We begin by acknowledging that this is the last podcast episode of the month, where we tend to become a bit zany and go off on tangents after recording multiple episodes. This leads us to reflect on the recent explosion of interest in historical fiction, particularly period romance and the Regency era, sparked by the immense popularity of the show Bridgerton.
Note
The following is an editorialized transcript of our weekly literary podcast. If you would like to listen to the podcast, click the play button above orlisten on your favorite platform with the links below.
Romance at the Forefront of Historical Fiction
We discuss how Bridgerton has brought the Regency period into the mainstream, with its fantastical and pleasing aesthetics attracting audiences. The show has modernized the era in a way that contemporary viewers can still relate to, making it more accessible than earlier periods like medieval times. The Regency epoch strikes a balance – not too distant from modern sensibilities, yet still offering escapism into a different world and time.
This renewed interest has revived many existing Regency romance novels that had previously occupied a niche market. We reminisce about how such historical romances were once relegated to cheap racks at convenience stores, with campy cover art. Now, they have found a new appreciation and audience thanks to shows like Bridgerton.
We compare Bridgerton‘s light-hearted, escapist tone to the darker and grittier portrayal in Outlander, which takes place partially in the 18th-century Scottish Highlands. Outlander has more mature and triggering content, reflecting the harsher realities of that era, despite also incorporating a fantasy time-travel element. The romantic plotlines in Outlander carry greater emotional weight and uncertainty about a “happily ever after” ending.
In contrast, the Regency romance genre exemplified by Bridgerton follows well-established tropes that reassure viewers of an eventual satisfying conclusion for the romantic protagonists. We ponder the appeal of this type of escapism, allowing audiences to immerse themselves in a fanciful world without the heaviness of historical hardships or current events.
History Through a Romantic Lens
The period setting itself provides an extra layer of escapism, as the concerns and conflicts of those eras feel safely distanced from the modern day. Older historical events have less potential to provoke anxiety or personal parallels for viewers compared to contemporary issues portrayed on screen.
We explore how romance narratives lend themselves well to historical fiction due to the high stakes and societal constraints of those times. Reputations, duty, and life-or-death considerations created natural barriers and tension around romantic entanglements, driving the “will they or won’t they” dramatic arcs that readers and viewers find engrossing.
Overall, we analyze how recent book adaptation hits like Bridgerton have catapulted historical romance into mainstream popularity, repopularizing the genre through an idealized yet modern lens. Audiences are drawn to the escapism of being transported to another elegant era, while still maintaining enough contemporary sensibilities to relate to the emotional journeys of the characters. The Regency period strikes the ideal balance of being sufficiently removed to provide escapism, yet not too historically distant to alienate viewers.
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Nostalgia and Fantasy
We continue our tangent about finding historical events and cases from the more distant past less affecting than recent ones. There is a sense that we can more easily compartmentalize older occurrences, while incidents closer to our lifetimes resonate more deeply by allowing us to connect back to where we were at that point in time. This underscores how historical fiction provides a form of escapism by transporting us to eras far removed from our own lived experiences.
We discuss how the customs, daily rhythms, and fundamental realities of bygone periods lend an inherent sense of distance that enhances the escapist quality of being immersed in those stories. The further back the setting, the more foreign and intriguing the world becomes as a form of literary travel. This separation from the familiar makes historical novels particularly well-suited for the escapism many readers crave.
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Current Reads
The conversation then takes an entertaining detour into Meghan’s current reading of the A Court of Wings and Ruin book from the A Court of Thorns and Roses fantasy romance series. She expresses frustration with the protagonist Elain’s inertia after traumatic events, finding her boring in comparison to her volatile sister Nesta. We explore the intriguing character dynamics at play and relish the dramatic tension provided by provocative figures like Nesta and Cassian.
Shirin shares her first experience listening to the A Court of Thorns and Roses series through the dramatized audiobook version on Spotify. Revisiting the story highlights her disdain for the initial love interest Tamlin, whose continuously cruel behavior makes his potential redemption arc implausible in her eyes. We delight in the entertaining and impassioned ways in which book devotees can scrutinize and criticize fictional characters who rouse strong emotions.
Shifting gears, Shirin discusses her current read of the Ruthless Vows book, the second installment of the Divine Rivals fantasy duology. She praises the reduced need for world-building in this sequel, allowing richer character explorations. The story follows the star-crossed lovers Iris and Roman, separated after Roman is captured and has his memories erased. We appreciate when series employ storytelling restraint by focusing their narratives within a modest number of volumes, as this duology does.
Final Thoughts
RelatedHistorical Fiction: Breaking Down the Genre
Our digression into recent reads representing different fantasy subgenres exemplifies both the commonalities and distinctive qualities present within the umbrella of speculative fiction. While the escapism into other realms is universal, the tones, themes, and narrative structures can vary wildly from the whimsical to the grim, from open-ended epics to concise duology arcs.
As we wrap up our historical fiction coverage for the month, our freeform analysis reminds us of the inherent pleasure in losing ourselves within imagined worlds, no matter how fantastical or grounded in reality those fictional landscapes may be. The desire for escapism transcends genres, with historical fiction providing particularly fertile ground for exploring human experiences radically disconnected from our contemporary circumstances. We revel in the discussion of beloved book series and reading journeys as an avenue for cultivating connections through the shared activities and emotions of dedicated readers.
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