Eve in Hollywood Review: Eve's star-studded sidelining
After reading his three previous novels and attempting to track down his more limited-release short stories, essays, and novellas, I finally read Eve in Hollywood as part of the Table for Two collection. As a big fan of Rules of Civility, I was excited to see what Amor Towles was going to do with Eve's character. Does this live up to his previous work in Rules of Civility? Is this a worthy sequel to that wonderful novel? That's what I, Brighton Nelson, will delve into in today's review. Thanks so much for joining me, and I hope you enjoy your time on the site today!
I'll get the negatives out of the way first, so we can get into the good stuff and save the best for last.
I wasn't a big fan of The Lincoln Highway and its approach to telling its story, and Eve in Hollywood continues the trend of having too many POVs without feeling necessary. Eve felt sidelined in her own novel, like a looming presence, not a protagonist. Given that this piece originally came out as a serialized e-short story series before Table for Two, the fragmented setup makes sense, but in execution, she still felt small in her own story. I feel this would be more effective as an Eve short story, or as a full-length novel that really fleshes out why she became the enigmatic figure she is.
While I enjoyed Towles trying to write a more plot-focused novella with action, mystery, and scandal, those elements felt rushed. Each supporting character's perspective felt more like setup for someone who didn't quite get a full arc. Much like The Lincoln Highway, I felt the premise's promise wasn't fully realized, and it meandered through parts in a confusing way with a few too many perspectives.
There are still some great elements of Eve in Hollywood, though. These positives are just good enough for me to still recommend the book, particularly if you were a fan of her character in Rules of Civility... just don't expect this book to be as good as that one.
The prose of Eve in Hollywood was as phenomenal as ever, and, as always, Towles sucks you into the world. Here, his painted picture of 1930s Los Angeles and its golden-age glamour was fantastic and realistic.
Eve's turn from a quiet yet resilient New York socialite to a girl boss who gains power through keen observation, emotional composure, and unexpected leverage was fantastic. While she deserved more room to show her character in this novel, her flair was one of the best parts. Additionally, Towles efficiently makes each side character distinct and interesting to follow, giving them colorful personalities that make their scenes fun even if they deserved more individual development.
The Brighton's Bookshelf Verdict
Brighton's Bookshelf Score - 6.5/10
Letter Score - B-
Eve in Hollywood has all of Amor Towles's prose-level flair and impeccable worldbuilding, and it even adds more mystery and action than usual. It introduces a lot of interesting characters, but with a brief page count, all of their intrigue ends up being underdeveloped—particularly Eve, who deserved better.
Interested in checking out some of my other Amor Towles book reviews? Or my literary fiction and historical fiction novel reviews? Check them out below!
Author Bio
Author Bio
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