Bridget Jones's Diary
by Helen Fielding
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Book Reviews of Bridget Jones's Diary
Book Review: Bridget Jones's diary - "A hilarious good read"
Summary: 5 Stars
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding Bridget Jones is a Thirty something rambling Singleton who smokes like a chimney and drinks like a fish. The book takes us through one year Jones of her life where she encounters many awkward situations and two men who end up fighting for her. She goes through issues like her parents separating, being stuck in a dead end job and being an over weight singleton!
The main characters in this book are Bridget who manages throughout to get her self into unfortunately embarrassing situations. Another is Marc Darcy a pompous rich highly successful lawyer who ends up being the love of her life. Daniel Cleaver the fairytale romance and a perfect boyfriend, or maybe not he two-times Bridget leaving her depressed and single again. And what would a girl in the middle of a metropolis be without her friends? Bridget has her unique set of them. There is Tom her gay best friend what more is there to say. Shazzer a ranting feminist who thinks all men are pigs. And Jude a high-powered career woman who has an evil boyfriend. Lets not forget Magda and Jeremy when put together with other smug married couples can be unbearable.
As you have probably guessed the book is written in the form as a diary. I think this technique was very effective and amusing. I think you get to learn about the little things in her life. At the start of each entry she writes who many cigarettes she has smoked, how many alcohol units she has drunk, how many calories she has eaten and her weight. Although these points do not contribute to the main story it is interesting to see how her weight varies throughout the year!! However some people who have read the book find the form as a diary quite boring.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this a book and once I had started could not put it down. I enjoyed the form of a diary because it made it really interesting. Apart from dealing with the usual problems (boyfriends, career, parent's separation) it deals with unusual situations like her mother becoming a television host. Also when she goes to a tarts and vicars party in a bunny costume and finds out that it is been cancelled. There are horrifying embarrassing situations in which we cannot help but laugh. When I read this book I had high hopes after seeing the film. I can tell you I was not disappointed and I recommend it as a hilarious good read!
Book Review: V. funny modern day Pride & Prejudice comedy!
Summary: 4 Stars
Number of times have called friends to tell about book 14 (not enough), number of times laughed out loud in public while reading 365 (or more...), number of times have wanted to count weight in stones and marry Mr Darcy: too many, number of emails and messages written Bridget's diary style ALL (yes, annoyed friends) Bridget Jones is a single woman in her thirties, and as Jane Austen might have said it: "It is a fact universally acknowledge that a single woman in her thirties must be unable to find a partner". Thus, her entire family and friends' life goal is to hear Bridget out about any current boyfriends or try to hook her up with someone, anyone. Bridget herself is very much convinced it must be her weight that is keeping her from finding anyone.
This very funny diary might remind one a bit of the Adrian Mole diaries, that were written in a similar way and had a main character that dealt with many of the same problems. However, Bridget Jones's diary has more to it than just the every day life of a very funny/desperate woman, it is also a modern day version of Pride & Prejudice, obviously written with the same characters in mind. Bridget being Elisabeth, Mark Darcy being of course Mr. Darcy! If you have seen the 6 hour BBC version of Pride & Prejudice, or have read the actual book by Jane Austen (both are absolutely fabulous and extremely funny, particularly the BBC series, because they star the V. handsome Colin Firh as Darcy), you will have the additional fun of slowly realizing who is who in the book (I won't give it away, it is much more fun to find this out by yourself), and also you will find that Mr. Darcy was written with Colin Firth (who will in fact play Mark Darcy in the upcoming movie) in mind.
If you have not seen or read Pride & Prejudice, this book will still be a great read. Any woman who's ever had a relationship, wanted to lose weight, or even had a mother, will identify with Bridget, as she goes through many entertaining crises's and introduces her friends and her not-so-wonderful boyfriend Daniel. Enter Bridget's life for a year (or more, the sequal is already out), you won't be able to put the book down! Don't wait for the movie to come out, the book is fab, funny and a pleasant read.
Book Review: Bridget Jones' Never-ending Pity Party (read-v.b.)
