Bridgerton fans finally saw Penelope Featherington walk down the aisle in search of her happy ending on June 13th when Netflix released the second part of the new season.
If you are familiar with the TV show and know at least a little bit about it, you know that Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn’s novel. The historical romance series follows the Bridgertons, a family where each book focuses on one of the siblings and their love life, incorporating various tropes such as enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-lovers. With ballrooms, dukes, and the rules of Regency London, the books were a success, topping the #1 New York Times bestseller list and being adapted for TV by Netflix and Shonda Rhimes through her production company, Shondaland.
The book was originally released in 2000, and although I am not entirely familiar with the genre, I believe the adaptation has helped the book gain even more readers. In my case, seeing Daphne and Simon on TV was the reason I read the first book...
After some research, I discovered that historical romances hold a strong and solid place in the reading and publishing industry. I wondered if Bridgerton and the TV show had contributed to this popularity, but historical romances, exemplified by classics like Pride and Prejudice, have always had a significant presence.
Julia Quinn is not the only relevant historical romance writer in the industry. Lisa Kleypas, and Tessa Dare, are also big writers who focus on this specific genre.
With the popularity of Bridgerton in recent years, mainly because of the show, I wondered if the historical romances got more popular because of Julia Quinn or if it was just a small portion of what the genre really is.
Sofia Luppi, 24, read Bridgerton right before the TV show and fell in love with historical romances. She said that she thinks historical romances got more popular because of the show.
“Although we already have some famous productions, such as Pride and Prejudice. Bridgerton brings a younger feel to both the series and the books, in addition to making it easier to understand some of the social rules that existed at the time,” she said.
Luppi also added that one of her favorite things about the books is the “society rules” they had at the time. How women couldn’t be alone with men, friendships, how things change after marriage, and more.
“The balls are really fun, but I think it's how the romance unfolds. As there were several rules on how to behave in society, romance often ended up being somewhat prohibited, so when the protagonists manage to do something together or have their first kiss, it ended up becoming a big event in history,” Luppi said.
Luppi said that what makes Bridgerton and new hitorical romances book interesting, is the way they are written. She said that they might not be written and conducted ideally how it was supposed to be considering when the books are settled in, but in 2024, this is the beauty of reading different things. It can give a new perspective and entertain and make people curious to know more about it.
“Is just make a comparison with Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The book is very good, but the writing is more elaborate and I was only able to understand the social rules of the time because I had already read Bridgerton, in which Julia Quinn has more current language and is more explicit about what could or could not be done at that time,” she said. “Also, in current period romance books we have scenes of kisses and intimacy between the couple, in Jane Austen's book a touch of the hand is the most we will see, but even so, this contact is simply magical in the book.”
Ingrid Trevisan, 29, always loved reading romances but historical romances have her whole heart.
“It's a different experience, a time when women and men behaved completely differently. A romance that is built without much touch, without much freedom, that is focused on conversations, on attraction... I can't say for sure, but it is different, more precious, true,” Trevisan said.
And just like Luppi, Trevisan said that she agrees that Bridgerton brought a new perspective to the historical romance genre.
“Inevitably, when a book gets an adaptation, we end up putting a spotlight on the genre, and the same happened with Divergent, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and several other books,” Trevisan said.
In the past, certain topics that we now consider were taboo at the time. This idea led me to ponder the limits on authors addressing subjects like the LGBTQ+ community, feminism, and other topics found in genres such as contemporary romance.
Trevisan believes that as both a writer and reader, there is no specific limit as long as authors adhere to the main objective of historical romances: depicting romantic relationships in eras when many things were prohibited.
“I don't think there is a limit, what people are unhappy with is the adaptation modifying the story already constructed and idealized by the author and his readers. As I said, we have the freedom, as authors, to change. Certainly, we cannot make life easier for an LGBT couple, as society did not allow same-sex relationships to be well accepted, for example, so I do not believe in a book that portrays an LGBT relationship with the entire London society supporting it,” Trevisan said. “It all depends on the author's approach, while respecting society's ideals, whether to break them or follow them.
Overall, there is a magical thing about historical romances for those who love the genre. Fans can agree that adaptations are something that highly influences reading or watching movies or TV shows. It happened with Bridgerton and will probably happen with a ton of other adaptations that will come in the future.
As for historical romances, I hope we can get much more of that soon. The next season for Bridgerton was already confirmed so we can just expect more of the balls, romances, queens, and British society.
That’s it for today, see you soon, and stick with the drama!
Did you get curious and want to read historical romances? Here are books recommended by Sofia and Ingrid
Sofia: When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn, Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare
Ingrid: Falling Into a Bed with a Duke by Lorraine Health, Bomb Shell by Sarah MacLean
Comments