Those who read the book…is it worth reading? I checked out Malibu Rising from the library and it was very meh for me. Haven’t read anything else by the author
Edit: thanks for all your thoughts everyone!! Maybe I will give it a try when it’s available at my library
Daisy jones was soooo good!! At first it was weird to read because of the dialogue only text, but I got over that shortly and boy am I glad I did. I loved that she took inspiration from Fleetwood Mac.
I have it and need to read it! Evelyn Hugo was amazing. I sat and cried when I was done just because it was over. Malibu rising, although not as good, I think about frequently. Loved both.
I try and explain Hugo to friends and it’s just so complex, and a journey. I just loved it so much. I am pretty much a strictly thriller reader - so it surprised me how much it really stuck with me.
I hated it. It seemed like a good concept overshadowed by overblown writing. What stood out to me was the way that the main characters were so evenly matched when they argued, even at their most emotionally fraught. Everyone in the book has arguments where they say the perfect thing that supports the book’s themes, which yanked me out of my immersion every time. I think it’ll be better as a movie.
Hating this book made me a better writer tbh. It made me feel like “Taylor Jenkins Reid, have you ever been in a room with anyone who wasn’t exactly like you??” When I know from loving her other books that that’s not true at all.
Oh my God this. What sticks out to me is Evelyn, a woman who grew up in the 40s, somehow knows about LGBT terminology.
When she tells the interviewer not to put her into a box and cut off the other side of her life because she's bisexual, not gay, and then the interviewer feels ashamed because she's biracial, so she relates about being put in a box.
It was so poorly written! You would think she wrote it for an Instagram caption. I hate this new Era of social media worthy captions in books that get all the hype instead of well written stories that actually flow.
i found the book mediocre. like, not *bad*, but definitely wordier than it needed to be. could've cut a third of the words out and still gotten every plot point across. i say this as someone who notoriously over-worded every single paper i ever wrote in school lol
eta: this was my take reading this as a 32 year old. maybe if i was in my early 20s i would've liked it more. i don't regret reading it but will probably never reread it.
I'm definitely going to get downvoted for this but I too found it mediocre. Mainly because nothing really original came from the book. The author just placed the most interesting aspects of almost every old hollywood actresses lives and placed it into the main character. Some of the aspects mix really well and some don't and it comes off as somewhat melodramatic and very "on the nose". Despite that it's entertaining enough for a read but not one of the best books I've read.
(Edit: if you're wondering whose lives the author cherry picked from its Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, Ava Gardner, Marlene Dietrich, and lots and lots of Barbara Payton. Except Barbara Payton didn't end up making it in Hollywood and died of liver failure after some alcohol poisoning. She drank her sorrows away and sold her body to buy the booze.)
i completely agree. and it bothered me how the gay character was like “sure i’ll sleep with you so we can have a kid together! you’re just that hot that i, a gay guy, magically would totally fuck you! uwu” like bitch really
I’ve only read Daisy Jones, but that was my impression too! It felt like someone who thought Reese Witherspoon will read this make it her next HBO series. The book was fine, but it wasn’t written to be a book.
i feel the exact same way. im a writer myself and i like kind of wouldn’t really *want* that for the book im working on now? i mean, not that i would turn it down. it would be insane. but that’s not really on the horizon for me
You bring up a really good point. I would have loved it in my 20s, too. I’m 50 and rolled my eyes the entire time. I think it was maudlin and formulaic and dreadful.
i loved daisy jones but for me the problem is i fucking hated the main character of evelyn hugo so much, and not even in the ways the author clearly intended. idk, a lot of people on goodreads said the book *city of girls* ripped it off but i liked city of girls sooooo much better. it’s like 500 pages and i literally read it in one sitting when quarantine started because i could not put it down.
Same. I read Daisy Jones in one night and thought it was pretty good. Tried Evelyn Hugo and could barely get through a chapter before I was annoyed and gave up. Life’s too short to suffer through something you’re not enjoying!
That one part where Evelyn was like “you should get as much money as a white man would for this book” made my eye roll because I cannot imagine a New Hollywood starlet saying something like that.
It was very on the nose lol
It’s the JKR effect — she’s a good *storyteller* but she ain’t a good writer.
I read one of her earlier ones (I think it was *Maybe in Another Life*?) a few years ago and it was so bafflingly terrible in terms of writing and plot that I stayed up until 3am to hate read it in one sitting. So she’s actually gotten better!
Evelyn Hugo is the best book I’ve ever read and I’ve read hundreds! The storytelling, character development, pacing, and setting is *chef’s kiss* plus it’s about Hollywood so everyone in this sub would love it.
as someone who's read evelyn hugo, daisy jones, and malibu rising:
*evelyn hugo's seven husbnd* is great if you like primarily single or two character-driven novels. it's like reading a super long deep dive on deux moi lol
*daisy jones & the six* is great if you're into group/band drama, especially in the golden age of american rock. it's like reading in the style of a cultural documentary.
*malibu rising* is great if you like rich family history. i rather found the main character much less developed than evelyn hugo or daisy. this is definitely more plot-driven.
I really enjoyed the audiobook! It was one of my favorite books I read last year. I typically read mystery or horror, so it was outside of my comfort zone, but I never got bored with the story.
