
Although, it might come off like I hated reading the novel, I did enjoy it. In comparison to other books, I read it pretty consistently and fast. Something succeeded in catching my attention. The recurring theme of love and what it means may be what I liked most. The Hollywood life is not as glamorous as one might think. Yes, Evelyn Hugo enjoys privileges like being rich and the attention of a million-audience, but that is only one side of the coin. The author also shows the drawbacks of being an icon. Like depicted in the novel, fame can make one addicted. Evelyn prioritises her career over the ones she loves. The fame she seeks at first becomes a golden cage. Before I finished reading, I asked myself if she would figure out that there is more in life than prestige. Also, I wondered if she would realise it too late. Without spoiling you, I can say that I liked how the author solved that dilemma.
Reid told a story including multiple forms of love. I liked particularly the message that love is not always connected to sexuality. For example, Evelyn and her best friend Harry love each other in a platonic way, which is no less impactful even though it is not tied to sexual activities. A big share of books on the market do illustrate the best friend as a sidekick or, frankly said, as a décor so that the hero does not appear as a loner. In this type of book, the only relationship which counts is the romantic one. Personally, I think that is nonsense. I cannot image what I would do without my friends. Therefore, I liked the innovative approach of showing the impact and the importance of this friendship and love. Furthermore, the novel portrays the complexity of (romantic) love. One of Evelyn’s marriages in particular is filled with passion and intimacy on one hand but also includes mistreatment and toxic behaviour. This relationship shows that love can be hot and cold at the same time. It is not always easy to hate or stop loving someone, even though they deserve it.
In contrast, the kind of love which Evelyn gives to her true love is magical and eternal, like a sparkler. No matter how much time passes, they both still love each other. This relationship made me think. Does true love ever fade away? Of course, one gets over it eventually and continues one’s life. However, getting over it does not necessarily mean that one forgets one’s feelings. Does this person, therefore, continue to love in some way? Is it even possible to lose one’s feelings entirely if one truly loves someone in the sense of a soulmate or life partner? And does it depend on the form of love (platonic, romantic, etc.)?
All in all, I liked reading “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” a lot. It grabbed my attention and got me back into reading. In my opinion, the novel shows that the concept of Love is like an onion; multiple-layered and difficult or even impossible to categorise. Although I had a hard time with the writing style and Monique’s storyline in the beginning, I can recommend it, though I must admit that this book has some shortcomings, like the flatness of the characters. My indecision makes it hard to rate this book. I changed the rating multiple times, and I am still not sure if I agree with the it. However, there are only a few books which leave me wondering, philosophising. These books, however, will stay in my memory forever. This novel—or ode to love—surely will.
Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
