“Bridgerton” is a Netflix costume drama, the new season of which is once again breaking viewing records on the platform. The series, based on the novel of the same name by Julia Quinn, depicts the life and customs of the English aristocracy of the Regency era: balls and intrigues, social outings, betrayals, love and passion. “Bridgerton” is called “a women's novel of the feminist era” – the series is daring, full of provocative scenes and emotionally gripping. With the release of the fourth season, there is another opportunity to break away from the ruthless news feed for a moment and immerse yourself in the porcelain high society.
About the author
The Bridgerton family story was written by Julia Pottinger, known under the pseudonym Julia Quinn, an American author of romance novels. She loved to read from a young age. At the age of 12, Julia wanted to read the Sweet Dreams and Sweet Valley series, but her father did not agree with this choice. He said that he would allow her to do so only if she proved that these books would help her develop her reading skills. In response, Julia explained that she was studying this literature because she wanted to write her own novel in the future. And she did. Between 2000 and 2006, eight of her books dedicated to the Bridgerton family were published. And each of the author's subsequent 17 novels made the New York Times bestseller list.
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Quinn works in the genre of historical women's novel, but does not strive to accurately recreate the historical context and deliberately does not adhere to the canons of classical romantic literature. She writes easily and lively. Her heroes are wealthy charismatic men and witty, attractive women. At the same time, their relationships are sharp, sensual and distinctly modern, which attracts a young audience. The writer herself describes her texts as follows: “You worry about the characters throughout the book, and then you get a happy ending and rejoice with them.”
Key books about the Bridgertons:
“The Duke and I” (Daphne)
“The Viscount Who Loved Me” (Anthony)
“A Gentleman's Proposal” (Benedict)
“A Romance with Mr. Bridgerton” (Colin)
“To Sir Phillip with love” (Heloise)
“When he was debauched” (Francesca)
“It's in his kiss” (Hyacinthe)
“On the Road to the Wedding” (Gregory)
On the differences between the series and the books
While on vacation, writer and producer Shonda Rhimes read a few Bridgerton novels and became interested in them. She contacted Julia Quinn and offered to adapt her creation into a film. The start of filming was announced in 2018. Since then, three seasons have been released and we have already started enjoying the fourth.
The series is not a literal adaptation of Quinn's novels. It would be more accurate to say that it was filmed based on her books. The series takes place in a fictional Mayfair, where the main focus is on the Bridgerton family. The family has eight children: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. They, together with their mother, the Dowager Viscountess Violet, and numerous entourage, plunge into a whirlpool of love adventures and social intrigues. Each season focuses on individual stories of family members. Some storylines in the series have been changed, the writers have added new characters and developed the story about them. However, the main differences between the series and the book are related to the new ethics. The cast has been made diverse. The series raises issues of growing up and sexual education, which are not in the books.
In the series, unlike the books, the queen plays an important role, but in the first eight books she is not there at all, only Lady Danbury. The story of Queen Charlotte is told in a separate novel. In the film adaptation, we were shown boxing matches to strengthen the characters' character, which was not in the books. You will not find Lord Debling in the books, but this character brightly complemented the third season of the series. The friendship between Eloise and Cressida took place only on the screen. In the novels, we do not know who is hiding behind the name of Lady Whistledown until the fourth book, and in the series this is revealed at the end of the first season. The third book in chronological order is “A Gentleman's Proposal”, and in the series we were shown the story of Penelope and Colin, who are the heroes of the fourth book. Francesca's story was told to us in the third season and it also differs from the story in the book. The plot of the fourth season focuses on the love story of Benedict, the second brother of the family, who was considered a “free bachelor”. Previously, he was more of an observer than an active participant in romantic dramas, but in the fourth season, Benedict will also find his love. The second part of the new season of “Bridgerton” will be released on February 26, 2026.
Text: Oksana Bagriy