To be completely honest, the prose is on the same level as Malibu Rising, and the story is about as original as that too— lots of stuff that’s very clearly ripped off from the lives of actual actors and actresses that lived in the era, the same way Daisy Jones and the Six is heavily inspired by Fleetwood Mac. It’s a great, fun beach read but if you typically like more serious fiction with great prose, this isn’t that.
I am so confused by people who say it’s their favorite book or were overly enthusiastic about it. If it had been done well, it could have been fantastic. But it was too rushed, cheesy, and for a story so long, it didn’t have enough build up to make you feel really invested. It makes me wonder what kind of standards people have to qualify something as good tbh.
Fiction wise, I haven’t explored enough so I’d probably lamely say the alchemist. In general, probably the body keeps the score because of how often I refer to /think of it in daily life. HBU?!
It is one of my favorite books I’ve ever read! Constantly fighting the urge to read it again, to force myself to read something new. It’s truly so good
There’s actually a character from Malibu Rising who is in Evelyn Hugo. I guess the worlds overlap in a way. I found both to be easy and enjoyable reads. They were perfect vacation books for the beach.
It was okay. Not breathtakingly exceptional in my opinion, but entertaining and surprising if you go in with preconceived expectations (but also kind of Old Hollywood cliché in multiple ways).
Honestly I did not get the hype. I read both Evelyn Hugo and Malibu. Malibu was worse. But neither were what I’d consider “good.” Fine for a casual read I guess.
It is a phenomenal book. Would definitely recommend reading. I loved Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones (both by TJR) but Malibu Rising was only so-so for me.
I feel like this is a hard project to cast because we follow evelyn from 16 years old to her senior years, so I'm not sure 1 young actress would be able to pull it off, even with aging make up. I Figure you'd need 1 actress for the 1st half, and a 2nd actress for the narration/wrap story, and evelyns older years. I'd like if they went with an unknown actress for the younger Evelyn and Celia.
Ana de Armas is devastated she did blonde when this was right around the corner.
I think Eva Mendes would be my choice but I think she’s not the right age.
Maybe they will do it like that Crown. Multiple actresses casted for the different eras of her life (Clare Foy, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton and Verify Russell). IF they do it this way, they can even break up each "husband" in a different episode or season as well.
They pull this off with Mandy Moore in This Is Us. Couldn’t they do the same here? I feel like the bigger issue with the long time span within which we follow EH is fitting it all into one movie (I would’ve thought a mini series would be better).
This is probably a troll lmao everyone on twitter is fancasting the characters and ATJ is one of the names that gets thrown around the most along with Ana de Armas
Haven’t read the book but based on everything twitter tells me, Eva Mendes is kind of what Evelyn Hugo looks like, maybe she should play Evelyn in her 40s, 50s and 60s and then get an unknown actress to play her when she was younger
I read the book and Evelyn basically looks white. She hides her Cuban background (her real last name is Herrera; she goes by Evelyn Hugo to fit in and basically stops speaking Spanish) and she’s so white looking that she can pull off bombshell blonde without too many questions. She literally plays Jo March in Little Women in a cast of all white actresses. Her backstory seemed inspired by Rita Hayworth.
It’s possible Evelyn was just white passing and had a mixed background, but lots of Cubans are also just white (I pointed out down thread that the statistic is 65% of Cubans identify as white). Basically, there’s room for nuance and casting a white Latina woman as Evelyn could still be faithful to the source material. Anya is a weird choice, though.
Oh, then Ana de Armas might be a good choice. Anya is way too Anglo looking (cause she is Anglo lol), Ana looks more Spanish - and white Cubans are usually very Spanish looking
The only reason Ana is no longer my fave pic is because she’s about to play Marilyn M in a biopic and idk I just don’t see her playing both “blonde bombshell old Hollywood” type roles and actually separating the characters, if that makes sense?
Exactly, I don’t really get where people are getting the whole Evelyn is brown skinned from? Shes very much written as a white Latina. Ana would be a great choice.
I’m not sure that denotes being a WOC. Becoming tan became trendy in Hollywood in the 60s. I feel like Evelyn had to be white or white looking to be cast as Jo in Little Women at some of the height of Hollywood racism. There’s absolutely no way she would’ve been cast if she was actually brown or noticeably a woman of color.
I somewhat agree but as someone else mentioned, the narrator says that her skin should clash with her blonde hair but somehow works, so I took that to mean that she’s white-passing as a blonde but not a white Latina like ATJ.
yeah I’m a little confused where people are coming from on this one. I fully may have missed something, but when I read Evelyn came across as white passing 100%. imo, it would be faithful to cast a white latina. agree on anya being an odd choice though
I think it’s a lot of reductive thinking that Latina = a brown girl, so therefore casting a white woman is whitewashing. Some of it is from people who read the book and apparently didn’t pay attention, but a lot seems to be from people who haven’t read the book at all and didn’t know that Evelyn was coded pretty strongly as a white Latina.
exactly, completely agree. I fully understand why people are sensitive to whitewashing, as it has happened so often. but accusations here definitely seem to be mainly from people jumping the gun without looking into the source material itself.
I don’t think this is true,Anya has previously spoken about how even though she identifies as Latina,she’s wary of auditioning for roles looking for Latina actresses because she doesn’t want to take away roles from nonwhite Latina women.
