Welcome to the inaugural edition of Binge-worthy Books, where we review the title for that month's edition of our new Streaming Book Club, a book club around those titles that were later turned into hot new streaming shows or movies. So sit back and relax. We're getting ready to binge another book: Bridgerton: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn.
Join us in person or via Zoom on Friday, January 28th @12PM. Be sure to register early.
The Duke and I
by Julia Quinn
Book Summary
This is the first title in the Bridgerton series, originally released back in 2000.
The Bridgerton series is a Regency-romance series following the romantic exploits of the Bridgerton siblings as they search for their life partners. Here's what the publisher has to say about it:
Can there be any greater challenge to London's Ambitious Mamas than an unmarried duke?—Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1813
By all accounts, Simon Basset is on the verge of proposing to his best friend's sister—the lovely and almost-on-the-shelf—Daphne Bridgerton. But the two of them know the truth—it's all an elaborate ruse to keep Simon free from marriage-minded society mothers. And as for Daphne, surely she will attract some worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.
But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, it's hard to remember that their courtship is a sham. Maybe it's his devilish smile, certainly it's the way his eyes seem to burn every time he looks at her . . . but somehow Daphne is falling for the dashing duke . . . for real! And now she must do the impossible and convince the handsome rogue that their clever little scheme deserves a slight alteration, and that nothing makes quite as much sense as falling in love. -- HarperCollins Publishing
The Netflix Adaptation: Bridgerton
Season one of Netflix's period drama, Bridgerton, is roughly the first book in the series. It follows the story of Simon Basset and Daphne Bridgerton as they attempt to fool the ton into believing that they are an item all the while "not" falling for each other themselves. In essence, it does have all of the characters without going too far from their on-page personas, but there is a twist. Where the series changes things is in the appearance of the characters (Instead of brunette, some of the Bridgertons are auburn. Instead of tall, black-haired, blue-eyed, and very fair, the main male lead is of African descent, and in fact there is quite a few black actors throughout with major speaking roles and/or set in places of power, which is not present in the book at all. Add in that a couple of characters were combined and there are questionable to the time period emotional outcomes to certain events and you have a complicated story with a lot to discuss.
Discussion Questions
If you are interested in some serious discussions, here are some questions to ask yourself and others. Maybe it will spark a juicy talk or a unique insight into a complicated concept. Note: While mostly lightheartedly handled, there are some difficult subjects dealt with in the series, politically, socially and morally. Some questions even might include trigger words. These have been marked as "*Serious concept*" and are not for the faint of heart. Read/discuss at your own discretion.
What does the novel say about the importance of family?
How does the character of Daphne fall into the trope of “not like the other girls”?
What do you think it is about Daphne that make men view her more as a friend rather than marriage material?
In what way does the novel portray the romance of the past?
What were indicators that Simon had feelings other than lust for Daphne?
If Daphne had not gone off into the garden do you think they would have still ended up getting married?
Was Daphne being manipulative in telling Simon someone had seen them that night they went into the garden?
Do you consider Simon saying he couldn’t have children a lie?
If Daphne had known more about sex and how babies are made do you think their marriage would have gone the same way it did at first, or would things have been different?
If Daphne had gotten pregnant from that one night how do you think it would have changed things and their marriage? (see spoiler questions below)
How do you feel about Simon deciding he was fine with having children so soon after he and Daphne got back together?
Do you think marriages in the Regency era were happy ones?
What is your stance on love and marriage? Is it necessary for the one to make the other a success or do you think more along the lines of Dianna Ross (and Regency England... or Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof)? Can it grow into being after marriage? Is it even necessary for a successful marriage at all?
What is your view on love?
What about your understanding of sex before marriage? Especially in relation to Regency England?
What do you feel about Marina attempting to trap Colin Bridgerton into marriage?
What was your take on Marina's reaction to her eventual marriage match? Do you think it was a reasonable reaction? For the time?
What was your favorite Lady Whistledown passage?
What were some things that you liked better in the show?
What were some things you liked better in the books?
What brought you to the series? Did you read the book(s) first or watch the series?
The show changed a lot of smaller and medium-sized details. Do you think that the changes added a new dimension &/or were necessary to the story at hand? Did you think they added or subtracted in a broader sense?
What do you make of Marina's ending? Sad or happy?
What is your perception of Lady Whistledown? Some have put her forth as a voice for feminism? Agree or disagree?
*Serious concept*: Explore the interpretation, both positive and negative, of race as handled within the show. There are controversies in terms of color blindness in Regency garb (practically but for a couple backhanded comments about not messing things up for the rest of their people), putting black characters with speaking rolls in direct conflict with white, the assumption of a black queen (there is a current theory that Queen Charlotte had Moorish ancestry and the series went with it) and or the sudden inclusion of King George in his invalid state halfway through the first season and what it says about what happened earlier in the series.
*Serious concept*: Referring to question 25, what is your stance on the use of race in Bridgerton?
*Serious concept*: Referring to question 25, are there other issues in regards to the handling of race or social issues that you believe should have been brought up that weren't?
*Serious concept*: Referring to question 25, what do you think is the most important issue raised in regards to race in the series? Do you agree with their viewpoint? Do you think it was done well?
*Serious concept*: Referring to question 25, do you think bringing up race in a regency romance is necessary? Do you think adding that as a blatant element in the series added or subtracted from your experience?
*Spoiler Alert to those who have not finished the first season* *Serious concept*: At one point we see a wife rape her unconscious husband as retribution for untruths and uninformed consent. Unpack this (including producers' refusal to call the act/scene an act of rape).
*Spoiler Alert to those who have not finished the first season* *Serious concept*: Referring to question 30, do you think Daphne was justified? Is there ever a justification?
*Spoiler Alert to those who have not finished the first season* *Serious concept*: Referring to question 30, what about the idea of informed consent? What responsibility do parents and/or more experienced partners have towards the ignorant? Both modern and Regency? Is there a difference? Also compare movie and book
*Spoiler Alert to those who have not finished the first season* *Serious concept*: Referring to question 30, do you think Simon was right in calling it "can't" instead of "won't" and in not making sure his wife understood what the act of sex completely entailed?
*Spoiler alert for those who have not finished the first season*: In the books, it isn't for several more books until Lady Whistledown is revealed, but we learn this first season who she is. What do you make of learning her identity so early in the series?
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