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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid takes place in 1950s Old Hollywood and tells the story of actress Evelyn Hugo, a woman who has been in the Hollywood scene since her film debut. Hugo comes from a poor background, but marries the first of her many husbands in order to move to Hollywood and pursue her career. The novel spans over the entirety of Hugo’s life, and revolves around the circumstances surrounding each of her marriages. Hugo is a very secretive person regarding her life, and chooses to stay away from publicity and interviews in her later years. She has planned an auction selling many of her famous dresses that she wore to her various movie premiers. As part of the auction, Hugo agrees to be interviewed by a very specific journalist, Monique Grant. Grant is very unknown and is barely making a start in her career, which makes her an odd contender for the interview. Upon meeting Hugo, Grant is told that she is going to hear every detail of Hugo’s life and marriages and will be able to write a biography, while receiving most of the profits. Hugo makes one thing very clear: Grant will not like Hugo at the end of her story. The reader is left to wonder what Hugo is hiding from Monique and the rest of the world. 

I really loved reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. The entire book was very well written, making me dive into the story and analyze the characters. Hugo is a complex character that makes you understand why some choices have to be made. The circumstances surrounding each of her marriages are so different from each other, and yet make sense each time. I enjoyed how Reid set up the book, separating each husband into different parts. It really showcased Hugo’s ability to adapt and how her circumstances have changed in so little time. It sounds absurd to be married seven times, but every time I saw a new section for a husband, I completely understood why she would move on and remarry. It was entertaining to read about Hugo’s life, but also hard at times. The things she went through to become successful and make a name for herself are things I could never imagine myself doing. I was really able to escape with the book and imagine myself in Hugo’s shoes. 

As I mentioned, Hugo claims that Grant will hate her by the end of hearing her story. I couldn’t imagine ever hating Hugo, especially with everything she began to go through. However, at the end of the novel, I really had to think about her character. It put me into a mental fight with myself, wondering whether it is right or wrong to hate a character that has been through, and done, so much. I really think that’s the point Reid was trying to make. Life isn’t about hate or love, it’s about looking into people’s circumstances and realizing that everything a person has gone through makes up the person as a whole. No one is fully good or fully bad, it is up to each person to evaluate whether someone else will be good or bad for them. Grant had to make a decision about whether Hugo was a good or bad person, and whether she could form a relationship with her. I wasn’t sure what Grant was going to do about the situation Hugo put her in, and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. That might even be the whole point. 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a masterpiece of a book that indeed makes you cry, laugh, and reflect. If you enjoy tropes like forbidden love, right person-wrong time, and maybe even marriage and divorce, you are sure to love this novel. The setting is beautiful, spanning from Old Hollywood to New York, to Paris and other foreign countries. Taylor Jenkins Reid is able to deliver a story that looks to be about a woman who never finds love, but the truth is far from it. 

Check out The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo from the Newport Beach Public Library!