Although it is my established habit to not read authors twice, there are plenty of exceptions. When I happily lost a weekend to Daisy Jones and the Six a few years ago, I not only found my favorite read of the year but also an author worth revisiting. And in doing so I had that experience of meeting an author’s children in book form. An author’s works are often variations on a set of themes. And like a person’s children, there are tangible and ineffable similarities.
Taylor Jenkins Reid writes about show business with mildly soapy plots, appealing love stories, and strong female leads. I have clear favorites from the three I’ve read. This week I look at similarities between my favorite two.
1. Both protagonists are hugely successful in show business. Daisy Jones fronts a Fleetwood Mac style band, writing songs and touring. Evelyn Hugo is a New Yorker who hits it big on the silver screen.
2. Both are being interviewed as a framing device for the story. Evelyn has hired a rookie journalist to ghost write her memoir. Daisy Jones is being interviewed for a documentary.
3. Both are in love with someone they can’t have. Daisy falls for bandmate Billy Dunne, who moved to LA with his girlfriend Camilla. They marry before Billy realizes his feelings for Daisy. He refuses to leave his wife. Evelyn is in love with Cecilia St. James and, while they have more of a relationship than Billy and Daisy do, they are doomed by the times that won’t allow them to be public.
4. Both have twists involving the interviewers. I won’t reveal what they are, but there is a similarity.
5. Both are adaptation-happy. Some books are meant for live action and Taylor Jenkins Reid knows how to write to that audience. Daisy Jones recently launched on Netflix (It’s good!) and there is much speculation that Jessica Chastain will play Cecilia St. James in a similar streaming series. No word yet on who will play Evelyn.
Books Smitten 