I read Benedict Bridgerton's book and he belongs in jail??? | An Offer from a Gentleman review
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- čas přidán 15. 08. 2024
- once again i have subjected myself to over 300 pages of a man being really annoying!!! stay tuned for my reactions to Francesca's and Eloise's books lol
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Intro
01:38 - Prologue
03:56 - The masquerade ball
10:07 - The rescue
13:40 - The "offer" (it's blackmail)
24:12 - London
28:37 - The reveal
29:40 - 3rd act shenanigans
34:07 - Book review
38:29 - Hopes for TV show
tags: An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn, Bridgerton book review, Benedict Bridgerton, Benedict and Sophie
![Benedict Bridgerton ||Scene Pack with Mega Link|| [HD] - Bridgerton](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XPAXZn8Vi5o/mqdefault.jpg)
His whole book is an HR violation. It's a lot.
lmao THIS
Book Benedict is a mess, so maybe they're taking their time writing his season and that's why they delayed his turn. 😂 So curious what they'll do in the show.
we can only hope 😭 I didn’t love season 3 so my enthusiasm is a bit tempered but Benny is my fave and I hope he gets a proper season
She’s, Mrs. Quinn, an interesting author. I will say, trying to stay polite, she lacks imagination.
😂😂😂
I read “the Duke and I” and thought it was some of the worst writing I’ve ever read. Literally a miracle that they were able to turn it into such a wonderful show (the first season)!
@@audreymcneal8714 I couldn’t finish it. I’m one of those “weird” people who enjoyed and still prefers the first season of the show. And I thought I might as well read the book. It was really bad.
Funnily enough, when I was 12-13 and I read “When He was Wicked,” I liked it. A lot. But, as an adult, when I read it again, it was… something. I didn’t like it. That I can say. Maybe her audience is teenage girls?????
@@audreymcneal8714 thiss,, thats why, for me, thats the first time that a adaptation(tv) is better than the original book
I couldn't agree more. She can't even write well, on top of that. If I see "drawled" or "blithely" one more time.....
idk if you saw this (and you might mention this later in the video), but a few days ago a casting call was published to be searching for “emily,” who is almost definitely Sophie. the call described the character as east asian, so i think it would be fun to instead of cinderella make it mulan. that way we can have sophie dressing as a man to disguise herself, and we can also explore more of benedict’s attraction to men.
i hadn't seen that but this makes me really excited! agree that the crossdressing element would be fun, another commenter suggested that too
Omg, that would be genius! Never thought about that.
Yessss
It would basically be a different story then, but I'd still watch it.
I'm not sure how I feel about making the Asian play Mulan by default. Asian girls can be Cinderella and vice-versa... this is blind casting, right?
@@srose1088 it’s not really blind if they’re specifically looking for east asian actors
The first bit was clearly a reap-off from Cinderella, no surprises there, but the rest is so much Jane Eyre. I was kind of wondering if we'd have a house on fire and a crazed person in the attic
that's why i'm taking the books and the series as two separate things 😂😬
On the fatphobia in the Bridgerton series: at the time these books are supposedly set a woman on the plump or curvaceous side would be considered far more desirable than someone thin because it signaled wealth, health and fertility. So unlike the period accurate sexism, there isn’t really a reason for it to be there.
Honestly same. I could be wrong, but plumpness was considered a good thing back then. While she may have not been ideal, Penelope wouldn't be as much ridiculed
actually not true
@@moritzmartini4132 Well yes
Can i just say this has always bothered me, and it began in S1. You’re telling me, the Duke of Hastings, a black man, was losing his shit over Daphne?? Skinny unexciting Daphne??! Each to their own obviously, but i just feel like he’d want something more substantial…physically. 30:41 Just a bit of a mismatch imo
My theory is that in the show they gave Benedict Colin's personality (and made him more loveable)... now here is the thing because Benedict took Colin's personality... when season 3 came out Colin had absolutely no personality... they can't really give Colin Benedict;s personality because if they were to do that everyone, would hate Colin... so while Benedict became a very lovable character Colin is just floating... confused... This is evident in the. entire season 3 but more prominently shown in season 3 part 1
They didn't Luke T is just a better actor
@@reblfleur3923 No bro, read the books and you begin to realize that Benedict in the show is just a less insecure version of Book Colin
I think you’re right about Ben taking Colin’s personality. But I actually liked show Colin too
I've seen a lot of people saying that Benedict's book is their favourite, and I'm like 😳
I read many of the books before the show came out but I've only ever seen 1 person say it's their favorite many most love Benedict character in the show.
