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Seven Husbands, Hundred Troubles: Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo


One cannot argue that Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a page turner. But does it go beyond that?

Evelyn Hugo: a home wrecker, bomb shell, an extra ordinary woman.  Coming from a slum in Cuba, from nowhere, with no one supporting her, still managed to get on top of the mountain of fame in Hollywood. 

She’s now old but still beautiful and elegant, her wild years long gone. She decides to tell the world all about her life, the seven husbands, all the troubles and why’s – and she picks a no-name journalist for this to-kill-for task. Honestly, why does Evelyn Hugo picks an unknown journalist to get her life story out? The world is hungry to know and the reader will be as well!

I must say the first few chapters of this book were fast and addictive, but after one point I started to think, does Evelyn really need 7 husbands to get the book set up? Reading about Husband 1 and 2 were gripping, but somewhere after the 4th one I started to get a bit bored. Some messages in the book were sharp and effective, but some were so in your face and repetitive. Don’t get me wrong, I liked this, but I am a picky reader and can’t stop thinking that the bond between Harry and Evelyn was a bit “because it had to be so”. How their relationship evolved and developed wasn’t very detailed, so as most of the characters except Evelyn. She is hot-tempered, head strong, determined but the other people in this book are not as strong and well developed. Maybe it’s this Historical/romance genre I am not a fan of, but there are a lot of 5 stars for this book and I was just thinking it could have been better.

I would definitely read from Jenkins Reid again, and would love to watch this one on the screen. It will make a good TV series!

 

 

11 comments

  1. “One cannot argue that Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a page turner. But does it go beyond that?” This is awesome! Because that’s exactly what it is. You summarised all I wanted to say about the novel in one phrase. (I eventually said it in many more, of course)
    Yes, it’s shiny, and beautiful, and gripping. And isn’t Evelyn just stunning in all those dresses, and the movies scenes, and gosh just the pure charisma of hers! But so many others are just cardboard dummies, flat, obvious, uninteresting. Why was the daughter there in the book, did you get it? What a pitiful role for a character, to appear in a book and influence nothing.
    But then indeed it’s a true page turner. You open the book and for a day you are gone! It’s easy to read, it’s easy to imagine. I do understand why people love it, and you are right, it would make a great TV show or a movie.

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      • Did you feel that it was highlighted? I was really waiting for some role of the daughter, something meaningful for her to say or to do, but she was so unneeded for the plot, I felt sad for her. Do you remember the moment when she’s playing on the playground while something important is being discussed and she never pops up in that discussion! Even though she’s just there, in front of them! As if even other characters were not sure why she’s there, and what to do with her.

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  2. I got kinda excited about this one recently, after seeing so many nice reviews.
    Now I’m back to reality a bit, hehe 😀 This is not a genre i’d usually read and when it first came out, i totes dismissed it. I’m still kind of curious, but it’s not so pressing to read this ASAP 😀

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  3. I enjoyed it for how complex and also quite unlikeable Evelyn was. She knew she used people but she owned it, she didn’t try to come up with excuses. I also appreciated how it addresses what a success actually is – I.e. Evelyn gave up who she was, and the person she loved, for ‘fame’.. something, she later on regretted as her definiton of a success has changed in the end. I could be wrong, that’s just what I saw in it… 😊

    But to your point, the amount of husbands was a bit excessive / somehow pointless and there were other issues as well.

    Great review Ova! 👌😊

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    • Thanks Vera! I agree your points as well. I think for me, this book was an enjoyable read but I disagree with some of the praise this book had, definitely not a literary book for me but a fast paced page turner I’d say

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