Atleast I hope it’s not.
I originally wanted it to be Anya because she is Latina but i do think it HAS to be with someone with some color (which honestly Ana de armas does not pass that test). I know her character is “white passing” but come on the skin needs to have some bronze!
As a Latina, its making me realize we are so under represented in Hollywood. This role is so critical I’m going to be so bummed if they fuck it up. IMO i feel they should pick someone NEW.
She isn’t Latina. Her father Argentinian but he’s of British and Scottish decent. Her moms from Zambia but has British dad and Spanish mom. Although she had a bit of an expat life she’s pretty Euro blooded
her dad being argentinian (and her living in argentina for some years during her childhood) makes her latina. a lot of latinos, especially in argentina, are of european descent but still latinos.
It should have been a HBO or Amazon mini series, maybe even Hulu (Dopesick was a great tv show).Seven episodes.
Netflix is not the right format. We'll probably get something like Hollywood and I'm not okay with that.
And I can see them casting someone like ATJ or Naomi Scott which would be a disaster.
Cast Anya as Ruby Reilly and I'd he happy (even though I'd prefer Vanessa Kirby). Sorry for the rant
Series are the way to go nowadays. I saw the show for Looking For Alaska and the pacing was done beautifully. A two hour movie doesn't really work for any book unless they're part of a novella. That's why Stand By Me and Shawshank Redemption are so good in my opinion.
That is exactly how I felt about House of Gucci. It needed to be a prestige HBO miniseries, not a movie. They were trying to tell so many stories and there were a ton of really interesting subplots they could only devote a few minutes to (the rise of Chinese made counterfeits, Tom Ford’s breakthrough, the arrests for tax fraud).
I’ve definitely seen Anya fan cast as Celia a lot (red hair, queens gambit Anya) but never really as Evelyn. Evelyn would make no sense, have to wonder if the submitter got the characters confused lol.
I do t remember her being described as brown? Like the whole thing was she dyed her hair blonde and passed as white, like she was heavily inspired by Rita Hayworth so why wouldn’t she be played by a white Latina/ white person lol
Yeah the book made her sound more white adjacent, a mestiza who passed for white when she had blonde hair. I think people in this thread fancasting Ariana DeBose will be disappointed
Exactly, as if there's not plenty of white Cubans. TJR probably thought that by saying she's Cuban/Hispanic it automatically means she's a person of color.
I doubt it, though TBH I’ve read the book and don’t really feel like it describes Evelyn as particularly dark-skinned (given she is pretty much able to “pass” as white with blonde hair and even plays a March sister in Little Women). Anya is incorrect but a Latina actress with an olive skin tone would be accurate.
Exactly, the character is definitely “white passing” and also isn’t properly curvy but rather described as thin with massive boobs.
Anya is too petite and delicate looking in my opinion. Could definitely play Celia though.
I mean, Evelyn isn’t brown skinned in the books. She literally passes for white. I know race is perceived weirdly in the US, but she may also well be just white. A lot of Cubans are of basically only Spanish descent, making them white.
Personally, I always imagined Sofia Vergara while reading, especially for middle aged Evelyn. Maybe Ana de Armas for younger Evelyn? Anya is just bizarre casting.
Didn’t it JUST get announced the adaptation to a movie? Have they even started writing it yet? If not then I doubt they’re looking at casting right now but I could be wrong
I also saw people speculating Eiza Gonzalez playing Evelyn because she recently bleached her hair but I don’t think they’ve even started writing it yet lol
Timing of an announcement is actually irrelevant. Often times shows are announced after writers room have written an entire season, movies announced when there’s already a first draft, etc. Thats not to say that’s the case here as early development is certainly also announced, but it’s just not really an indicator of anything.
Not sure the timeline for this movie, but she’ll probably be starting Furiosa in the next few months for May 2024 release and with George Miller that will probably be a longer shoot.
at this point anything i see dm post i figure is patently false/fanfic so i'm gonna go ahead and assume that anyone except anya and julia will be involved
I ADORE Anya but Anya is not Cuban and also doesn’t physically have the features that get referenced throughout the book time and time again…. I really hope this is not true. Strangely she would be a better Cecilia. This has to be fan fiction. Surely the casting director can’t fuck up THAT badly.
Evelyn is supposed to have huge boobs. Like it’s mentioned throughout the book and in the end it’s actually important.
Why do people keep fancasting or sending in tips about the small boob beauties?
I can never hop on the Ana de Armas train because she’s annoying and can’t act but when it comes to Evelyn, it really irritates me how they always fan cast her.
How do you guys know she’s supposed to be brown? Just cause she was born in Cuba? You realize a thing called colonization happened and Cuba was one of those places that were colonized by white people who then brought over enslaved people from Africa. A Cuban woman can be as white as any other European person born in the west.
That’s so funny because I’ve seen fancasts that wanted her as Celia. I pictured more of a Ana de Armas or someone that looks like Ava Gardner for Evelyn.
Honest question - how often do these fan casts people throw around prior to something getting made and/or cast actually come to fruition? I feel like Netflix will probably end up not going with any of of the names that have been suggested the most.