I liked the first 100 pages… when it was a Cinderella story, and then after that I rage quit for a year only to pick it back up again because I hate DNF’ing a book.
The Bridgeton are likable but people forget their stupid rich and have even higher social power.
omg I know exactly what you mean about the books being good until the actual romance starts 😭
I only read Romancing Mister Bridgerton, and I was laughing and really enjoying the book in the beginning. But I started getting irritated and bored once Colin and Penelope’s romance started and had the audiobook on 2.5 times speed 😭😭😭
yeah it's set up for a fun and cute romance until the man starts acting like a giant baby 😭
I like the books BUT they are hella fucked up. And it’s even more fucked up that he “saved” her from being almost graped and then goes on to sexually harass her multiple times.
It’s like the grape scene with Simon which was SO MUCH worse than the series. And Penelope had to lose weight before Collin even noticed her.
Everything I hear about the Bridgerton books makes me so confused as to what it was about them that make Netflix want to make a series out of them.
Like non of them sound good-and I'm a huge fan of at least the second season of Bridgerton.
apparently shonda read the books on vacation and really liked them lol i think the family aspect was probably a big selling point because it gives them many potential seasons. but i do wonder why this series and not any other ones with more compelling romance
@@catherineannechiang Yes, that is one of reasons I am so disappointed about what I hear about the Bridgerton books. Like, I like romance better if I am already familiar with the characters. And the family aspects makes you curious.
@@catherineannechiangI hope she stops reading altogether
Shonda Rhimes did this before with Still Star Crossed! It was a book about what happens after Romeo and Juliet. I remember trying to read the book and not liking it, but I loved the show! The show had diverse casting and hinted at queer characters. I know the show would’ve had more development if ABC hadn’t cancelled it after one season.
Everyone complaining about how different the Bridgerton show is compared to the books confirms my suspicion that nobody watched Still Star Crossed (which is probably why it got cancelled) and it shows.
Note: the same thing happened to the Netflix show, Sweet Magnolias. Rhimes isn’t a part of it, but it’s the same concept: take a not-so-greatly-written book series and turn it into a good, diverse show.
The idea is good, is bc of it they made the series. But Bridgerton is the first adaptation that I find the serie WAYY better than the books. I adore the series but the books are weak to bad
if u wanna read more of quinn's work, i wholeheartedly recommend First Comes Scandal !! it's a little shocking that the book is written by the same author as the entire bridgerton series, because it's just so nice and... normal?
It touches a LOT upon women's place in english society, the male lead is so sweet and honestly just a really nice guy, him and the female lead share a really comfortable friendly dynamic where the love feels so real and natural. The female lead is also a really interesting character who gets to defend herself from her abuse in a really refreshing way. for once, quinn's mentions of assault and violence against women seem tasteful. there are even discussions on consent taken place multiple times !!!!! (some of the conversations are funny because its like... girl... u wrote that legit in ur last book and now ure saying its bad ?? but regardless) It's genuinely an enjoyable, wholesome read. Plus bridgerton characters get fun little cameo
ooh this sounds super interesting! love to see writers evolving over their careers especially one as prolific as Julia Quinn’s
Book Benedict: black mailing a woman so he can have her as his mistress
Show Benedict: LADIES 😃 and more ladies 😄
Oh I feel you, I listened to the audiobook recently and was also not that impressed. The Cinderella story part was cliche but not in a fun way to me and I also was hoping for book Benedict to be somewhat closer to the Netflix character bc in the show he’s just the best and in the book he was. Eh.
The forced proximity is kind of exactly my jam tho, it’s a guilty pleasure.
but the plot/ points of conflict especially towards the end of the story felt forced, including the Posy redemption arc. (I also listened to the "second epilogue" where we hear posy’s happy ending and that made it worse somehow). Like, I’m reading a romance novel so I’m obviously hoping for a happy ending for the story but this felt so…. Curated to check all the boxes (revenge, redemption arc, solving the illegitimacy, money, happily ever after….) that it bothered me how "perfect" it was trying to be.
What I didn’t find plausible while reading but find hilarious in hindsight is that this girl made this guy fall in love with her not once but TWICE. Iconic. And instead of being like 'oh it was her all along, I love her inside and out' - B had the audacity to be MAD??
I hope Netflix finds a way to give Benedict a love story line that is, at best, vaguely inspired by the book source material. His show character has so much potential, I’d hate to see it wasted on this book’s plot.
