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A review by molly_blackburn
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
5.0
The longer I sit and think about this book the better it gets. I really enjoyed the interview style/dual timeline delivery and also all of the really important themes and subjects the story covers!
This story is heart-wrenching, legendary and full of so much love! I adored the themes of love and friendship the most, particularly Evelyn and Harry's relationship. Reading the sacrifices she had made to make it at any cost was brutal. However, the overarching theme regarding the purpose of the life we are given, what we do with it and living with the choices we have made was really poignant. All of the characters became real people to me while reading, they were all so complex and flawed Not a single part of the book felt boring,
The story itself can only be described as epic, pulling back the curtain to show the reality of being an actress during the Hollywood Renaissance. Behind all the glitz and glamour, Evelyn shows the dark, cruel and petty reality of being a woman in a world where men hold the power. Later in the story the topic of gay rights really hit home that it was not that long ago people had to hide who they truly were purely because of who they loved in the USA. Honestly, it's hard to keep this spoiler-free, but some scenes were guttering. I cried a lot towards the end.
I read via audiobook and while it was a slower start, I highly recommend it. I found the second half flew by in comparison as we started to get reveal after reveal about Evelyn's epic life story. As the story was nearing the end I was nervous as to how it would conclude but I thought the ending was excellent.
The only other Tayor Jenkins Reid I have read is Daisy Jones & The Six which is also told in an interview/memoir style and I loved both. TJR is an expert storyteller, her ability to keep drip-feeding you information yet still surprise you is elite. The format of having the past narrated to the reader through present-day interview sessions was great and really suited an audiobook listen. The narration was fabulous! The descriptions of the book are so vivid, that I could clearly see scenes in my mind playing out.
This story is heart-wrenching, legendary and full of so much love! I adored the themes of love and friendship the most, particularly Evelyn and Harry's relationship. Reading the sacrifices she had made to make it at any cost was brutal. However, the overarching theme regarding the purpose of the life we are given, what we do with it and living with the choices we have made was really poignant. All of the characters became real people to me while reading, they were all so complex and flawed Not a single part of the book felt boring,
The story itself can only be described as epic, pulling back the curtain to show the reality of being an actress during the Hollywood Renaissance. Behind all the glitz and glamour, Evelyn shows the dark, cruel and petty reality of being a woman in a world where men hold the power. Later in the story the topic of gay rights really hit home that it was not that long ago people had to hide who they truly were purely because of who they loved in the USA. Honestly, it's hard to keep this spoiler-free, but some scenes were guttering. I cried a lot towards the end.
I read via audiobook and while it was a slower start, I highly recommend it. I found the second half flew by in comparison as we started to get reveal after reveal about Evelyn's epic life story. As the story was nearing the end I was nervous as to how it would conclude but I thought the ending was excellent.
The only other Tayor Jenkins Reid I have read is Daisy Jones & The Six which is also told in an interview/memoir style and I loved both. TJR is an expert storyteller, her ability to keep drip-feeding you information yet still surprise you is elite. The format of having the past narrated to the reader through present-day interview sessions was great and really suited an audiobook listen. The narration was fabulous! The descriptions of the book are so vivid, that I could clearly see scenes in my mind playing out.