Summary: 1 Stars
I think this book bit. Plain and simple. I laughed out loud one time toward the beginning of the book, and then I just got queasy. I thought the end should have contained a certificate, signed by Fielding herself, for all the time I shot reading this drivel. If "Bridget" is the future of women, then we're in a lot of trouble. Bridget's behavior was unbecoming a thirtysomething. She should at least have had a clue as to who she is and what motivates her. I remember acting like this in high school, and even on my worst day, I couldn't hold a candle to this nut. There's nothing wrong with wanting a man in your life, there's nothing wrong with wanting marriage and stability and kids. But must it be EVERYTHING? For Pete's sake, get a hobby! Boozing doesn't count!Bridget was weak and whiny. She failed to learn from the bad things that happened to her, causing her to repeat her stupidity over and over again (dumb dinner parties). The only thing I was compelled to do was set her on fire and leave her for dead. Her mother treated her like a lump, and she just took it. Daniel treated her like a piece, and while she originally said no (I almost liked her then,) she eventually just took that too, and had the nerve to be upset about Jude and Vile Richard. You can't walk around acting like a pathetic loser and expect the people you come in contact with to treat you with dignity and respect. It just doesn't work that way, no matter how many times you announce that you have inner poise. Her friends didn't love her enough to really tell her like it is. Women in my social circle sympathize, and then they smack you around until you get your act together.
And what was up with Darcy? He starts off as this aloof little geek, and all of a sudden he's just this wonderful guy? Hello, character development? I love a good book. I love a stark treatise on modern culture. I adored "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole." I adored "Pride and Prejudice" (and I resent the comparison.) I did NOT adore "Bridget." When she learns to successfully integrate her search for Mr. Right with other things in her life that make her happy (not to mention interesting), then it'll be worth reading.
Book Review: Bridget Jones Diary
Summary: 4 Stars
Once again, it is safe to say that the book was better than the film. Bridget Jones Diary is the story of a single British woman in her thirties, written in an easy laid back journal style. It's not the most difficult book to read, so it is a perfect book for when you just want to relax. Plus, it is written from her point of view, so you always know exactly what she is thinking. Anyone who thought that insecurities are at their peak in Junior High was proved wrong by this book making it relatable not just for the adults but also the younger readers. Jones is a business woman who is taking part in a relationship with a man in her office. However, he seems to be in control. Throughout their workday they send each other misleading instant messages, and hearing Bridget's reaction is quite amusing. Along with this office relationship, Bridget is also dealing with the pressure from her mother to get married, while at the same time she is witnessing her friends gettting divorced. If that is not enough, she is also obsessed with her weight; to the point where she weighs herself everyday. I cannot help but wonder if this is what life is actually going to be like.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the relationship she has with a fellow co-worker. She is constantly unsure about whether or not he likes her. One night they would have a date and the next day she would be unsure about the status of their relationship, giving the book a light hearted soap opera like feel, just with less drama.
Although Bridget's daily calorie and weight counts begin to get annoying, they simply add to her obsession. Her character does get a bit annoying at times because of her obsession with meaningless things, but the reader grows so attached to her character that you still feel for her when she is in these painful situations. You cannot help but to relate to Jones' character in one aspect or another; her concern about her weight, her addiction to lottery tickets, or her paranoia of relationships. Every situation she encounters seems to end up in some type of comic ending. Her insecurities and obsessions tie together perfectly to make it a book worth reading.
Book Review: The books, the movie, and the reviewers
Summary: 4 Stars
Okay, Bridget Jones is not great literature. If you are looking for depth and life changing revelations, this book is not for you. Yes, the plot is from Jane Austen, which Helen Fielding makes perfectly obvious from the BBC series and Darcy references. That doesn't take away from the book's charm, and for me, actually increased the fun. (By the way, Pride and Prejudice is not exactly deep literature, either, but I love Austen.) Yes, Bridget is definately insecure and disfunctional. To argue her faults misses the point. How interesting are perfect characters? I don't think she was meant to represent "every woman" or act as a moral compass. She's a character, and a surprisingly three-dimensional one, given the format of the book. She is a mess and I liked her and I enjoyed reading about her. I've read both books and have seen the movie and thought they were all very fun. Wasn't that the point? The character really resonated for me, perhaps because I'm a 30-something singleton who is a few pounds heavier than the media ideal, not dating anyone, and definately indulging in some of Bridget's vices. Should women stop obsessing about their weight, their calorie, alcohol, and cigarette intake, and their dating status? Of course! But a lot of us do, and it doesn't matter if you belong to this category, because Bridget is a character, not a reflection of the reader's life. It's possible to have a good career, good family, and good friends and still have insecurities. If anything, Bridget is a wonderful balance of bad and good, functional and disfunctional, pessimism and optimism. She's fun and funny and a really good companion to have when you aren't participating in your own social life. And that, dear reviewers, is my definition of a good book. I liked both books, but preferred the second because it developed Mark Darcy and the relationship more. The movie was a good adaptation, and wisely did not try to mirror the book. The casting was perfect, and I did enjoy the Hugh Grant/Colin Firth references in the book. Why the four stars? Like Bridget, the book is not perfect. But who wants to read a perfect review?