Sophie really is an icon for that 😂 and the second time she was (according to Benedict himself) wearing the most hideous dresses known to man which just makes it even more iconic
This was so entertaining! This book was such a frustrating read.
You mentioned you'd read Eloise's book last but I hope you read Gregory's book too eventually. It was way more fun chaos than I ever expected from a Bridgerton book and Gregory is pretty unproblematic. It’s called On the Way to the Wedding.
I do plan to read all the Bridgerton books eventually! good to know I have something to look forward to
Didn’t he tie his love interest to a water closet so she couldn’t escape?
I liked your summary of the book. You captured everything. I grew up reading Harlequin Romances well into my teens. Maybe that's why I am not so bothered by all the things you noted as deficiencies in the male hero. I think younger readers really underestimate how sexist the world has been for centuries if not millennia. So what you keep pointing out as criminal leaves feeling "what?!!!"
I am slowly plodding through the series. I am half way through "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton" Polin's book. Honestly, I prefer Benedict's book "An Offer From A Gentleman." I do agree with you that Julia Quinn is best when she is not dealing with the actual romance. The Cinderella and working class issues, I thought, were very interesting. Benedict's insistence on turning Sophie into his mistress was fascinating to me. But there, I think Julia Quinn got it right. This is the book that really drove home for me the point that the Bridgertons really are class conscious. It's not a criticism. Their high standing means something very important to them. I have been doing some research on the 18th and 19th century sexual mores of the British and French colonies in the Caribbean (Haiti) and in Louisiana. There were strict racial codes. They had laws preventing freed Black people from marrying lighter skinned or biracial people. They had a whole system in Louisiana and other French territories that allowed wealthy European men to take on colored or mixed race women as mistresses or common law wives. These kind of arrangements allowed the women to take care of their families. The men would help finance these women in business and they prospered. There were laws in place to preserve their inheritance rights even against other legal white heirs.
There is a tendency to project 21st century values onto the past. That's why honestly I don't understand why people are so fascinated by period romances. A lot times there was no romance, let alone "true love" and marriages of convenience or "arrangements" were the order of the day. What I like about the Sophie character is that she does have a more modern sensibility, but she is remarkably tolerant and rather forgiving of Benedict. She understands the constraints of their situation, and she doesn't really blame him. Yes, she does get frustrated, but she's not really judging him the way a lot of 21st century readers are apt to do. I see Sophie as a remarkably strong and resilient woman.
Most of the men in the Bridgerton romances, including Benedict, are traumatized by some emotional deficit they experienced during childhood. At least in the Cinderella story, Cinderella knew her father loved her before he died. Sophie doesn't even benefit from the love of either parent. Her mother dies at her birth, which is tragic. And then her biological father declares her as his ward. He does the minimum to care for her, but offers no love or affection. This is heartbreaking. At the age of 10 Sophie is subjected to the most abject cruelty at the hands of her step mother. Somehow through it all Sophie manages to hold on to her self-respect. She doesn't give up on love, but she is so aware of the cruelty of the world. I love how she is resourceful. She is ready to take on any challenge fearlessly. She knows her limits. When she has to, she will and does stand up for herself. When she is serving people, she does it with grace. She does the best job she can at whatever she does. So many people have attitudes and make excuses for not doing their job. Sophie never does that. She takes pride in everything she does. When she is thrown into the rodent infested and filthy prison, and faces the prospect of being shipped to a work camp in Australia, she doesn't roll up into a ball, and weep in despair. She is frightened, but she is prepared to meet her destiny. She is a survivor. Whether or not Benedict rescues her, we know Sophie will make it somehow without bitterness and rancor in her heart. She reminds me of the biblical character Joseph. Maybe that is why people, not just Benedict, love and adore Sophie. She's wonderful!
Book Benedict is definitely not like Netflix/Shondaland Benedict. Or, perhaps Book Benedict reveals the real Benedict when he's not flitting about all over the place pursuing his hedonistic adventures. This Benedict is going through an existential crisis. Men of his class and rank were expected to have the best education, but afterwards, they didn't work. They didn't have professions. You see this with Colin in "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton." He has a posh apartment in the trendy part of town. His neighbors are doctors and lawyers and they get up every morning and go to work. Colin doesn't work. Neither does Benedict. They are not responsible for running a household. How do they justify their existence? It is no wonder they tarry and avoid attending the balls in search of a wife. During this period of history Britain was busy building their empires in Asia and Africa. Thirty years before the events in "Offer from a Gentleman" Britain was fighting in Haiti to stop the Haitian Revolution. Britain lost 50,000 men, and that forced them to end the slave trade at least in the Caribbean.
