Spoilers
I binge-watched the Netflix show and had to read the books to deal with my withdrawal until the next season. This was a fun experience- usually I read the book before watching the adaptation- but I enjoyed picking out all the similarities and differences. I preferred the show to the book (which doesn’t happen often) but there’s many reasons for this.
There were some big differences in the characters which shocked me. I liked Daphne a lot more in this book- she had more personality. Colin was another character that surprised me- in the show, he comes across as sweet and naïve and innocent. In the books, he’s portrayed as a lot more mischievous, cheeky and promiscuous… which I kind of enjoyed? Show Colin was very goody-two-shoes for me. And finally, I think the last biggest character difference was Violet. I really liked her in the show but in the book, she seemed shrill and controlling and over-the-top. Wasn’t a fan.
The writing style was a little odd and sometimes jarring for me to read. It was third-person limited but the perspective would also change between Daphne and Simon mid-chapter. It confused me and took me out of the story many times.
The main romance between Daphne and Simon was pretty faithful between the book and the show. I liked watching their romance blossom but, similar to the show, it’s clear that certain aspects of their relationship are extremely toxic and they both make some horrific choices. The sex scene (you know which one) made me so uncomfortable and I hated reading it- just like I hated watching it in the show. However, I will say that it raises the right conversations.
My main reason for preferring the show was the depth and subplots. Yes, I understand that the book focuses on the two characters while the show gets to explore the lives of every single Bridgerton but the show is just more entertaining! When reading this, I missed Eloise, I missed Will, I missed Lady Danbury- I even missed the Featheringtons! The book has absolutely no subplots whatsoever and it lacked depth for me.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and will probably continue the series but I think the show takes this story to another level- not to mention, the diversity that the show brings. I’m really excited for Anthony’s story, though- enemies to lovers, here we come!
Interesting that the books only focus on a couple of characters at a time - it's definitely the amount of personality in the show that is a big draw and that makes it so fun!
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly! I understand why the books focus on just a couple of characters at a time but the show brings in so much more depth as we get to explore so many characters x
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