“Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn's story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways.”
Much of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a wild trip through Hollywood between the 1950s and well into the 1990s. While Hugo is obviously not a real person (and this somewhat an alternate universe of Hollywood), clearly author Taylor Jenkins-Reid based her movie star hero on other well-known historical movie stars such as Garbo, Tallulah Bankhead, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rita Hayworth. I also found a lot of similarities to Doris Day and her long-time relationship with Rock Hudson.
It’s not perfect and not particularly deep (though it does have a wonderful representation of bi characters that I’ve ever read), but the author did create a compelling book that made me want to turn the pages, to learn about her husband’s and other lovers. I found a lot of the “tabloid” articles particularly unbelievable –though the ones focusing on the 1950s and early 60s may be closer to accurate. The latter ones seemed more National Enquire than People –another words, the language and style changed and yet in this universe, it remains the same.
The twist that comes in the last 40 pages or so reminds of bad soap opera stunts, but I can overlook it because the book is pretty fun. And its themes of what some people do to reach the top in Hollywood, the risks, the loves won and lost, and dark secrets of what remains hidden to be a star are still relevant today.
A worthy, fun beach read, that may have you staying longer at the beach than you wanted.
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