You know that feeling when you finish a book and just sort of stare at the wall for twenty minutes? That’s what happens with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. It’s not just a book about a fictional movie star. It’s a whole mood. Taylor Jenkins Reid basically created a ghost that haunts the "Old Hollywood" section of our brains. Even though Evelyn Hugo isn't a real person, people Google her like she lived next door to Elizabeth Taylor.
The story is simple on the surface but messy underneath. Evelyn is seventy-nine. She’s been a recluse for years. Suddenly, she decides to tell her life story to an unknown magazine reporter named Monique Grant. Why Monique? That’s the hook that keeps you turning pages until 3:00 AM.
Evelyn is calculated. She’s tough. She used her marriages like rungs on a ladder. But the real core of the book isn't the men. It’s the secret she’s kept for decades while the world was busy looking at her cleavage or her emerald green gowns.
The Men Who Weren't the Point
Everyone asks about the husbands. They're the frame of the house, but they aren't the family living inside.
First, there was Ernie Diaz. He was a ticket out of Hell’s Kitchen. Evelyn was barely a teenager when she married him just to get to Hollywood. It was a transaction. Pure and simple. Then came Don Adler. This is where the story gets dark. He was Hollywood royalty, and he was the first man she truly thought she loved, but he was also abusive. Their marriage is a brutal look at how the industry swallowed women whole in the 50s.
Then you have the others. Mick Riva, the singer. That marriage lasted about as long as a cup of coffee and was only done to cover up a scandal. Rex North was a business partner. Harry Cameron... well, Harry was the soulmate of a different kind. He was her best friend, the father of her child, and the man who protected her secrets.
Then there’s Max Girard, who loved the "idea" of Evelyn Hugo but didn't actually like the real woman. And finally, Robert Jamison, the brother of the woman Evelyn actually loved.
If you're counting, that's seven. But the math of Evelyn's life doesn't add up to seven men. It adds up to one woman: Celia St. James.
The Secret History of Celia St. James
This is the part that catches people off guard. You go in expecting a "tell-all" about glamorous affairs with leading men, and you end up reading one of the most devastating queer love stories in modern fiction.
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Evelyn Hugo is bisexual. In the 1960s, that wasn't just a "taboo" topic; it was a career-killer.
Celia was Evelyn’s rival, then her friend, then the love of her life. Their relationship spanned decades. It was filled with reunions and long periods of silence. They fought. They broke up over Evelyn’s "calculated" choices. Evelyn would marry a man to protect her image, and Celia—who was more idealistic—would be crushed by it.
Honestly, it’s a masterclass in showing how fame forces people to amputate parts of themselves. Evelyn sacrificed her truth for her career, and by the time she was ready to choose the truth, time was running out.
Why We Are Still Obsessed With "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo"
It’s the "Old Hollywood" aesthetic.
The book feels like a real biography. People often ask if it’s based on a true story. While it’s fiction, Taylor Jenkins Reid clearly drew inspiration from legends like Elizabeth Taylor (who had eight marriages) and Ava Gardner. There’s a bit of Rita Hayworth in there too—the way Evelyn had to change her name and her look to hide her Cuban heritage.
That’s a huge theme. Identity.
Evelyn Hugo was born Evelyn Herrera. She spent her whole life bleaching her hair and perfecting an accent to fit into a white-dominated industry. The book doesn't shy away from the cost of that erasure. It’s not just about who she slept with; it’s about what she had to give up to be seen as an icon.
The structure is also brilliant. You get the "present day" with Monique, which feels grounded and a bit mysterious, and then you get these lush, cinematic flashbacks. It’s like switching between a grainy documentary and a Technicolor film.
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The Monique Connection
Why Monique?
If you haven't read it, the twist at the end hits like a freight train. It recontextualizes every single thing Evelyn told her. It makes you realize that Evelyn isn't just telling her story because she's old and bored. She’s doing it as an act of confession. And maybe an act of penance.
Monique’s growth throughout the book is subtle. She starts as a woman struggling with a divorce and a stagnant career. By the end, she learns from Evelyn how to be "ruthless." She learns that being a "good person" doesn't always mean being a doormat.
Reading Between the Lines: The Nuance of "Ruthlessness"
Evelyn Hugo is not a "nice" person. She says this herself, over and over. She’s done terrible things. She’s manipulated people. She’s lied.
But is she a villain?
Most readers find themselves rooting for her because her motivations are so human. She wanted to survive. She wanted to protect her family. She wanted to love Celia in a world that would have torn them apart.
There’s a specific complexity in her relationship with Harry Cameron. Their platonic love is arguably the strongest bond in the book. It challenges the idea that a "husband" has to be a romantic partner to be significant. Harry was her rock. Their unconventional family—Evelyn, Harry, Celia, and their daughter—is the most beautiful thing in the story, and also the most tragic.
What the Book Teaches Us About Fame
Fame is a currency.
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Evelyn knew exactly how much she was worth at any given moment. She knew how to use the paparazzi. She knew how to leak a story to bury a bigger scandal.
Today, we see this with influencers and "staged" PR relationships, but Evelyn was doing it with film reels and print newspapers. The book shows that the "Golden Age of Hollywood" was mostly smoke and mirrors. Behind the diamonds and the red carpets, people were terrified.
Making the Most of the Experience
If you're looking to dive into this world, don't just skim the surface. The book is better when you pay attention to the dates and the news clippings. Reid uses those fake articles to show the gap between the public "truth" and the private reality.
How to approach the story:
- Listen to the Audiobook: Many fans swear by the audio version because it uses different narrators for the news clippings, making it feel like a real podcast or documentary.
- Look up 1950s Fashion: When the book describes Evelyn’s green dress at the Academy Awards, it helps to have a visual of the era’s silhouette. It makes the "Hollywood" of it all feel more tangible.
- Keep a Tissue Box Handy: Seriously. The last 50 pages are a gauntlet of emotions.
The legacy of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is that it forced us to look at our idols differently. It reminds us that every person we see on a screen is a curated version of a much more complicated, much messier human being.
Evelyn Hugo didn't want to be a "good" woman. She wanted to be a legend. And in the end, she was both—and neither. She was just a woman who loved people fiercely and was willing to burn the world down to keep them safe.
If you're looking for your next move after finishing the book, check out Taylor Jenkins Reid's other "Famous People" novels, specifically Daisy Jones & The Six or Malibu Rising. They all exist in the same shared universe. You'll even see a few crossover characters if you look closely enough.
The best way to honor the story is to embrace your own "ruthless" side. Be unapologetic about what you want. Tell your own truth before someone else tells a version of it for you. That’s the real lesson Evelyn leaves behind for Monique—and for us.
Actionable Insights:
- Analyze the "Public vs. Private" Paradox: When consuming celebrity media, remind yourself of the "Evelyn Hugo effect." What you see is a PR product.
- Explore Queer History in Media: The book is a gateway to learning about the real-life struggles of LGBTQ+ actors in the mid-20th century.
- Prioritize Deep Connections: Value the "Harry Camerons" in your life—those who offer platonic, unwavering support regardless of social labels.
- Control Your Narrative: Don't wait for others to define your legacy; take ownership of your story now.