The Bridgerton Literary Saga: A General Overview
The collection "The Bridgertons" follows eight siblings—four men and four women—through their romantic journeys in London's high society during the 19th century. Each book is led by a different character, allowing for an individual but always interconnected approach.
The narrative structure created by Julia Quinn is one of the main factors of success: independent stories, but with emotional and family continuity. This facilitates both reading and adaptation for television.
How Many Books Exist?
In total, there are nine volumes: eight main novels (one for each sibling) and one extra book with epilogues and complementary stories.
Order of Bridgerton Books
Volume 1: The Duke and I - Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset's story was responsible for introducing the universe to the public. The plot revolves around a fake relationship that becomes true love, setting the tone for the series.
Volume 2: The Viscount Who Loved Me - Focused on Anthony Bridgerton, the book presents an intense romance with Kate Sharma. The narrative explores themes of duty, fear, and emotional vulnerability.
Volume 3: An Offer from a Gentleman - Inspired by the Cinderella tale, it follows Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie. The story mixes romance with class differences, being one of the most anticipated adaptations.
Volume 4: Romancing Mister Bridgerton - One of the most popular novels, it brings Colin and Penélope Featherington in an arc of friendship that evolves into love, with important revelations.
Volume 5: To Sir Phillip, with Love - Eloise Bridgerton experiences an epistolary romance with Sir Phillip, addressing more mature themes like grief, motherhood, and new beginnings.
Volume 6: The Duke and I - Francesca Bridgerton stars in a more dramatic story involving loss, desire, and a forbidden love with Michael.
Volume 7: On the Way to the Wedding - Hyacinth, the youngest of the sisters, lives a light and fun story alongside Gareth St. Clair, involving family mysteries.
Volume 8: It Happened One Autumn - Gregory Bridgerton closes the main novels with a narrative that subverts expectations about love at first sight.
Volume 9: And They Lived Happily Ever After - A collection of epilogues showing the characters' fate after the main events, plus a special look at Violet Bridgerton.
Netflix's Adaptation: Changes in Order and Narrative
One of the most interesting aspects of the Bridgerton adaptation is Netflix's creative freedom in reorganizing the order of events.
The Inversion of Stories
While the books follow a chronological order based on the siblings' ages, the series chose to alter this sequence. A clear example is Colin, whose story (book 4) was adapted before Benedict's (book 3). This decision allowed exploring characters who already had great popularity among series fans, especially Penélope Featherington.
Expansion of Characters
