Taylor Jenkins Reid

I sette mariti di Evelyn Hugo

"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 in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?"

A Novel

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

bree 🌟

you’re an idealist and a romantic, and you have a beautiful soul. and i wish the world was ready to be the way you see it. …  i love you too much to let you live only for me 

nice

"We can do it," she said. "We can do anything."

Steph Lodico

When you dig just the tiniest bit beneath the surface, everyone’s love life is original and interesting and nuanced and defies any easy definition….Knowing to look for it, knowing there are all different types of great loves out there, is enough for me for now.

Holly

Having lost the battle, I resolved to win the war.

And that’s what I traded my virginity for. A ride to Hollywood.

Look what I do to these poor boys, I thought. And yet also, Here is my value, my power.

“You can be sorry about something and not regret it."

And if I’m being honest, there is something very inspiring about having a black woman running things.

moonstone

When you realize you can tell someone your truth, when you can show yourself to them, when you stand in front of them bare and their response is "You're safe with me" —that's intimacy.

Lindsay

I had learned all too well that pain was sometimes stronger than the need to keep up appearances.

You do not know how fast you have been running, how hard you have been working, how truly exhausted you are until someone stands behind you and says "it's ok, you can fall down now, I'll catch you."

I think the word 'whore' is something ignorant people throw around when have nothing else.

Heartbreak is loss. Divorce is a piece of paper.

People think that intimacy is about sex, but intimacy is about truth. When you realize you can tell someone your truth. When you can show yourself to them. When you can stand in front of them bare, and their response is "you're safe with me". That's intimacy.

But the truth is, praise is just like an addiction. The more you get it, the more you need just to stay even.

If the definition of 'enjoying sex' means that it is pleasurable, then I've had a lot of sex that I didn't enjoy. But if we're defining it as being happy to have made the trade, then, well, I haven't had much I hated.

It just goes to show that if you tell a woman her only skill is to be desirable, she will believe you.

When you're given an opportunity to change your life, be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen. The world doesn't give things, you take things.

tuna

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. "Heartbreaking, yet beautiful" (Jamie Blynn, Us Weekly), The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is "Tinseltown drama at its finest" (Redbook): a mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means--and what it costs--to face the truth.

Maria🌻

You wonder what it must be like to be a man, to be so confident that the final say is yours.

It is the story I am proudest of. I have, more than once, gone home from a day's work here and read that piece again, reminding myself of what I'm capable of, reminding myself of the satisfaction I take in shar- ing the truth, no matter how difficult it may be to swallow.

haylee

maia

envee

** spoiler alert **
           I'm not one to write many reviews or even reviews at all since I struggle to find the words most of the time.
but this book...this book made me feel too much to hold in.

i just finished "the seven husbands of evelyn hugo" a few minutes ago and i find myself crying silent tears. overwhelmed tears of how amazing this book was. it's that kind of book that makes you remember it forever just due to the ammount of emotions it makade you feel, the thoughts it made you think.

even now after reading it, i'm not sure what to think about evelyn hugo and the majestic, scandalous and secretive life she lived. each chapter made me hungry for more, curious about how her next husband would be, how her story progressed. i felt angry at times, not just because majority of the husbands turned out to be assholes but also because evelyn was an incredibly complex character, who was very hard to love sometimes. i felt myself root for celia and her broken heart because evelyn was selfish and too focused on her career, found myself aching for evelyn and her losing her true and greatest love of all. evelyn lost all people dear to her and the tragedy of her life was incredible and heartbreaking to read.

i loved to hate evelyn and adored her in so many ways despite her decisions.
i cried for harry (my fav. husband) and gasped at the revilation of his love towards moniques father. i cried for evelyn's loss of celia, how she died in her arms and sobbed while reading her breakdown. i cried reading about connor's death, gasped for air as she tended to her ill daughter saying: "i kissed her forehead like she was my baby again, because she was forever my baby."
this book touched so many topics in regards of sexuality and also opened up possible discussions about celebrities and to what measures their fame might lead them, making you think about your dearest idols and whether the might've had similar experiences without the public eye knowing. 

there were so many twists and turns, tears and angry eyerolls while reading - rather experiencing - this rollercoaster of a book and it will definetly be one of my most memorable reads.

Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

kait

Incredible, incredible, incredible. Oh, and did I mention this book is absolutely INCREDIBLE? I could talk about this book for hours and I think that every person should experience the powerful force that is Evelyn Hugo. Through this book, we follow the life of movie star actress Evelyn Hugo as she gives one last true account of her experiences before she passes. Writer Monique Grant is given the story and asked to write Hugo's life exactly as she has told it. As we get a firsthand retelling of her life, we discover what it takes to make it to Hollywood, what it meant to Evelyn to become famous, and we finally find out who is actually her one true love. This book pulled at my heartstrings and it is safe to say that I am in love with Evelyn Hugo. The way this book is written and the newspaper clippings that are added make you feel as if you are experiencing her life in real time right as Evelyn does. I know this book is fiction, but it actually feels like this could have happened to someone and like this book had so much thought put into. It definitely paid off and this book is a 6-star read for me.