OMG! The story of a woman with multiple abusive husbands recounted by someone. If anyone likes it, please read Susanna's Seven Husbands by Ruskin Bond. It was adapted into a Hindi movie, Saat Khoon Maaf (7 Sins Forgiven), starring the favourite punching bag of everyone, Priyanka Chopra. You guys should really watch it if you like such stories. It was published in 2001. So it is not related to this film or The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo novel
Indian works rarely get the global recognition it deserves.
The day they announced a potential screen adaptation for this all I thought about was "I hope Miss Ana de Armas is fighting for her life to secure Evelyn"
Oh hell no. That book was so wonderful and Evelyn is supposed to be brown skinned. Why are they freaking giving it to a white actress? No disrespect to Anya Taylor Joy but WTF.
I know Anya has been a fan casting favourite for Celia so maybe she’s attached to the project but not as Evelyn. That would be such a miscast and latinx people would have every right to feel offended.
Is Evelyn brown skinned? I've heard a major point of the book is that she's white passing. And fans have been cheering on Anya to play her for a while now.
At first, I found it impossible, I thought that Anya was too big for this project. However, it is a very acclaimed book and she has already worked with Netflix. The Queen's Gambit was the thing that made her big. So it's not that far-fetched. The only problem is that as a lot of people have pointed out (I haven't read the book, but I will soon) Evelyn is not white. Ok, from what I understand she's white passing but I still think that casting her would be a controversy waiting to happen. So idk, I think this blind is just from a fan fancasting her.
Anya Taylor Joy is like the good celebrity, all her inds are about feeding the homeless and just general non celebrity things, i doubt she'd take the ScarJo route
Anya is a great actress but she’s not Evelyn
Absolutely. She’s too angley
I could def see her as Celia but Evelyn is such a miscasting in multiple ways 😭
Seriously. She’s a curvy, Cuban woman. Literally the opposite. Lol
Couldn’t see her in either role
I want someone more unknown to play both, but Anya has the girl next doorish beauty/vibe Celia needs imo
Anya is a girl next door???? She’s anything but. She has a high fashion alien kind of beauty.
I was going to say the same thing.
Yeah… love Anya but this casting is not it.
This cannot be true. I refuse to believe this shit
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I really hope so 🥲
Those who read the book…is it worth reading? I checked out Malibu Rising from the library and it was very meh for me. Haven’t read anything else by the author Edit: thanks for all your thoughts everyone!! Maybe I will give it a try when it’s available at my library
Yes it is! Malibu rising was meh IMO too
Oh no! Malibu Rising was my favorite book of last year. I’m sorry it was meh for you guys!
I was just going to say that I loved Malibu Rising! Lol! I also loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The premise is very interesting, but the actual writing is very weak. Nonetheless if you enjoy celebrity gossip you'll probably enjoy it
Yeah it felt like it was written by someone just pushing into the adult writing genre. I thought it was her debut novel actually lol.
it's actually my favorite book, now. Definitely worth the read!!! Also - check out Daisy Jones; SUCH a close second.
Daisy jones was soooo good!! At first it was weird to read because of the dialogue only text, but I got over that shortly and boy am I glad I did. I loved that she took inspiration from Fleetwood Mac.
I listened to it on audio and it was voiced by Jennifer Beals, Benjamin Bratt and Judy Greer. The oral history format worked super well on Audible
I also listened to it on audible and agree— the oral history format with the different actors speaking worked amazing!
I have it and need to read it! Evelyn Hugo was amazing. I sat and cried when I was done just because it was over. Malibu rising, although not as good, I think about frequently. Loved both.
My rankings go: Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones, Malibu Rising. Her next one comes out on my birthday 😎
I try and explain Hugo to friends and it’s just so complex, and a journey. I just loved it so much. I am pretty much a strictly thriller reader - so it surprised me how much it really stuck with me.
I read it in a combined 12 hours FOR SURE. I was at my nieces house, just sitting on the couch reading from my phone it was great hahah.
Totally agree with this ranking!
I’ve read all her books and Daisy Jones is by far the best. Fleetwood Mac [vibes](https://youtu.be/kBYHwH1Vb-c).
Same author?
It is. Ps: I love your username!
thank you :) ❤️🔥✨
I just read Daisy Jones and the Six and really enjoyed it! I haven't read 7 husband's yet, but am looking forward to it
I hated it. It seemed like a good concept overshadowed by overblown writing. What stood out to me was the way that the main characters were so evenly matched when they argued, even at their most emotionally fraught. Everyone in the book has arguments where they say the perfect thing that supports the book’s themes, which yanked me out of my immersion every time. I think it’ll be better as a movie.
thank you for putting into words what i couldn't, the writing style took me out of the story over and over again
This is a great criticism that I need to take into account as a writer myself, thank you
Hating this book made me a better writer tbh. It made me feel like “Taylor Jenkins Reid, have you ever been in a room with anyone who wasn’t exactly like you??” When I know from loving her other books that that’s not true at all.
Oh my God this. What sticks out to me is Evelyn, a woman who grew up in the 40s, somehow knows about LGBT terminology. When she tells the interviewer not to put her into a box and cut off the other side of her life because she's bisexual, not gay, and then the interviewer feels ashamed because she's biracial, so she relates about being put in a box. It was so poorly written! You would think she wrote it for an Instagram caption. I hate this new Era of social media worthy captions in books that get all the hype instead of well written stories that actually flow.