I think Benedict truly loves both versions of Sophie. The woman at the masquerade ball saw him as a man and not a prospect. The woman at the masquerade ball laughed and engaged in magical thinking. She wasn't afraid to admit she didn't know how to dance. She was his Tinker Bell to his Peter Pan. Sophie the house maid both inspired and challenged Benedict. She can read him in a way his own mother cannot. I love the scene where she refuses to walk away when she catches him swimming in the pond naked. She's curious. She not only tells him that she likes his artwork, but she explains herself in a way that lets him know she paid attention to his artwork. She doesn't give him empty praise and flattery. I understand why Sophie doesn't explain her situation in full. Being the illegitimate daughter of an aristocrat is not an automatic get out of jail card. When he offer her the opportunity to be his mistress, he is also thinking about the toxicity of people's gossip and disapproval. Reputation means everything to both men and women.
I don't find Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series that easy to read. They're kind of boring. The way she crafts the romance is "meh." I do get the sense she tries to infuse good will in her stories. She believes in happily ever after. She is also steadfast in her values. Family is everything. The power of love is something to aspire to. Basic human decency is the only way forward for a civilized society.
Preach. This book is my least favorite. 🤢 He's so manipulative and takes advantage of good power and position. It boggles my mind that it is often a favorite of the eight books.
Also think that Francesca's romance is not great. Her story, is interesting and very different but the romance, no thanks.
I kinda hope they do quite a few inversions on this particular book, like I hope they play around with the potential for cross dressing and possibly Sophie sneaking into these domestic jobs and households for a greater purpose…mayhaps to get revenge on the still living Earl of Penwood that would be more fun for me personally but this show seems kinda unable to do intrigue of any kind. So we shall see.
I love that idea!! would be so fun especially without the Lady Whistledown plot for intrigue from now on. but yeah idk how creative they’ll get
bruh literally CINDERELLA??
omg i am SO glad I found your channel!! you are so funny and your voice is so lovely to listen to :) please keep up the great work, love the videos!
thank you so much! 💖
Bi man x gay man diverse cinderella au might be fun…dont let me down Bridgerton writing team
THANK YOU!
The only thing I liked in the book was Sophie herself, she is the one who has a story that I want to root for. Benedict is just there, I guess
Yes, I loved this book because of Sophie. The way she stuck to her no regardless of what Benedict did when usually in Romances the woman the woman says no, the man says aw c'mon and her knees go weak and they end up having sex anyway. Sophie said no, meant it, and stuck to it. And her conflict was a proper conflict, she didnt want her children to suffer like she had. Of course it could have been resolved in two minutes if Benedict had just offered marriage, but his reluctance was reasonably historical accurate (which obviously matters in a cinderella take off /s) and like you said, he was just there. Actually it's interesting because people say Cinderella isnt a romance but the prince just symbolizes Cinderella finding herself which is exactly what happens here.
I read this book 15 years ago, when I was 16, and I did NOT like it. Now I remember why. This is just a horrible story. I don't understand how this can be someones favourite Bridgerton book....
I think is more bc they like the character on the serie so they kinda start the book too(since he is the ML there)
I just finished the book (literally an hour ago) and it's the first book I've read of the series due to my library not having the other ones available. When you read it with tv-show Benedict in mind it's still icky at a lot of moments, but I also couldn't stop reading. I was just fantasizing how it's gonna be portrayed on the screen which made the book really enjoyable. Keep in mind that most people reading the books probably also read it from a different perspective and having the tv show in mind!
@@Devilmousy I couldnt agree any more! having the tv show in mind and an already positive outlook on Benedict (and his good looks too ngl) definitely made it so that I couldnt stop reading, constantly thinking about how Luke would act out a certain scene. can't wait for the new season! even if its in 2026
@@shush1904 I think I'm actually gonna implode with that scene on the couch in his house 😭
no fr everyone was talking about how they hope "i can live with you hating me, but i can't live without you in my life" ends up in the show, and my first thought was "this sounds kind of toxic, but maybe it makes more sense in context" and the context is just him blackmailing her 😐
I hope you read next WHEN HE WAS WICKED francesca's story.
yes it's next!!
