Taylor Jenkins ReidReviews

Los libros de Taylor Jenkins Reid no son para mi.


Le iba a poner 1 estrella porque me costó un montón leerlo (lo empecé tres veces y a la tercera para terminarlo escuché el "audiolibro" en 1.5x por Youtube) y porque no me gustó cómo está escrito. Al final le puse dos porque para el final me pude enganchar un poco más.

Lo terminé de leer solo porque lo había empezado. Alrededor del 58% lo dejé pero después lo seguí y lo terminé así podía criticarlo de manera justa. Cambié de 1 estrella a 2 porque estuvo mejor para el final pero la verdad que deja mucho que desear.

Me esperaba más conflictos, más romance, más enriedos. La razón (si es que hay alguna) por la que la banda se separa es meh y no causa nada cuando pasa.

Los personajes también son insípidos así que no pude conectar con ellos, por lo que cualquier cosa que pasaba, me daba lo mismo.

La premisa es buena y la idea de escribir sobre una banda, poner las canciones, etc es original pero hasta un punto porque después te aburrís.

As a musician myself, I loved the story, heartbreak, triumph and tragedy this book told. You could feel the tension between the characters. I could see and feel the surrealness of Daisy being that "it" girl similar to Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac back in the 70s. If this wasn't a direct inspiration, then I don't know what could be! I love love love this book and will always cherish it in my heart. For anyone that enjoys story driven mentions put this on the top of your list no matter what! Read it. Feel it. Embrace this wonderful story.

Told in the style of an oral history or Behind The Music special, Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones & The Six gives us the story of a band who create a legendary album...and break up right in the middle of the tour, never to perform together again. Daisy is an LA girl who mostly raises herself, and rises above her It Girl beginnings through the strength of her talent as a singer and songwriter. The Six are a band rooted in the collaboration between the two Dunne brothers (Billy the lead singer, Graham the guitarist), with the remaining four drawn into their orbit over time. After some initial minor success leads Billy down the road of partying, sex, and drugs, his wife Camila helps him get clean for her and their new baby daughter. The band seems destined to work steadily but never really break out until their shared label puts Daisy on a single with The Six. It's such a hit that a joint record seems the only logical next step.

It's the writing and recording of that record, Aurora, which forms the core of the narrative. The tensions between Daisy and the already established The Six (who have internal fissures of their own) roil, over who will be writing the songs and how the album will be put together. And Daisy's own drug use, already established but increasing as things progress, adds another layer of complications. And most problematic of all, the chemistry that makes Daisy and Billy compelling co-writers and duet partners isn't just in the recording booth. Once it all comes together, the album is an undeniable smash, but a confrontation tears it all apart.

This book was optioned for a series adaptation before it was even released to shelves, and it's not hard to see why: there are vivid characters, plenty of storylines, and real drama. I was at first put off a bit by the lack of actual narrative structure (the entire book consists of snippets of interviews laced together), but the style wound up suiting the story, for me. It gives the reader the chance to get to know characters through both their own perspectives and the perspectives of others, and it keeps things moving along quickly. It's easy to devour large portions of the book in one sitting, easy to convince yourself that it won't take too long to read 10 more pages, which becomes 20, and then 50. I got so emotionally invested in the characters that even though the actual plot varied quite little from where I thought it would go, I wanted to see how it all played out.

Though it was a fantastically enjoyable book, it wasn't without flaws for me. For one thing, Daisy's slim frame, acknowledged to be at least in part owed to her addiction issues, is fetishized in a way that felt weird. And it didn't quite stick the landing...the reveal of the person behind the interviews felt inorganic, and the actual closing note also rang false. But mostly, I thought it was textured, layered, and enormously entertaining and compelling. I really loved it and would highly recommend it to all readers!

It is very nice that my daughter lent me this book. I found it an original approach do fandom and the life of an actress in the spotlights, with a fine dedication: "For Lilah. Smash the patriarchy, sweetheart". Hollywood Icon Evelyn Hugo, who played in her first film in 1959, wanted stardom and she got it it in her own way. On the brink of her death when she is seventy-nine, she tells a story to an unknown journal editor, with a gripping outcome.

3.5. Infinitely readable. I was swept up in the glamour and glitz of old Hollywood and captivated by Evelyn’s story. If the history and glamour of old Hollywood does not appeal to you though, this story probably won’t be very enjoyable.

*would love to see this as a movie or tv show.

Tells the fictional tale of Evelyn Hugo, a Raquel Welch-esque starlet/sexpot who uses her wits and - er - assets to achieve success. Despite the seven husbands, however, she's nursing a secret: she's bisexual, and the love of her life isn't a man.