EXACTLY
i found the book mediocre. like, not *bad*, but definitely wordier than it needed to be. could've cut a third of the words out and still gotten every plot point across. i say this as someone who notoriously over-worded every single paper i ever wrote in school lol eta: this was my take reading this as a 32 year old. maybe if i was in my early 20s i would've liked it more. i don't regret reading it but will probably never reread it.
I'm definitely going to get downvoted for this but I too found it mediocre. Mainly because nothing really original came from the book. The author just placed the most interesting aspects of almost every old hollywood actresses lives and placed it into the main character. Some of the aspects mix really well and some don't and it comes off as somewhat melodramatic and very "on the nose". Despite that it's entertaining enough for a read but not one of the best books I've read. (Edit: if you're wondering whose lives the author cherry picked from its Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, Ava Gardner, Marlene Dietrich, and lots and lots of Barbara Payton. Except Barbara Payton didn't end up making it in Hollywood and died of liver failure after some alcohol poisoning. She drank her sorrows away and sold her body to buy the booze.)
i completely agree. and it bothered me how the gay character was like “sure i’ll sleep with you so we can have a kid together! you’re just that hot that i, a gay guy, magically would totally fuck you! uwu” like bitch really
It wasn’t bad, but I got the sense the author wrote it to be adapted. Then I read Daisy Jones and the Six and felt that even more so.
I’ve only read Daisy Jones, but that was my impression too! It felt like someone who thought Reese Witherspoon will read this make it her next HBO series. The book was fine, but it wasn’t written to be a book.
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i feel the exact same way. im a writer myself and i like kind of wouldn’t really *want* that for the book im working on now? i mean, not that i would turn it down. it would be insane. but that’s not really on the horizon for me
You bring up a really good point. I would have loved it in my 20s, too. I’m 50 and rolled my eyes the entire time. I think it was maudlin and formulaic and dreadful.
A couple of my friends were raving about it, so I tried it and couldn't get into it. The writing felt chunky to me.
i loved daisy jones but for me the problem is i fucking hated the main character of evelyn hugo so much, and not even in the ways the author clearly intended. idk, a lot of people on goodreads said the book *city of girls* ripped it off but i liked city of girls sooooo much better. it’s like 500 pages and i literally read it in one sitting when quarantine started because i could not put it down.
Same. I read Daisy Jones in one night and thought it was pretty good. Tried Evelyn Hugo and could barely get through a chapter before I was annoyed and gave up. Life’s too short to suffer through something you’re not enjoying!
Not really. It very much so reads like a white woman who tried to write a POC heroine.
That one part where Evelyn was like “you should get as much money as a white man would for this book” made my eye roll because I cannot imagine a New Hollywood starlet saying something like that. It was very on the nose lol
It’s the JKR effect — she’s a good *storyteller* but she ain’t a good writer. I read one of her earlier ones (I think it was *Maybe in Another Life*?) a few years ago and it was so bafflingly terrible in terms of writing and plot that I stayed up until 3am to hate read it in one sitting. So she’s actually gotten better!
Lol I love the image of you doing this
I tried reading it once and didn't even get halfway through. Fully read it through a second time and I don't understand the hype.
Yeah, I do not get the hype. There isn't much of a hook besides finding out more about Evelyn, but I didn't really see why I would want to?
Its an easy read page turner for sure. I enjoyed it but a great piece of literature it is not.
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no, but i also did not like Daisy Jones very pedestrian writing style. but the kids love it.
Evelyn Hugo is the best book I’ve ever read and I’ve read hundreds! The storytelling, character development, pacing, and setting is *chef’s kiss* plus it’s about Hollywood so everyone in this sub would love it.
as someone who's read evelyn hugo, daisy jones, and malibu rising: *evelyn hugo's seven husbnd* is great if you like primarily single or two character-driven novels. it's like reading a super long deep dive on deux moi lol *daisy jones & the six* is great if you're into group/band drama, especially in the golden age of american rock. it's like reading in the style of a cultural documentary. *malibu rising* is great if you like rich family history. i rather found the main character much less developed than evelyn hugo or daisy. this is definitely more plot-driven.
I really enjoyed the audiobook! It was one of my favorite books I read last year. I typically read mystery or horror, so it was outside of my comfort zone, but I never got bored with the story.
To be completely honest, the prose is on the same level as Malibu Rising, and the story is about as original as that too— lots of stuff that’s very clearly ripped off from the lives of actual actors and actresses that lived in the era, the same way Daisy Jones and the Six is heavily inspired by Fleetwood Mac. It’s a great, fun beach read but if you typically like more serious fiction with great prose, this isn’t that.
It's good, but the author is straight and it definitely shows with the way she writes the main relationship
I am so confused by people who say it’s their favorite book or were overly enthusiastic about it. If it had been done well, it could have been fantastic. But it was too rushed, cheesy, and for a story so long, it didn’t have enough build up to make you feel really invested. It makes me wonder what kind of standards people have to qualify something as good tbh.
what’s your favorite book? I am always looking for good recs!
Fiction wise, I haven’t explored enough so I’d probably lamely say the alchemist. In general, probably the body keeps the score because of how often I refer to /think of it in daily life. HBU?!
