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I was recently re-reading for the umpteenth time, “Frederica” by Georgette Heyer. It was a Kindle edition, and had inscribed on the cover these words: “Perfect for fans of Bridgerton”. I cannot recall how long it has been since I felt so cross! 

If you have lived under a rock in recent years, “Bridgerton” is a very popular Netflix TV series, based on the books of Julia Quinn, who writes Regency Romances. The series is surprisingly well done (I am not saying it is historically accurate), and I enjoyed it immensely. 

However the condescension implied by those words on the cover of a Georgette Heyer Regency novel is beyond belief! 

Georgette Heyer is one of my all-time favourite novelists, especially her Regency novels which were written between the 1930s and the 1970s. “The Talisman Ring” was one of the first adult books I ever read, before I was a teenager, and I still vividly recall the joy of reading it that first time. Many is the time I brought home one of her novels from the local public library and stayed up all night reading. I often had to stifle my laughter at her dry wit, so as to not wake my sister. 

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Heyer invented the Regency Romance trope. But in my opinion her novels are head and shoulders above any that followed. 

I am going to quote Stephen Fry here, in his 2021 “Guardian” article on the “enduring appeal of Georgette Heyer” – for why should I reinvent the wheel when trying to describe her writings? He said Heyer is “one of the wittiest, most insightful and rewarding prose writers imaginable. Her stories satisfy all the requirements of romantic fiction, but the language she uses, the dialogue, the ironic awareness, the satire and insight – these rise far above the genre … her diligent, almost academically precise researches and immaculate ear for language, custom and historical detail result in texts that are so much denser and more demanding of concentration and memory than the lighter, less substantial fare now on offer”.

What Stephen Fry did not specifically address in his piece was that her novels always included a good story. They were never just a “boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl” romance. There was always some adventure happening. More often than not, the actual “romance”, ie kissing, comprised a few lines at the end of the book, and not dissimilar to Jane Austen’s novels. 

The depth of Heyer’s research into the Regency era is plainly obvious in her novels. While many contemporary authors are also painstaking about their research, few if any demonstrate a similar ease with the era. You could easily believe Heyer’s novels were written by a contemporary. Her use of Regency era language and slang is unsurpassed. No other novelist comes anywhere close, and believe me, I have read many. 

The indignity of the Queen of Regency Romance being promoted as an add-on for Bridgerton fans was one step too far. Image if a Jane Austen novel was published with “Perfect for fans of Bridgerton” plastered on the front! My feelings would be equally as revolted. 

ADDENDUM 16 July 2022.

I wrote the above on 7 June, and it is happening! The ”Bridgerton-isation” of Jane Austen!

Netflix has just released a new adaptation of ”Persuasion” starring Dakota Johnson, and from the comments made in this article, see http://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-16/persuasion-review-dakota-johnson-netflix/101241834 , it appears that the film-maker has opted for the glitz and glamour of a Bridgerton-style version. To quote: ”in the novel Anne is described as a ‘faded and thin’ woman whose ‘bloom had vanished’; this Anne is vivacious and outspoken.”

I will still watch it, and will no doubt enjoy it, having been pre-warned not to expect an authentic adaptation.

If you are looking for a good adaptation, I don’t think you can do better than Amanda Root as Anne Elliott and Ciarán Hinds as Frederick Wentworth in the 1995 British television version of “Persuasion”, although Sally Hawkins in the 2007 British television version is also good. However Rupert Penry-Jones in the 2007 version seemed mis-cast, to me. He was too young and too handsome.