Is It Worth Reading Bridgerton Books After Watching Netflix Series?
We have at least three reasons to convince you.
The wait for Bridgerton Season 3 feels like an eternity. So when you're done binge-watching the first two seasons and the prequel to the period drama, you may suddenly remember that Netflix's Bridgerton is actually based on a series of romantic novels by Julia Quinn. Wonder if you should give the books a try before Season 3 arrives?
If you look through the original book content, you'll find that the series begins with the stories of Daphne and Anthony Bridgerton. Should you read them even though you know everything that happens in the first two seasons word-by-word? The short answer is yes, absolutely.
And the long answer includes several reasons why you should order Julia Quinn's novels right now. Here they are.
Books help you understand characters better
While Bridgerton did a great job of developing its characters, the novels with hundreds of pages offer even more opportunities to delve into the protagonists' motivations, pasts, and character traits.
Reading the novels, you are guaranteed to learn much more about Simon Basset and the Sharma sisters (Sheffield in the books) than was shown on screen. This also applies to the Bridgerton siblings, of course.
Adaptation is different in many ways
The stories of Daphne and Anthony may be based on the novels, but they were changed for the adaptation. Here are just a few examples: Quinn's Daphne was never a diamond of the season; Queen Charlotte, as well as the Great Experiment, doesn't exist in the books; and Edwina Sharma wasn't interested in Anthony.
Intrigued yet? The books put already beloved characters in new circumstances, which lets you relive their love stories in a new way. Isn't that what a true fan dreams of?
Books are fun
Rational explanations aside, Bridgerton novels are simply a joy to spend time with. Even though Julia Quinn's writing may be a bit dated due to the time period of the series' release (2000–2006), her novels remain one of the best representatives of the genre that historical romance fans have been enjoying long before the adaptation landed on Netflix.