I have heard about this book for the past couple of years. I wanted to go back to read it because outside of Daisy Jones and the Six (audio version) I haven’t been able to get into Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books that much. I think my main problem is that with a lot of her work, when she’s writing about people of color, it just feels off in a way. I also thought that the greatest love of Evelyn’s life was self absorbed and manipulative. I could not cheer on that relationship because the way that things came about, it made it seem like for Evelyn to prove her love, she had to give up everything. The writing was lacking in some places. We hear about historic events like Stonewall but it just feels shoved in and not brought about organically. The flow was pretty good throughout the book though. I have to say that secret/reveal I saw coming a mile away and then just shook my head. It made no sense why things were done that way except drama and I just rolled my eyes about it.
Hollywood actress Evelyn Hugo plans on auctioning off some of her famous gowns for breast cancer research. She has also decided to be interviewed and picks Monique Grant to do it. Monique and her editor are shocked because she’s still fairly new to the business and there are bigger names out there that would make sense to interview Evelyn. However, if Monique doesn’t do the interview, then Evelyn refuses to be interviewed by anyone else. With that, Monique starts making trips to Evelyn’s apartment in New York where she is told Evelyn’s real history coming out of Hell’s Kitchen and how she got to Hollywood and started acting. She also provides information on her seven husbands.
The character of Evelyn was very developed, but her seeming to think that Evelyn who was Cuban would somehow be ushered in with open arms in Hollywood in the 1950s felt weird. Evelyn’s story doesn’t even think/center racism in Hollywood and all we hear about her is how big a chest she had, her brown skin, and her blond hair with brown eyebrows. I can picture her, but it’s not flattering. I just assume that Evelyn is a white Cuban because otherwise my head aches if I think about that part of her story too long. I think I was mostly disappointed because all we hear is how many men fell all over themselves to be seen with her. She seems to show no self awareness about other actors of color in Hollywood at the time and the struggles they went through. There’s a random mention of Martin Luther King Jr. later in the book and I went what. Also, the main relationship in this book to me was not romantic. I really wanted Evelyn to get over this person, because that person refused to acknowledge all sides to Evelyn. The relationship just screamed toxic. And the arrangement in the book later had me going good God what if you just want to be done with the person? It just seemed like a lot and none of it seemed great.
Monique. Good grief. Her entire character was not even important except for the end/reveal. Jenkins Reid doesn’t do much with her besides let us know she’s biracial and she says some stuff about not being black enough according to other black people. And I really wanted to ask this woman if she even had black friends. Her saying that her father’s family never reached out because of her mother’s whiteness didn’t make a lot of sense. I can say one thing about Black people, we make sure family knows it’s family. Her marriage to her estranged husband David was boring as anything.
The other characters in this book, Harry, Cecelia, Ruby, and others were developed very well I thought.
The writing when solid, no complaints, and the flow was good throughout. I just think a lot of things did not resonate with me at all.
The book’s setting is Hollywood from the 1950s through the 1980s and then to the present day (2017). I think I was disappointed that there is not a lot of real history in the depiction of Hollywood back then except for a few things here and there. I am just always baffled when authors will throw in enough details for you to know this book is supposed to take place in our time/place but then they don’t talk about things that were happening back then. For example, Evelyn doesn’t mention television at all I think in this book. Hollywood started to wane in the 1950s mostly because of the television. Hollywood was also getting attacked during this time period by Senator Joseph McCarthy. I am stunned that didn’t come up at all. But then it’s brought up how the studios have started to fall. I was surprised that was brought up and then not elaborated on. Same thing with a character saying they would be thought to be immoral, locked up, etc. I just wish the history of Hollywood was woven in the story in a better way.
The ending reveal I thought was lame though. It was not necessary and I just sighed about it being done. I knew it was coming because of the hints along the way. But it made very little sense and I thought how that whole thing was left unresolved was a cop out.
