Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Review: Inside Bridgerton

Title: Inside Bridgerton
Author: Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers

Publisher: 29th November 2022 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 285 pages

Genre: non fiction, Bridgerton

My Rating: 5 cups


Synopsis:


Inside Bridgerton is the intimate behind-the-scenes story of the hit Shondaland series on Netflix, from Shondaland executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers.


Full-colour and beautifully designed, Inside Bridgerton is the official book about the show, and includes never before seen photographs, first-hand accounts on casting, insight into the decisions behind the costumes and sets, directors' accounts on shooting your favourite scenes, and more from the creative minds that launched a cultural phenomenon.


Shondaland executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers offer exclusive insights, and introduce you to the series writers, producers, directors, cast, crew and talented creatives who brought Julia Quinn's beloved novels to the screen.


My Thoughts


Being the huge fan of Bridgerton I am, I was beyond excited to receive a copy of this sensational book. It’s always enlightening to get behind the scenes and become immersed in something you love. Not only is this a stunning book visually but it is filled to the brim with such interesting facts and details. This book now has pride of place on my bookshelves. 


‘We wrote this book to share with you the craftsmanship, effort, and beauty of what went into building the world of Bridgerton. We also wrote this book to sneak you a few behind-the-scenes secrets. After all, we could not enter the world of Lady Whistledown without a few whispers of hot gossip, could we? Settle in. Loosen your corset. Gentle Reader, this is for you.’


As Julia Quinn herself states in the book, ‘It was utterly brilliant. Different, yes, but beautifully done in a way that I never would have considered. It was perfect.’  This tome is filled with gorgeous glossy photos from behind the scenes. It was fabulous to learn of the various locations used for filming and how a production of this magnitude is undertaken. For example, the chapter on the complexities of production was such an eye opener with details of how characters would go through 10-15 people before arriving on set!


The book is divided into sections: 1.Writing the World  2.Hiring the World  3.Defining the Ton  4.Building the World  5.Beyond the Page  6.Visualising the World. Within these chapters there is such a range of information on topics from the costuming including jewelry and undergarments (‘The factory ultimately held eighteen hundred dresses, all cataloged. Phoebe alone had eighty-six dresses.’);  and of a particular personal interest, a historian who commented on matters of authenticity with everything from Regency slang to making readers aware of what it would have been like in reality:


‘In the period, the trees were lit up by lamps filled with whale oil- - which smelled dreadful, so the Pleasure Gardens would have absolutely stank.’


If you are a fan of Bridgerton (or even the logistics of a production of this magnitude) getting your hands on a copy of Inside Bridgerton is a no-brainer. It’s big, it’s brash and it is absolutely beautiful. 


‘And so, Dearest Reader, here is hoping that you have delighted in this peek behind the scenes of Bridgerton. … Our hope is that this book makes you more interested, invested, and curious about Bridgerton, of course, but also about world-building in general, and the exquisite care that goes into every moment of production, whether it happens onscreen or off.’




This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.


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