This is a quick and easy read - entertaining enough, but neither particularly substantial nor authentic. For instance, Evelyn keeps claiming that she's no angel and that she's "hurt many people along the way," but her supposed acts of "ruthless ambition" turn out to be pretty tame, and her path to fame suspiciously uncluttered by such common Hollywood abominations as casting couches, exploitation, drugs/alcohol, etc. In fact, Reid avoids the sort of detail that might require any actual historical research/color by keeping the emphasis on Evelyn's love life rather than her acting career. None of the characters have much psychological depth, and the subplot involving the female journalist Evelyn tags to write her biography doesn't really add anything useful to the narrative. The LGBTQ+ theme adds some novelty, but even here the author plays things safe, avoiding any meaningful exploration of gay culture in early Hollywood.

I also had an issue with Reid's long passages of dialog, which too often seemed repetitive and uninspired. I get that most authentic human dialog is repetitive and uninspiring ... but isn't being spared all that one of the reasons we read novels?

Disclosure: I don't usually read chick lit, so forgive me if I am being too stuffy/critical! While there's certainly not enough substance or craft here for me to be able to recommend this for book clubs, I do imagine it would make a satisfying beach read.

Basically a married dude with kids is in a band with a chick and they both pine for each other through their songs

Monique Grant, a very junior writer on staff at a lifestyle magazine, is amazed when Evelyn Hugo requests to be interviewed by her. Evelyn was one of the hottest movie stars in past decades, known for her exquisite figure and the daring movie roles she played, and for marrying seven times. Now, she wants to write a tell-all memoir -- or, rather, she wants Monique to write it. As far as Monique knows, she has no connection to the star, and her writing credits, though exhibiting a strong style, are few. But she's intrigued by the story, as well as the money she stands to make...

I enjoyed this book fairly well, though I didn't like it as much as Daisy Jones and the Six. I guessed one of the big twists at the ending, though the others caught me by surprise. The characters were complex and the story held my interest, though there were times when it wasn't moving very fast. I can see both why it is popular, and why some people might not enjoy it. If you're intrigued by the premise, give it a try.

Phenomenal!

Fantastic!! Characters and a story that will stay with me a long time. Loved it.

Much better than an average chick-lit book. Fast and entertaining read. Good for a "palate cleanser" when coming off a heavier book.

4.25 stars

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid is designed to read like an oral history as the ex-members of a popular rock group are interviewed thirty years after their heyday. It is set during the 1970’s rock music scene, and if you have ever been curious about the lives of Stevie Nicks, Linda Ronstadt, Patti Smith or Grace Slick, this book gives the reader a clear angle into what the life of a female rock n’roll musician from that era was like.

Daisy Jones was the “it” girl of the 1970’s with a unique look and a voice designed for belting out rock tunes. She was just getting herself known when the record company decided to put her together with an up and coming rock band entitled The Six. History was made when Daisy and the lead singer of The Six, Billy Dunne got together. Sparks were flying but Billy was married to a woman that he genuinely loved, he was battling his addictions and trying to stay sober. Daisy was a wild child and thought nothing of indulging in alcohol and whatever drugs were available. Billy knew she was trouble and although they were magic together on stage and off, he tried to avoid her.

Beyond Daisy and Billy, the author has built a believable rock band and peopled the book with realistic characters. Each band member is unique and has their own point of view and although the outcome is a little cliched this was a great read. Daisy Jones & the Six is a homage to the seventies and it’s he-said-she-said style is layered, entertaining and addictive.½

A quick little read with an ending that I sort of saw coming but was entertained by anyway!

3.5 stars.

Got mixed feelings about this one.

Daisy Jones and the Six is a truly powerful book. It's an oral history of a made-up band in the 1970s, and is almost entirely character-driven. And what characters! Daisy, the talented and beautiful singer with serious drug and alcohol issues; Billy, the self-proclaimed leader of the band, trying so hard not to abuse alcohol again, trying never to cheat on his wife again, resisting temptation, chasing his dreams. All of the other characters are strongly drawn, especially Eddie, who whined for the entire book, and whom nothing could satisfy.

I didn't think I'd like the book because I don't listen to music much, but it was honestly an education: I learned quite a bit about old-fashioned sound mixing, how songs are written, and how music management and producing work. You don't need to be a music-lover to enjoy every page of this novel. I'll be keeping this book around for a second read sometime down the road.

Hands down one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever experienced. I am typically not a fan of books narrated by multiple people but the actors and narrators who performed this did a great job. The characterizations and emotions they conveyed were very well done and you got to know and feel for each of them. The story of the band and its members kept me interested and rooting for them and also disliking them when appropriate. Highly recommended.

Not what I expected, but very thought provoking and readable.
will add more later :)

really took some turns i didnt expect in a way that I enjoyed. The exploration of morality and sexuality was very interesting.

This book was great! I mean TJR really knows how to tell a story. I don’t think I was anticipating a lot of what was going to happen. She really takes you on an interesting journey with sites to see and twists and turns, the whole nine yards basically.
I definitely see why it was the internet’s favorite book. If you ever doubted picking it up, try it!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has a really good idea behind the story. Following Monique, a local writer for a magazine company, the book details the life of Evelyn Hugo, a major Hollywood actress from the latter half of the 1900's. The spill-all style writing makes it an easily readable novel simply because of the appeal of gossip surrounding the lives of celebrities. Throughout the book, however, I was left disappointed in the way Taylor Jenkins Reid, a straight White woman, decided to portray her queer characters and characters of color.

