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“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a glamorous and emotionally devastating book about love, fame, and sacrifice in Old Hollywood.
The novel focuses on, unsurprisingly, Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo as she gives a green journalist a tell-all of her infamous life. The novel covers the span of Evelyn’s seven marriages, focusing much of its attention on her efforts to navigate and protect her secret relationship with fellow actress Celia St. James.
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” is Reid’s fifth publication, and the fame from the novel becomes the framework for every book she writes after. Today, her novels follow a standout woman in her field of work, often exploring ambition, celebrity, and the cost of success.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its flawed cast of characters. Each character is driven by their personal motives to further their success, and no character is purely good or evil. Evelyn herself is extremely calculating, often making ruthless decisions to protect her name or her job.
Celia St. James, who comes into the novel as Evelyn’s professional rival, is a beautiful and at times frustrating character. While her love for Evelyn is undeniable, Celia’s insecurity and jealousy repeatedly strain the pair’s relationship. The tension between the two actresses feels real and messy, showcasing Reid’s ability to write a complicated love story rather than a fairy tale romance.
I found the bisexual representation in the novel to be wonderfully done. Reid does not shy away from LGBTQ+ history; instead, she weaves it into the history of Hollywood’s golden age. Through Evelyn and Celia’s relationship, we see the pressure queer celebrities faced to hide their relationship from the public.
Of course, I can’t cover this novel without mentioning the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and let it not be understated how infuriating some of these men are. While every husband stands out in their own way, Harry Cameron, Don Adler, and Mick Riva are memorable characters. Reid uses each of Evelyn’s marriages as a way to separate the book into seven parts, with every relationship marking a distinct era in Evelyn’s life and career.
One impressive and welcome addition to the novel is Reid’s use of a newspaper column in between the chapters. Through these third-person perspectives, readers see how the world perceives Evelyn.
Emotionally, the book is devastating. Reid does not hold back when it comes to character deaths, particularly sudden or shocking losses. Similar to her other novels, the emotional payoff in the final few chapters is overwhelming.
For readers who enjoyed Reid’s writing, “Carrie Soto is Back,” “Daisy Jones and the Six,” and “Malibu Rising” are standout titles by the author. The latter specifically is set in the same fictional universe as “Seven Husbands,” and follows the Riva family.
If you loved the glamour, fast-paced city, and public lifestyle, “City of Girls” by Elizabeth Gilbert is perfect. Set in New York City in the 1940s, the novel follows Vivian, a woman who leaves college to work at her aunt’s struggling Midtown theater. Like Evelyn, Vivian navigates sexuality, ambition, and scandal while she learns how to be herself.
Rating: 5/5 Spinnaker Sails.
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