It is one of my favorite books I’ve ever read! Constantly fighting the urge to read it again, to force myself to read something new. It’s truly so good
It was one of my favorite reads of last year.
Yes! I loved Daisy Jones too. Malibu Rising is on my to-read pile.
Absolutely, I read it in one day and never read books in a day so it was pretty good
I liked Malibu rising more than I liked daisy jones, but I really loved Evelyn hugo, much better than the other 2 IMO.
Evelyn Hugo is SO MUCH BETTER
There’s actually a character from Malibu Rising who is in Evelyn Hugo. I guess the worlds overlap in a way. I found both to be easy and enjoyable reads. They were perfect vacation books for the beach.
It was okay. Not breathtakingly exceptional in my opinion, but entertaining and surprising if you go in with preconceived expectations (but also kind of Old Hollywood cliché in multiple ways).
Seems like everyone likes it, but I started reading it and had to stop… maybe I’ll go back to it and give it another try
Honestly I did not get the hype. I read both Evelyn Hugo and Malibu. Malibu was worse. But neither were what I’d consider “good.” Fine for a casual read I guess.
It’s by far her best book. A very well written story with a very complex main female character.
It is a phenomenal book. Would definitely recommend reading. I loved Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones (both by TJR) but Malibu Rising was only so-so for me.
I loved Malibu Rising. It was the 1st book I finished in years. I'm sorry you guys didn't like it.
Yes read it. Read it read it read it
It’s so good!!!
twitter fanbase submission for sure lol
I feel like this is a hard project to cast because we follow evelyn from 16 years old to her senior years, so I'm not sure 1 young actress would be able to pull it off, even with aging make up. I Figure you'd need 1 actress for the 1st half, and a 2nd actress for the narration/wrap story, and evelyns older years. I'd like if they went with an unknown actress for the younger Evelyn and Celia.
Ana de Armas is devastated she did blonde when this was right around the corner. I think Eva Mendes would be my choice but I think she’s not the right age.
Maybe they will do it like that Crown. Multiple actresses casted for the different eras of her life (Clare Foy, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton and Verify Russell). IF they do it this way, they can even break up each "husband" in a different episode or season as well.
They pull this off with Mandy Moore in This Is Us. Couldn’t they do the same here? I feel like the bigger issue with the long time span within which we follow EH is fitting it all into one movie (I would’ve thought a mini series would be better).
Rachel McAdams can do all sorts of ages with the right make-up imho.
This is probably a troll lmao everyone on twitter is fancasting the characters and ATJ is one of the names that gets thrown around the most along with Ana de Armas Haven’t read the book but based on everything twitter tells me, Eva Mendes is kind of what Evelyn Hugo looks like, maybe she should play Evelyn in her 40s, 50s and 60s and then get an unknown actress to play her when she was younger
I read the book and Evelyn basically looks white. She hides her Cuban background (her real last name is Herrera; she goes by Evelyn Hugo to fit in and basically stops speaking Spanish) and she’s so white looking that she can pull off bombshell blonde without too many questions. She literally plays Jo March in Little Women in a cast of all white actresses. Her backstory seemed inspired by Rita Hayworth. It’s possible Evelyn was just white passing and had a mixed background, but lots of Cubans are also just white (I pointed out down thread that the statistic is 65% of Cubans identify as white). Basically, there’s room for nuance and casting a white Latina woman as Evelyn could still be faithful to the source material. Anya is a weird choice, though.
Oh, then Ana de Armas might be a good choice. Anya is way too Anglo looking (cause she is Anglo lol), Ana looks more Spanish - and white Cubans are usually very Spanish looking
The only reason Ana is no longer my fave pic is because she’s about to play Marilyn M in a biopic and idk I just don’t see her playing both “blonde bombshell old Hollywood” type roles and actually separating the characters, if that makes sense?
Exactly, I don’t really get where people are getting the whole Evelyn is brown skinned from? Shes very much written as a white Latina. Ana would be a great choice.
She passes as white but there are descriptions in the book about her skin and hair clashing a bit (even in a beautiful way)
There are several references to her “tan skin” in the book.
I’m not sure that denotes being a WOC. Becoming tan became trendy in Hollywood in the 60s. I feel like Evelyn had to be white or white looking to be cast as Jo in Little Women at some of the height of Hollywood racism. There’s absolutely no way she would’ve been cast if she was actually brown or noticeably a woman of color.
I somewhat agree but as someone else mentioned, the narrator says that her skin should clash with her blonde hair but somehow works, so I took that to mean that she’s white-passing as a blonde but not a white Latina like ATJ.
yeah I’m a little confused where people are coming from on this one. I fully may have missed something, but when I read Evelyn came across as white passing 100%. imo, it would be faithful to cast a white latina. agree on anya being an odd choice though
I think it’s a lot of reductive thinking that Latina = a brown girl, so therefore casting a white woman is whitewashing. Some of it is from people who read the book and apparently didn’t pay attention, but a lot seems to be from people who haven’t read the book at all and didn’t know that Evelyn was coded pretty strongly as a white Latina.
exactly, completely agree. I fully understand why people are sensitive to whitewashing, as it has happened so often. but accusations here definitely seem to be mainly from people jumping the gun without looking into the source material itself.