I will start with the queer representation. Everything about her queer characters felt heavily stereotyped, to the point that they almost didn't feel human. Every relationship these characters (Evelyn, Celia, Harry, John, and James) were in was made as straight-appearing as she could have possibly made them. The nuances of how they felt coming to realize they were queer or on the pressure they felt to hide that part of their identities was never fully fleshed out, and it led to me feeling as if this part of their identities was an afterthought. As a queer person myself, my queerness impacts everything about how I live my life; yet, the only reason I even knew these characters were queer was because it kept being explicitly stated, instead of being integrated into who they were as people within this book.

I also took issue with how the people of color were portrayed as characters throughout the book. This aspect of their identities felt like even more of an afterthought than their queerness, and felt specifically used for the shocking plot twist at the end. The Latine characters fell into heavy stereotypes. Evelyn's mother was implied to be a prostitute, Evelyn's father was abusive and a raging alcoholic (on tequila?? One of Cuba's bigger exports is Rum; it wouldn't have been tequila he had a problem with and even a quick internet search could have fixed this), Evelyn herself was the sexy woman with a big chest who only had an identity through her husbands, and Luisa was Evelyn's maid. This is virtually all we know about them being people of color, and it would have been nice to see their personalities actually fleshed out.

The Black characters are depicted in just as problematic ways. The only Black characters we see throughout the book are James, a Black gay man who gets killed before you even learn he was Black or gay, and Monique, a biracial Black woman who virtually never brings up her race except to compare her experiences with race to Evelyn's experiences as a bisexual woman (who also happens to be James' daughter). I quite literally forgot that Monique, the main character, was even supposed to be a biracial Black woman until it was brought up, which is again, something that should have been incorporated into her character more thoroughly.

While I am glad that a book with main characters who were people of color and queer has become so popular and widely liked, there are so many authors of color, queer authors, and queer authors of color who should be and deserve to be allowed the space in publishing that Reid has taken for herself. It is not Reid's place to tell the stories of queer people or people of color. The issue for me is not that she included those characters in her book; but it is that she was trying to tell their stories and how she tried to be an authority on how queer people and people of color's stories should be told (in her eyes).

What I loved best about this book was all the real human emotion. Ben and Elsie have just married when he is killed suddenly - and then Elsie is dealing with a mother-in-law who doesn't even know about her. Discovering that Susan (Ben's mother) also lost her husband to cancer and is grieving herself just added to the sense of tragedy. Watching both women come to terms with their grief - and the fact that after the initial hostility, Susan becomes something of a mentor in the journey of grief - all that was heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time.½

Evelyn Hugo, a self-centered, ruthlessly ambitious star of mid-twentieth century Hollywood, relates the details of her personal life, and the effects of her fame to an up and coming journalist.
Most characters were one dimensional, selfish and unlikable.

"Our family histories are simply stories... They are mths we create about the people who came before us in order to make sense of ourselves".
This is a family drama, moving back and forth in time to explore the dynamic that created the relationship between parents and siblings.

Nina, the oldest sibling is the family "caretaker", is constantly trying to outrun her family dysfunction.
"Maybe we are free the moment we're born. Maybe everything we've ever done is by our own hands."
This revelation is the central conflict for Nina.
As she learns to 'declare independence' the other family members must learn to interact without her mediation.
Do the siblings want to reconnect with estranged family members? Can they work out conflicts? Can they act like the grownups they need to be?
"What broken family- no matter how shattered or bruised beyond recognition- does not ache to be reunited? What child, no matter how lost or abandoned does not ache to be loved?"

I enjoyed the story, character development, and writing. Some easter eggs for TJR fans!

(4 stars... Having lived in the 80's I noticed some details that were not authentic!)

I may have enjoyed this book more if I had not just read several powerful international books that told stories of human suffering, pain and resilience. By contrast this story felt very insular, self-absorbed and inescapably American. This is the story of a fictional Hollywood star Evelyn Hugo, celebrated in the 1950s to 1970s for her beauty and sexuality. As she tells her life story and the tale of her multiple marriages to journalist Monique Grant, she unveils the extent of her willingness to do anything, compromise herself in any way, and use everybody to achieve her aims; including sacrificing her culture, identity and her relationship with the one person she truly loved. In some ways this reflects the difficulties faced by women in the film industry but on the other hand it just reveals the ugliness of the celebrity culture we live in and the way movie-stars can think they move in a different dimension and are above the common rules of morality and ethics. There was one very predictable reveal at the end of the book and one more surprising one. I know many people enjoyed this but it wasn’t really my cup of tea, and I think I allowed myself to be seduced into reading it based on a pretty cover and it matching a challenge prompt about Hollywood.