JFC, I haven't read the books so to me this is all new, and the more you describe what Benedict does in the book the more skeeved out I am by him. :/
i'm definitely looking at book and tv Benedict as two totally different characters!! otherwise i wouldn't be able to watch any of the Netflix show because i haven't liked any of the book men so far😭
I think B. Was privileged and didn’t know exactly how to treat Sophie and the working class situation
This isn’t the Benny that we know!!!!
Oh wow now the show watchers are going to complain about the original book character? What happened to it being two separate things when book readers were complaining?!
@@Hebiscus998 lmao
literally pinning all my hopes on gregory to be a Normal Man
I take it you’ve never read the books. Wouldn’t put my money on that given what happened in his book.
I swear not a single one of those books is fucked up free. And I actually liked the books. But I can objectively admit that they have fucked up shit in them.
I think gender swapping Sophie would make it better.
I feel like despite some obvious changes (like no black ailing and less aggressiveness) a big part of the book could still work in the show. Just wondering how they´re gonna rewrite the "offer" (Benedict offering Sophie to be his mistress) without changing too much? I mean one of the episodes very likely is going to be named "an offer from a gentleman"
That's why I like the heroes in these books b/c they are nowhere near perfection and we see their change and growth to something better. Unlike the heroines who are always perfect from the very start with no faults at all and they can do no wrong. They are always these paragons of virtue. I am a woman and I can never connect with that b/c irl I am not perfect plus I find it kinda of insulting. I don't have to be perfect all the time, I am also entitled to wrongs as well b/c I learn from them. It is more humanish than being these perfect one dimentional creatures. Also I don't see all men as villains and critique or overjudge their every move so that I can feel superior.
i think they should gender swap Sophie. Imagine he still goes to the ball in a dress. It would explain why Benedict wouldn’t recognize him for so long idk
Consent in the 1800's 😅😅😅?! Girl you trippin'! You realize the book is about another era in human history?!
I don't understand how anybody reads that book and don't come out of it thinking both Sophie and Benedict are both highly problematic people lmao we out here saying Benedict abuses the power dynamic, which is correct. You say that you don't understand why Sophie apologised, but Sophie in a very short period of time has lied about her identity, watched Benedict undress without their consent, and PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED Benedict because she didn't like what he was saying. On the flipside, Benedict is financially abusive, blackmails Sophie, and fails to acknowledge her boundaries.
omg what do you mean book benny is a YANDERE???
I hope they throw away everything from Benedict book (other Eloise book which is the worst or 2nd or same level of worst as Benedict book the only stories no one would be mad if they changed or miss if they didn’t follow + Francesca book with Micheal forcing her stuff ofc) (those 3 men being worst men in books Philip Benedict micheal which is saying something since Anthony is problematic af and the worst too only Colin/John the only Bridgerton man only men ever actually) except the name of Sophie her being working class and the ball bc the whole book is just not it and neither is book Benedict as character gif knows what Julia was thinking writing her first 3 books and those men + Phillip/Micheal problematic af nasty men! Sophie isn’t extraordinary when she let a icky man offer to make her his mistress rather then treat her as lady and with honour! calling him a gentleman plz miss girl was confused by him being rich he was not nor ever was a gentleman
His book and Eloise's are the worst. Overall, all books are problematic and the show did a little better.
Personally, one of the reasons why they skipped his season was because his book is truly a mess. They also give him Colin's personality from the book and now they don't know what to do with him as his character from the series doesn't fit his book storyline.
I think S4 is his season but i'll not be surprised if they skip it once again. The scriptwriters don't know what to do with him in the show.
Thier making him say I can feelkkllldlksks feel it
The 'toxic beauty standard' of preferring slender women to fat women isn't at all modern. It's actually pretty accurate to Regency society. People of that era preferred women (and men) who were neither fat, nor scrawny. Regency culture could actually be pretty vicious towards people who were viewed as corpulent. This can be seen in the frequent, cruel barbs directed at George IV, the prince regent (for whom the regency period is named).
I HATED his character in the book, it was badly written and badly handled. I hope the show does his character justice because he's actually a likeable character on the show. The books are one violation after another.
very good I like
I read these books years ago along with lots of other historical romance, and it’s such a shame that these got popular looool I found them really cringe and problematic.
Oh well then you're gonna hate Eloise's book
Benedict's book is my least fav in the series :( He needs to be locked up immediately lol I wonder how they'll change it in the show
This video 👌👌👌
I really enjoyed Eloise's story!