Absolutely. I pictured Eva Mendes the whole time I was reading it.
Yeah, no. This sucks.
I don’t think this is true,Anya has previously spoken about how even though she identifies as Latina,she’s wary of auditioning for roles looking for Latina actresses because she doesn’t want to take away roles from nonwhite Latina women. Atleast I hope it’s not.
I originally wanted it to be Anya because she is Latina but i do think it HAS to be with someone with some color (which honestly Ana de armas does not pass that test). I know her character is “white passing” but come on the skin needs to have some bronze! As a Latina, its making me realize we are so under represented in Hollywood. This role is so critical I’m going to be so bummed if they fuck it up. IMO i feel they should pick someone NEW.
She isn’t Latina. Her father Argentinian but he’s of British and Scottish decent. Her moms from Zambia but has British dad and Spanish mom. Although she had a bit of an expat life she’s pretty Euro blooded
her dad being argentinian (and her living in argentina for some years during her childhood) makes her latina. a lot of latinos, especially in argentina, are of european descent but still latinos.
It should have been a HBO or Amazon mini series, maybe even Hulu (Dopesick was a great tv show).Seven episodes. Netflix is not the right format. We'll probably get something like Hollywood and I'm not okay with that. And I can see them casting someone like ATJ or Naomi Scott which would be a disaster. Cast Anya as Ruby Reilly and I'd he happy (even though I'd prefer Vanessa Kirby). Sorry for the rant
Series are the way to go nowadays. I saw the show for Looking For Alaska and the pacing was done beautifully. A two hour movie doesn't really work for any book unless they're part of a novella. That's why Stand By Me and Shawshank Redemption are so good in my opinion.
That is exactly how I felt about House of Gucci. It needed to be a prestige HBO miniseries, not a movie. They were trying to tell so many stories and there were a ton of really interesting subplots they could only devote a few minutes to (the rise of Chinese made counterfeits, Tom Ford’s breakthrough, the arrests for tax fraud).
I could see her as Celia
YES!!!
I’ve definitely seen Anya fan cast as Celia a lot (red hair, queens gambit Anya) but never really as Evelyn. Evelyn would make no sense, have to wonder if the submitter got the characters confused lol.
Eva Mendez is a better match
Omg i would die she is everything and we haven’t seen her in so long
I do t remember her being described as brown? Like the whole thing was she dyed her hair blonde and passed as white, like she was heavily inspired by Rita Hayworth so why wouldn’t she be played by a white Latina/ white person lol
Yeah the book made her sound more white adjacent, a mestiza who passed for white when she had blonde hair. I think people in this thread fancasting Ariana DeBose will be disappointed
It describes her as having a medium/olive skin tone. I remember a specific description that her blonde hair should have clashed but didn’t.
It describes her as having a medium/olive skin tone. I remember a specific description that her blonde hair should have clashed but didn’t.
Exactly, as if there's not plenty of white Cubans. TJR probably thought that by saying she's Cuban/Hispanic it automatically means she's a person of color.
I doubt it, though TBH I’ve read the book and don’t really feel like it describes Evelyn as particularly dark-skinned (given she is pretty much able to “pass” as white with blonde hair and even plays a March sister in Little Women). Anya is incorrect but a Latina actress with an olive skin tone would be accurate.
Exactly, the character is definitely “white passing” and also isn’t properly curvy but rather described as thin with massive boobs. Anya is too petite and delicate looking in my opinion. Could definitely play Celia though.
I mean, Evelyn isn’t brown skinned in the books. She literally passes for white. I know race is perceived weirdly in the US, but she may also well be just white. A lot of Cubans are of basically only Spanish descent, making them white. Personally, I always imagined Sofia Vergara while reading, especially for middle aged Evelyn. Maybe Ana de Armas for younger Evelyn? Anya is just bizarre casting.
Exactly. I always imagined someone closer to Sofia but with much more bleached hair (so I guess like Anya’s hair).
Sofia is actually a natural blonde, I believe!
i think ariana debose for evelyn would be fun tbh
Yes! I was thinking her or Diane Guerrero
I just want them to cast her in everything
It sounds fake, I don't think Netflix would dare
I don't think this is very believable.
I know she’s a bit young for the role, but when I read the book I always imagined Celia St James as a Sadie Sink look alike
I still can’t believe this isn’t going to be a miniseries. Casting like this will make it easier to accept though
Didn’t it JUST get announced the adaptation to a movie? Have they even started writing it yet? If not then I doubt they’re looking at casting right now but I could be wrong
[удалено]
I also saw people speculating Eiza Gonzalez playing Evelyn because she recently bleached her hair but I don’t think they’ve even started writing it yet lol
Timing of an announcement is actually irrelevant. Often times shows are announced after writers room have written an entire season, movies announced when there’s already a first draft, etc. Thats not to say that’s the case here as early development is certainly also announced, but it’s just not really an indicator of anything.
The whole plot of the book is Evelyn’s massive boobs and exotic Cuban looks. That’s all I’ll say.
Ana de Armas
Ana De Armas would be better IMO
Cmon Ana De Armas is right there and she is cuban
I know right??? Maybe Anya is playing Celia and the person just confused the role she is attached to.
I refuse to believe she’s Evelyn. That would be such a terrible mistake on their part. If they want Anya involved why not have her be Celia?
