The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book has pretty solid positive reviews. Readers seem to love it. I did not. I found it indulgent. I found Evelyn Hugo self-indulgent. Maybe it's because I had just read The Last Train to London, which was heartbreaking because it was set in Nazi-controlled Europe. Maybe it was because I had to listen to it (audio book) instead of read it because the waiting list is so long at the library - and I knew it wouldn't be the kind of book I would want to buy. Maybe it's because I simply find old and new Hollywood "too much". Actually, I think many "stars" today do a lot more for the underprivileged than those icons of "old Hollywood", but they are still overly privileged and over paid and overly indulgent for the most part. (Yes, there are certainly some exceptions to that.)

I realize that the book addressed some serious topics: biracial racism; domestic abuse; the lack of equality between men and women in pay and power; lack of acceptance for homosexual relationships. So why did Evelyn Hugo's problems come across as "first world problems"? Maybe because she did anything and everything to get to the top. She tried to get other actresses fired who she saw as a threat; she married for clout; she slept around; she was snotty and rude and obnoxious; she married to cover up her true feelings for another woman; she slept with men to manipulate them; she even covered up a fatal accident! It was 400 pages of Evelyn Hugo manipulating people. Do I think she actually loved some people? Yes. She loved her best friend, Harry; her daughter, Connor; and the love of her life, Cecily. Other than that, she loved herself. She actually chose herself over the people she loved many, many times.

The important issues mentioned above, that are still relevant in 2021, were overshadowed by the way it was presented. How can you take the issues seriously if you don't respect the person vocalizing them? If I don't respect the person on the "soap box", than I can't invest myself in the issue. Evelyn lied and cheated and committed a crime! These actions - her actions - detracted from the message she "preached" throughout the book and actually detracted from these very real issues in our world. I honestly can't believe that so many people love this book! Maybe, just maybe, it was the woman on the audio version, who sounded so smug throughout, that didn't allow me to feel sympathy for Evelyn (because I certainly didn't!). Or maybe it was just the writing. I will never know because I will never read this book in print.

Wendy's Rating: ***