After the second season appeared on Netflix in March, it became abundantly clear that Bridgerton fever is still very much upon us (with many enjoying Bridgerton Season 2 more than the first season). The latest season has continued the drama’s record-breaking ways, even with all of those complaints about there not being enough Bridgerton boinking in Season 2. One might think that the author of the book series on which the Regency-era romance is based, Julia Quinn, would want people to love her novels more than the show, but she recently revealed why she thinks it’s better for fans to have “trouble” deciding between the versions of Bridgerton.
Why Julia Quinn Wants Bridgerton Fans To Have Trouble Deciding Between The Show And Her Books
Julia Quinn published the first of her eight Bridgerton books in 2000, and it would be fair to say that her series was already quite popular well before Shonda Rhimes and her production company decided to bring them to the small screen. But, there can be no doubt that having the novels turned into a visual feast with diverse casting, addictive swoon-worthy dialogue, and the sexiest scenes ever created for a Regency drama have upped that popularity by a nearly infinite degree. If, however, you think that Quinn has any worry about the fact that some love the show more than the books, you’d be wrong. In an interview with Insider, Quinn said:
When I lurk on the interwebs, about half the people I see talking about either Season 1 or Season 2 are like, 'Oh, the books are better!' and about half say, 'Oh, the show's better!' That means we're all doing a great job. I've had people say to me, 'Don't you want everyone to say that the book's better?' And I was like, 'No, I want the show to be awesome.' I want people to have trouble deciding. It means things are going great if people are split, and the creators of the show chose to emphasize a slightly different aspect of the many relationships that occur within the story.
As Quinn (who consults on the series and asked that a major scene be included in Bridgerton Season 2) went on to explain, and as anyone who’s adored a book and then watched a movie or TV show based on that book will know very well, there is always a lot more in a book than what can be fit into an adaptation. And, it’s also true that when a showrunner and team of writers get their hands on a book to adapt, they might find some other aspect of the basic story more intriguing than the original author did, and choose to bring something different to their take on it.
These new interpretations frequently lead to fans being split between those who like the book more and those who favor the on-screen adaptation more, and for Quinn that kind of divide is actually a great thing. Both stories getting to live on and have fans just means that everything is going according to plan. Can you imagine if Bridgerton came out and everyone said, “The books are way better. What were they thinking?” We likely never would have been able to watch all of those hot Kate Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton moments, and certainly wouldn’t be guaranteed more Bridgerton romance through Season 4.
Quinn thinks that the books and series can now just serve to form a more complete picture of the world the Bridgertons inhabit for fans, and added:
[Season 2] did veer farther from the book than season one did, but my attitude towards Season 1, and it really is the same thing for Season 2, is that they go really well together. I don't expect them to be word-for-word and I don't want them to be carbon copies. It's really neat, you have these two things that complement each other really well. You can watch the show and read the books and have both two separate experiences and one big experience.
Luckily, we won’t have to go without Bridgerton in any form any time soon, and we can all wait excitedly for what might happen in Bridgerton’s third season!