Rohit Khanduri

"The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" had an unexpected ending, but unfortunately, the book as a whole was a boring read. The characters were unspectacular and lacked depth, making it difficult to feel invested in their stories. While the plot twist was intriguing, it was not enough to redeem the lackluster writing and uninteresting characters.

abby .˚｡⋆ ༊ .˚｡⋆

Udit

if u told me to describe this book in two words id say overhyped and mid.

i love queer stuff and i thought i was biased towards anything thats queer but thank god im not because what the fuck is this. its so heterosexual-ly written. i could not connect to any of the characters at all. i liked harry but i wish reid had explored more of him and evelyn during 40 and 50s/60s. 

also i did not like the prose at all it's just so average like not one line is quote worthy. ive read better fanfics ffs.the whole plot is super predictive.

Lindy B

I'm annoyed because I expected to like this book!

I think part of the problem may come down to expectations: I had been led to believe that The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was a work of serious fiction taking a look at celebrity, aging, relationships, sexuality, the race politics of Old Hollywood and so on, but while maybe it could've been in the hands of a different author, Taylor Jenkins Reid lacks both a historical imagination and the skill to imbue emotional gravitas. As a result, the book is heavy handed and cheesy. Reid chooses to spend three paragraphs explaining a character's actions, when the intent or meaning of those actions are already perfectly clear to the reader. Every time a character opens their mouth to discuss LGBT issues, I cringed because it sounds more like a sixth grader's report for history class than anything someone would have said as they were in the midst of living it. There are scattered nuggets of "wisdom" that I can't take any more seriously than a "live laugh love" wall decal because they sound just like wall decals. The writing generally annoyed me on a sentence to sentence level; at one point a handsome, young, healthy athlete is described as looking "as all-American as a husk of corn." Not an ear of corn, mind you, the husk; that is, the dry papery part, mostly seen in metaphors to describe an elderly person's skin. And the book's just not that deep! I don't understand why it seems like everyone thinks it is!

Fifteen years and an inevitable miniseries later, Evelyn Hugo will probably come to be regarded the way we currently regard Valley of the Dolls: seriously discussed upon its release but remembered strictly for camp value. 

If you want to read historical fiction about celebrity, aging, relationships, sexuality, the race politics of Old Hollywood, etc., read The Air You Breathe. If you want to read a book about a profoundly unlikable actress/Hollywood producer's ex-wife in the 1960s, read Play It as It Lays.

Really enjoyed! Such an easy read and a page turner. Got me out of my reading slump, enjoyed the plottwist

Fumi

TIKTOK SENSATION "Riveting, heart-wrenching, and full of Old Hollywood glamour" BuzzFeed "This wildly addictive journey of a reclusive Hollywood starlet and her tumultuous Tinseltown journey comes with unexpected twists and the most satisfying of drama." PopSugar From the author of Daisy Jones & The Six in which a legendary film actress reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine. 

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. 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a mesmerizing journey through the splendour of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means and what it costs to face the truth.

Tiktok Made Me Buy It!

Teresa Bonifácio

I liked the book, it’s easy to read and it can keep you hooked to it, specially by the end. It took me longer to read it just because life was hectic this month and not because of the book per se.

** spoiler alert **
           let’s go sapphics. i kind of got impatient at first cuz i wanted to skip to the part with evelyncelia in it but reading the while book was an experience. i got so engrossed in reading it and the ending absolutely ruined me for a week straight

Did not see that coming! Enjoyed mostly, perhaps one or two husbands too many 😆

Molly Bridge

Julia

Cried so much. I love this book so much 😭❤️

a compelling story, a compelling love, a compelling career.

Sorin

The entrancing story of a reclusive Hollywood starlet as she reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine – from the bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six. 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? 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 nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways. ‘Come for the glam Old Hollywood vibes; stay for a touching tale of a young reporter and a silver-screen legend.’ Cosmopolitan

Susan

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?

Los Siete Maridos de Evelyn Hugo

la estructura de los personajes como se desenvuelven en la historia, la manera en la que es narrado es muy buena.

puede que no se convierta en mi libro favorito, pero no puedo negar que los siete maridos de evelyn hugo es un libro interesante y con una trama refrescante. al menos yo nunca había leído un libro que se centrara al 100% en desarrollar la vida y los escándalos de una celebridad, y creo que la autora logró escribir un libro divertido, fácil de digerir y novedoso desde mi punto de vista.

