Loosely based on the life of Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Evelyn Hugo is a big breasted beauty from Hell’s Kitchen. Escaping a life of penury with her alcoholic father, she’s desperate to fulfill her late mother’s dream of movie stardom. Having little to no acting ability, but tons of ambition, she lies, cheats, spreads her legs, and uses people to an Oscar win. Evelyn is a complex character playing the hand dealt to her, deeply aware of flaws she never claims to be a saint, but a survivor. Willing to do whatever it takes, she changes her identity, discarding her Hispanic roots to fit into overtly racist Old Hollywood. Now, at the end of her life, she decides to spill all her secrets to a relatively unknown writer. Evelyn gives Monique Grant the rights to her life story via memoir, to the confusion of all. Why Monique?
The chapters are titled by each husband, but which was the love of her life? This book deals with: sexism, sexuality, identity, family, death and time. Time wasted, time spent, time you can never get back.
On GOD this book is worth ALL the hype. Evelyn Hugo is such a phenomenal character, she jumps off the page right into your heart. One of the most memorable, well written protagonist ever. Finishing the book made me miss her. I’m trying to write this in a manner that gives nothing away, but it doesn’t do the story justice. Taylor Jenkins Reid is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. Read this book, it’s epic. Via: The_Booktrovert_Artist
.
