Bridgerton Fans Praise Netflix Adaptation for Outshining the Original Books
It looks like the series has managed to outdo the Bridgerton novels.
Netflix and Shonda Rhimes' collaboration to adapt Julia Quinn's series of romantic novels, set among the aristocrats living and loving in a fictional Regency-era England, became one of the biggest hits in recent television history, once again cementing the producer's status as one of the most talented creators out there.
Fans are still shocked that Rhimes was able to overcome all the problems of the original novels and turn them into a relatable and fiercely intelligent show, filled with compelling characters and interesting storylines.
So how is Netflix's Bridgerton so much better than Quinn's books?
According to most of the fandom, the Netflix series has disproved the maxim that the adaptation is always worse than the original book, as Julia Quinn's novels are considered to be rather bad even by the biggest fans of the show. People admit to reading them in a desperate attempt to kill some time before the release of season three, and many say that reading the books made them wonder what Shonda Rhimes saw in them in the first place.
Fans argue that Bridgerton's writers and actors have done a monumental job of bringing Quinn's shallow characters to life, as in the original book series, they all seem one-dimensional and lacking development.
According to those who read Quinn's work, even the most beloved characters, like Penelope or Anthony, feel worse in the books than in the series. It looks like Netflix not only made Quinn even more famous but also fixed her writing mistakes in the process. Pretty sweet deal, huh?
However, some fans are much kinder to the Bridgerton novels, describing them as a nice basic recipe for comfort, since all the books use the same structure and feel like a perfectly easy, unpretentious read.
And perhaps that is exactly what Rhimes saw in them — a great backbone to grow into a real hit show. But still, turning Quinn's books into such a great series was a masterful trick that could only be pulled off with the help of a talented crew of writers and cast.