creo que mis principales problemas con el libro, y que me hacen darle una puntuación relativamente baja comparada con otras (que de todas maneras, según mi criterio sigue siendo positiva), son dos: la representación racial y la representación de personajes lgbtq+

refiriéndome al primero de estos tópicos: evelyn me parece un personaje latino mal llevado a cabo. es un cliché andante, lo primero que a un no latino puede ocurrírsele: morena, hiper sexualizada, pobre y con una figura paterna violenta. creo que lo que menos me gusta, y quizás sea yo la que este sobre analizando demasiado la situación, es que la "única manera" que tiene evelyn de salir de la pobreza (y ya que vamos al caso, de sobrellevar todos los obstáculos de su vida) es ofrecer su cuerpo como moneda de cambio. ¿y no es ese un mensaje peligroso para ofrecer? ¿creer que la única forma de poder avanzar es ofrecer su cuerpo, en lugar de buscar alternativas? ¿sobre todo siendo una mujer latina? ¿y comenzando incluso cuando sigue siendo una niña? no se ustedes, pero a mi no me gusta para nada. entiendo que el libro busca expresar que la sexualidad de las mujeres debería ser una cosa común, sobre todo en la época en la que se desarrolla el libro, pero en muchos de los casos evelyn no lo hacía para demostrar su propia libertad sexual, sino para superar algún obstáculo de su vida.
y dejando esto de lado, una vez llega al estrellato, la autora decide hacer que evelyn se desarraigue completamente de sus raíces, incluso haciéndola dejar de lado su acento y su apellido. creo que el libro hubiese sido muchísimo más interesante si evelyn hubiese llegado al estrellato como una mujer explícitamente latina. hubiera sido muchísimo más difícil para el personaje, totalmente, pero también sería más realista y mucho más rico en representación racial. en cambio tjr nos dice que si queremos ser famosos hay que hacernos pasar lo más posible por estadounidenses, dejar de lado cualquier cosa que nos pueda relacionar con latinoamérica, y recordar las propias raíces solo cuando es importante para generar drama en la trama.

ahora, hablando de la representación lgbtq+, no me gusta la representación bisexual, sobre todo la bifobia explícita de algunos personajes (ejem, CELIA). entiendo que un poco es por la época, pero ¿en serio es necesario rebajarla a ser una puta solo por gustarle los hombres, e invisibilizar esta parte de su sexualidad solo porque celia no concibe a una mujer bisexual? la necesidad constante de querer hacer pública su sexualidad, cuando evelyn claramente NO ESTÁ DE ACUERDO también me parece horroroso. y el problema es con la bisexualidad, porque de celia y harry no se dice nada en absoluto, más allá de lo esperado por la homofobia típica de la época. anyways, como bisexual yo misma siento que la bisexualidad está un poco sesgada en este libro. eso. y sé que celia al final crece como persona y blah blah blah, y que de por sí nadie es una buena persona en el libro, pero si vamos a hablar pestes del resto de maridos, hablemos también de los OBVIOS problemas de celia con la sexualidad de evelyn y la manipulación implícita que ejerce sobre ella (y no, no estoy diciendo que esto es peor que la violencia física que ejercía don adler, que yo ya sé que van a entender cualquier cosa cuando no me refiero a eso).

y finalizando, si hablamos de los maridos, la verdad es que es interesante pero hasta por ahí, porque al final siempre es lo mismo: evelyn necesita esconder su relación con celia, o bien, volver a la fama, o lo que sea, y para eso se casa con algún boludo despreciable. se vuelve un poco repetitivo, a pesar de que sí, tuvo maridos que no son una completa basura.
en fin, el libro es divertido y rápido de leer, pero teniendo en cuenta todas las cosas (al menos a mi parecer) problemáticas, no podría darle más de tres estrellas así me hubiera encantado la trama.

river

Malia

its just as heartwrenching the second time around.

Salsa

diving into this book thinking i would drool over evelyn hugo but honestly it's just a very good read. super entertained. i really like harry, i think he and i can get along.

elle

i’ve already read this book before (2 years ago) and it still made me cry

Me parece un libro super fácil de leer, te engancha muchísimo y la historia 10/10

Alicia

Isabella 

3.5 

It definitely kept me interested, but I wouldn't say I loved the entirety. The characters are complex, the plot was nice. I enjoyed reading this book, but I wouldn't say I loved it like most people would. The writing was indeed beautiful and addictive, and it had me stunned which is probably why I continued reading this book.

Qonita

** spoiler alert **
           Update 10/10/23: i'll keep the review but i'm not supporting this book anymore because the author's a zionist.

--

Bacanya serasa lagi nonton soap opera x infotainment. But it's much deeper than that. This book is about the pursuit of love, and all kinds of relationships between different people we'll meet in life. Evelyn's life as a star is just light-years apart from mine. It's full of things I can't imagine ever happening in my life. But at the same time, she's also so human with all her feelings and ambitions. She went from just an upcoming teenage celeb to someone I really respect and root for. I especially admire her unshakeable love and loyalty for her people. It's a thing of fantasy. Kinda made me jealous haha, like will I ever love and be loved like that? 

What I found a bit flat was how Evelyn's greatest love of all is almost only about her loving Celia. Celia herself was not characterized well enough to warrant that devotion. She's pretty and fun, but lovely? Idk (excuse my meany ass). I just barely knew anything about her. So rather than seeing and believing the chemistry, I just okayed it at face value since Evelyn said she loved her. I'd love Celia to be more present with her feelings, depth, and charms, but well. I love her friendship with Harry tho. Damn, what a blessing to find so many lifelong allies in this hell hole (jealous lagi). Anw, it's always bitter to follow a person's life from childhood to deathbed. I cried several times. I don't really engage with Monique's storyline, but it's fine. Still plenty entertaining, I enjoyed this a lot.

I sette mariti di Evelyn Hugo

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