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by PAM
Uhm-hmm, yeah... the going gets tougher and tougher everyday! There is too much 'excitement'. As a natural consequence, work is relentless, and my brain seems to bleed from exhaustion. You can just imagine how the whole body might be screaming, "break, break, break... I need a break!"
More than any part of my body, my brain needs some time outside the 'pressure cooker' - to be refreshed, re-calibrated, and renewed. And, what can be more refreshing than a trip back to "teenage days" when all we had in the beautiful world we lived in then were science fiction, fantasy and the 'middle earth', James Bond, silly romance books, and lots of '80s music? And so, I put on my 'teenage slippers'... and took a walk down my beautiful teenage road.
There were a few interesting 'crossroads' down the path... and I bravely took one of the 'rosy' ones leading back to the future. Guess who I met as I did? It's the Harvard-educated Regency Romance phenom, Julia Quinn! And guess who were present in my first 'meeting' with this #1 NY Times best selling author? Well, it's none other than the adorable Bridgerton family, of course! :) Ha, trust JQ to bring her biggest guns to shoot you straight in the heart... as she did to me! And, guess what... I didn't mind, not at all!
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| The adorable Bridgerton siblings, circa 1813 ("The Duke and I" by Julia Quinn)
(Image credit: bechedor79. Thanks for the loan of the image.)
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For one who is trying to find a breather from the extreme pressure at work, Quinn's Bridgerton series is worth investing time on - for the witty banters that usually get extremely funny, described in a scene that puts the imagination on full throttle. They simply lift the clouds over one's head, and allow the cheerful sun to do wonders on one's disposition. I'd often find myself convulsing with laughter in the dark at night with my iPad... and wake up with a smile on my face the next day... the exhaustion from the previous day almost forgotten, all because of the Bridgertons. There are wonderfully crafted characters in the series as well that lights up a 'scene' each time they appear. One example is the extremely adorable Colin Bridgerton. Ah, how I wish he did exist in the 'real world'! Escapism to the max, indeed!
The series is about the eight Bridgerton siblings: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth... yep, from eldest to youngest - named alphabetically. :) It's all about how they found the love of their lives... and how they made it work, 'cause there were challenges along the way, of course. There were minor characters
who are equally adorable and funny that I liked very much: the dowager Viscountess, Lady Violet Bridgerton - the awesome mother of the Bridgertons, and their family friend, the indomitable Lady Danbury. Both ladies were predictable as their characters are so defined... and yet, they end up surprising you each time they make an appearance in a scene that often proved to be the turning point of the story. They did make their presence felt in the whole series.
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| A little sample of what goes on in Anthony's head. (Source: Julia Quinn's website. Many thanks, JQ!) |
I like all the eight books in the series, including the ninth, "The Bridgertons: Happily Ever after" (the collection of 2nd Epilogues for the first 8 books). I read and re-read them all in six weeks as a much-needed 'escape' from daily excruciating work. My favorite book is the first in the series, "The Duke and I", just because the Bridgerton banters were at their best, and JQ did a very good job in introducing and defining the characters, which were to bloom in the next seven books... well, eight, including "Happily Ever After". But, I did like very much Anthony and Kate's story in "The Viscount who Loved Me". Their story developed and ended in the most unexpected way, with many laugh-out-loud hilarious scenes, therefore, very interesting... and, in the end, compelling... even when both did not agree on anything in the beginning. There were so many extremely funny scenes where the two sparred in wits and humor that made it impossible not to believe that Anthony and Kate were a perfect match. And there were many, oh, so touching moments, too, that did melt the heart. Anthony was very romantic, and it was wonderful that he did not have a clue that he was; and Kate imagined herself to be cold and too practical to be attractive, but she was adorable. That Pall Mall game was a 'readers-only' sort of Bridgerton 'memorabilia' stuff. Having read it made one feels like a part of a 'lofty' exclusive club. Really swell! Ha! :)
As for the eight Bridgertons, while I really adored Colin, I liked Anthony's character best. As the head of the mighty and hugely popular Bridgerton family, who inherited the Viscountcy at the age of 18 after the untimely death of their father, yes, he can be quite arrogant, and close to being imperious at times - especially inside his own head... but he was unselfish, responsible, and truly loved his family... not to