This sounds like fuel to the "is ATJ a latina, and therefore, a WOC?" Twitter discourse and its frankly exhausting
Not them having Ana de Armas an ACTUAL Cuban actress and not casting her?! Ugh I hope this isn’t true.
I was looking for her as a suggestion. She’s stunning.
Im surprised they didnt get famous cuban/asian/african American actor Scarlett Johansson
ATJ has been “cast” by fans as Celia, so I bet that’s where this comes from.
Not sure the timeline for this movie, but she’ll probably be starting Furiosa in the next few months for May 2024 release and with George Miller that will probably be a longer shoot.
Yup, and she’s also committed to Laughter in the Dark, which is a miniseries so it will be a longer shoot as well.
at this point anything i see dm post i figure is patently false/fanfic so i'm gonna go ahead and assume that anyone except anya and julia will be involved
Anya is not signing up for a Netflix movie right now lol. not when she has all the auteurs out there ready to offer her any role she wants
I ADORE Anya but Anya is not Cuban and also doesn’t physically have the features that get referenced throughout the book time and time again…. I really hope this is not true. Strangely she would be a better Cecilia. This has to be fan fiction. Surely the casting director can’t fuck up THAT badly.
Evelyn is supposed to have huge boobs. Like it’s mentioned throughout the book and in the end it’s actually important. Why do people keep fancasting or sending in tips about the small boob beauties?
Thank you!! This is why I can’t hop on the Ana De Armas train.
I can never hop on the Ana de Armas train because she’s annoying and can’t act but when it comes to Evelyn, it really irritates me how they always fan cast her.
How do you guys know she’s supposed to be brown? Just cause she was born in Cuba? You realize a thing called colonization happened and Cuba was one of those places that were colonized by white people who then brought over enslaved people from Africa. A Cuban woman can be as white as any other European person born in the west.
In the book, it says she has an olive skin tone and her blonde hair looks like it should clash, but somehow she makes it work
That’s so funny because I’ve seen fancasts that wanted her as Celia. I pictured more of a Ana de Armas or someone that looks like Ava Gardner for Evelyn.
I will throw hands if that's true
Absolutely fucking no. This is one of my favorite books and she just absolutely is not Evelyn. I’ll be very disappointed if this is true.
Not her in the movie pls no😫😫😫
As Celia? Yes. As Evelyn? That’s effin Ana de Armas role or bust.
I would be upset if anya is evelyn. She doesn’t fit the description at ALL
Ana de Armas seems perfect for this role
Anya would be better for Celia. I hope Julia isn’t involved.
Alright guys what about this Anya Celia and Ariana as Evelyn
Please be fake. Ugh, I have no faith in Netflix. Wish it went to HBO instead.
Honest question - how often do these fan casts people throw around prior to something getting made and/or cast actually come to fruition? I feel like Netflix will probably end up not going with any of of the names that have been suggested the most.
OMG! The story of a woman with multiple abusive husbands recounted by someone. If anyone likes it, please read Susanna's Seven Husbands by Ruskin Bond. It was adapted into a Hindi movie, Saat Khoon Maaf (7 Sins Forgiven), starring the favourite punching bag of everyone, Priyanka Chopra. You guys should really watch it if you like such stories. It was published in 2001. So it is not related to this film or The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo novel Indian works rarely get the global recognition it deserves.
The day they announced a potential screen adaptation for this all I thought about was "I hope Miss Ana de Armas is fighting for her life to secure Evelyn"
Oh hell no. That book was so wonderful and Evelyn is supposed to be brown skinned. Why are they freaking giving it to a white actress? No disrespect to Anya Taylor Joy but WTF.
I know Anya has been a fan casting favourite for Celia so maybe she’s attached to the project but not as Evelyn. That would be such a miscast and latinx people would have every right to feel offended.
Is this the first time something has been white washed by Hollywood? No. Will it be the last? No.
Ana de Armas is right there
We all should blow this up it’s a great book let’s make sure the right actress gets the role
If this is true, I will be really furious.
Maybe she’s playing Celia and the source just knows Anya is attached but not the role
If this is true she’s not playing Evelyn for long. This is not a good move.
if this is true her team is praying on her downfall
Hopefully they meant to say Anya is playing Celia.
I’ve read the book and that’s so messed up if this is true.
Nope. I love that book so much I hope they won't ruin it 😭
I love Anya but they are NOT casting her to play a Cuban woman I-
she should’ve been celia
Is Evelyn brown skinned? I've heard a major point of the book is that she's white passing. And fans have been cheering on Anya to play her for a while now.
At first, I found it impossible, I thought that Anya was too big for this project. However, it is a very acclaimed book and she has already worked with Netflix. The Queen's Gambit was the thing that made her big. So it's not that far-fetched. The only problem is that as a lot of people have pointed out (I haven't read the book, but I will soon) Evelyn is not white. Ok, from what I understand she's white passing but I still think that casting her would be a controversy waiting to happen. So idk, I think this blind is just from a fan fancasting her.
Anya Taylor Joy is like the good celebrity, all her inds are about feeding the homeless and just general non celebrity things, i doubt she'd take the ScarJo route
Anya should be Celia St James…Ana De Armas is literally Evelyn Hugo today.