“People don't find it very sympathetic or endearing, a woman who puts herself first.”
I love that precious feeling of being excited to read a book. There are some novels I was on the fence about, things that seemed interesting but took a while to get into, or (admittedly) complete cover buys where I hated almost every second of reading the book, but I couldn't rationalize spending money and then not reading it. Then there are those that grip you so tightly you just have to keep reading.
"The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" was the second type. (Not that I dislike the cover - just sayin'.) I first heard of this book on Instagram - one of the book bloggers I'm following there posted a picture and the title was so intriguing I had to find out more about it. The summary was fabulous, as were the reviews, so of course I had to get my hands on it. And, girl, was that a good decision.
“That's my tragedy. That I used my body when it was all I had, and then I kept using it even when I had other options.”
Monique, like just about everyone, knows who Evelyn Hugo is. She just never thought she'd get to meet her. A journalist in her thirties who has just separated from her husband, and whose career has not exactly panned out as she had planned, Monique works for Vivant magazine. The job may sound glamorous but she is not doing what she wants and often feels she is underutilized.
Evelyn Hugo, a Hollywood icon, is donating some of her most famous dresses to be sold in an auction that will raise money for breast cancer research. Her daughter had died of the disease and this is her way of honoring her and supporting other people who were diagnosed with it. The blond starlet was a sex symbol in the 50s, 60s and 70s and, despite being an accomplished actress with an Oscar win to her name, many people remember her for her numerous marriages. In order to promote the auction she has agreed to an interview with Vivant.
“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.”
Now, Monique is not a senior writer in Vivant, so when Evelyn requests her for the interview, she is all too ready to prove her worth. Her boss is extremely skeptical, but has to consent to Evelyn's wishes if she wants the exclusive story. So, Monique goes into this hoping to find out just something of what lurks beneath the surface, to write about something more than the origin and the meaning of the dresses. What she doesn't expect is the offer that comes from Evelyn - to write not an article, but a book about her life, an authorized tell-all biography that would finally reveal the truth - the good and the bad, the pretty and the ugly. Along the way, while Evelyn reveals shocking stories from her life and career, she also helps Monique discover things about herself.
I found this book incredibly readable. It covers a lot of time and does have perspective shifts. We get the real time conversations Monique has with her editor, with her mother and Evelyn. But Evelyn's stories are told in the first person point of view and we get to experience the life of a Hollywood bombshell firsthand.
“Do yourself a favor and learn how to grab life by the balls, dear. Don't be so tied up trying to do the right thing when the smart thing is so painfully clear.”
Another thing that completely won me over is the characterization. The female characters are strong and have depth. Monique is a smart woman who is stuck in a rut, but finds courage to go out there, to put her livelihood in danger in order to make something greater. Evelyn is a character the likes of which I haven't yet seen. She is a beautiful woman who is aware of her beauty, who uses it in fact, but is not an airhead. She is a smart, calculating woman whose strength is immense, even though not apparent from her appearance.
The seven husbands from the title refer to Evelyn's seven marriages, all of them failed. There is a section of the book for each of these men, and they each have a moniker eg. "Poor Ernie Diaz", "Goddamn Don Adler", "Clever Rex North" etc., in regard to what they meant to Evelyn herself. She has loved some of these men, others were there to create a deflection from other things going on in her life, but all of them were a part of her life and all of them left a mark and helped shape her into a woman who spins her own narrative, who doesn't feel remorse and who knows that her place is at the top.
“You wonder what it must be like to be a man, to be so confident that the final say is yours.”
There is a spin in the end that I won't reveal, because the feeling of finding it out for yourself is not something I'd take away from anyone. The title is a play on that final act and I absolutely loved all of it. In the end this is one of the takeaways from Evelyn herself: “They are just husbands. I am Evelyn Hugo.”