mention well-educated and very intelligent, and funny without even trying, especially when he lets his heart out in the open. As for the sisters, Daphne seemed the wisest and the closest match to his older brothers in terms of strength and the ability to make sound decisions. However, I love the sense of adventure of Eloise in "To Sir Phillip, with Love"... and her usual tenacity whenever she decided to pursue something. She might have started with many insecurities... what with seven very charming siblings, but she rose above her own insecurities and took charge of her life. It was hard not to applaud her in the end. It did help that Anthony and she had "that talk" to help her navigate the complex workings of her own mind, of course. I really enjoyed "that talk"... I loved Anthony even more after that. It's almost as heart-warming as the scene when he and Daphne had a brother-sister bonding in "The Duke and I" as they drank cold milk in the middle of the night while Daphne tried to figure out how he felt for Simon... and that "talk" Anthony's had with Simon ("the Duke") himself when he was helping to patch things up between the Duke and Daphne when the two met a sticky situation in their marriage. Come to think of it, there were many heart-warming Bridgerton moments in the eight books where Anthony was at the center of it all. It just went to show how he really cared about his family, and how he took the happiness of each of them to heart even when he outwardly tried to be severe and 'preachy'. As Simon himself thought, 'Anthony had responsibilities Simon had never even dreamed of. He had brothers to guide, sisters to protect. Simon had a dukedom, but Anthony had a family'.
As for the eight Bridgertons, while I really adored Colin, I liked Anthony's character best. As the head of the mighty and hugely popular Bridgerton family, who inherited the Viscountcy at the age of 18 after the untimely death of their father, yes, he can be quite arrogant, and close to being imperious at times - especially inside his own head... but he was unselfish, responsible, and truly loved his family... not to
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| It's all about having powerful brothers... trust the Bridgerton brothers to take matters into their own hands when the reputation of any one of their sisters might be in peril. (Source: Julia Quinn's website. Many thanks, JQ!) |
While Hyacinth's character was "overdeveloped", I think, throughout the first six books - and she just completely "growled" fiercely in "It's in His Kiss" (her book) - it's a pity that Benedict's was not as developed in the first two books. He was not even a participant in the Pall Mall game in the second book. Therefore, I read (and re-read, I must confess) "An Offer from a Gentleman" (Benedict and Sophie's story) with such ferocity and voracity to discover more about Benedict. As it turned out, he's the silent type but with a depth of character that simply takes one's breath away. He was passionate of his convictions and
devotion to the people he loved, albeit silly at times, and shallow when left unchecked; he was dependable and kind... and I loved it that his mother thought him to resemble their late father (Viscount Edmund Bridgerton) the closest, and that he, too, will make a very good father in her opinion. And Sophie, the wonderful woman who stole his heart in their "Cinderella story", brought out the best in him... aided some by his own mother... and, at times, by his own sisters. It makes one realize how unselfish Benedict was, just leaving the rein of leading their huge family to Anthony rather than competing with him for attention and leadership. He tried to find his place in the world silently and unassumingly instead. As it turned out, he was a talented artist. In the end, he lived the life of a quite withdrawn but renowned artist, content and happy with his wife and family in the peace and quiet life in the country... while still maintaining the air of a mighty Bridgerton about him.
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| A little bit of mystery, some enchantment and fun... ...a lot of love - the kind that lasts a lifetime. (Source: Julia Quinn's website. Many thanks, JQ!) |
There were so many good things about the Bridgerton series, but the very best is the love and familial loyalty that bind the Bridgertons together. They were a TEAM... and a formidable one at that! It was always heartwarming when they all come together to rescue one of the family members in times of peril... even imagined ones. And this is probably the attraction of the Bridgertons to me... it's all about family... and love, of course... and lots and lots of laughter! Indeed, reading the series is one unforgettable experience.
Alright... work 'calls', I'm going to have to end here. Make no mistake though, I should like to talk about the Bridgertons again - sooner than later. Yes, that's how extremely stressed out I am these days. Thanks, Julian Quinn, for the respite - you're my hero! :)
Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day to all, by the way! :)
Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day to all, by the way! :)
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