Bridget Jones's Diary
by Helen Fielding
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Book Reviews of Bridget Jones's Diary
Book Review: Laugh out Loud Funny!
Summary: 5 Stars
At last a book which is really, actually, laugh out loud funny! Its even funnier than the movie!
Its heartbreakingly funny to read about Bridget's days - her inner thoughts (Which are always so ironic, funny and so very true...this is ultimately what makes them funny after all) Women will find a kindred spirit in Jones. The witty comments she writes in her diary are a real gem as we seea year in the life of "30 something and single" Bridget. And the best thing is that she writes all about it day by day. HAr life is hard because she is single and her watch is going tick tock tick tock -most of her friends need a bit of tact too "hey bridget and how is your love life going?", her married friends keep inviting her to dinner and asking about any boyfriends. She has this fearful image of living alone all her life and then dying alone and ultimately being eaten by her alsation.
We can feel her elation when something goes as she wants yes! yesssss!! lalalalala" and almost invariably they turn into a huge disapointment and despair "Where? how? Why why why????....oh sod it!!!" But she can cope with it you know...she has lots of inner poise...lol.
Also hugely funny are her comments after her daily suming up of how many units of alcohol she has drunk, calories consumed,cigarettes smoked and other various mindless obsessions that Bridget acquires throughout the year.
she has such funny and insane theories of how she could have gained weight overnight... maybe food "could react chemically with other food, double its density and volume and solidify into every denser and heavier hard fat?"
If you want to read a really funny book than do buy this one. You are in for a threat. :)
Book Review: The story of my life sans the happy ending...
Summary: 4 Stars
Helen Fielding's novel Bridget Jones's Diary is the hilarious tale of a thirty-something "Singleton" who believes that her life would be perfect if she could quit smoking, give up drinking, and just lose some weight. The book opens with a list of Bridget's New Year resolutions including "Will form functional relationship with responsible adult"--which turns out to be another one of those up and down things in Bridget's life!
Throughout the course of the year, Bridget battles with her crazy Mum (who wants nothing more than for her to marry off!), her minor obsession with boss Daniel Cleaver (among other men, too), her fluxuating weight (she swears it's impossible to put on a few pounds overnight), her smoking and drinking ( she'll quit tomorrow), and developing Inner Poise (truly the secret to life). With all that on Bridget's plate, it's no surprise the first chapter is entitled "January--An Exceptionally Bad Start"!
Helen Fielding does a wonderful job taking the reader on a crazy ride through Bridget's Daily life. Often one can see their own life mirrored in that of Bridget's and Fielding's ability to do this makes this novel a hilarious read! Bridget is a very real and modern character and isn't at all fake. Further proof of this is at the end of the novel (at the end of December--she keeps her journal for a year), Bridget just so happens to have found a man, and, despite the fact that her year as a whole might be considered absolutely horrible (being cheated on, changing jobs, the weight, the smoking, her Mum, etc!), she still manages to conclude that the year overall was excellent. Forgetting all the bad things when you finally find someone???...Hmph, that's a real character if I ever did see one...
Book Review: Wow!
Summary: 5 Stars
I wasn't expecting much, based on the excerpt that amazon provides, but I bought the book anyhow, because I'm always looking for a new genre/author to read.Let me preface my comments by saying that I don't usually laugh at books, at best you'll get me to grin.
Not with this book. My neighbors must surely think I'm a lunatic, because as I'm reading along, some of the things the character does in this book are so genuine, so insane and yet something so real-life, that I can't help myself but howl with laughter. You've probably thought of doing these things yourself, or have done them, with equally disastrous results. And that's what probably struck a chord with me, and drew me into this character -- she's completely believable, even for all the crazy things she does. Another reason why I probably related to this book, and to keep in mind if you aren't in this kind of mindset, is that the story revolves around a terminally single 30-something, who's facing the prospect of aging and her single life. That's not to say other age-groups won't enjoy this book, but I think for the growing numbers of single 30-somethings out there, this book will hit home.
The writing style is easy and fun to read as well, and propels you forward into the book, in eager anticipation of what mess Bridget will get herself into THIS time. In fact, the story line sort of reminds me of Sex in the City (HBO), but Bridget has more substance, and the book isn't ALL about sex! Ha! (But even the sex is really implied, rather than graphically spelled out).
In any event, I highly recommend this book. Take a chance like me and buy it. You'll soon be making YOUR neighbors worry about your mental health with all the laughter!
Enjoy!
Book Review: Bridget Jones: realistic and hilarious!
Summary: 4 Stars
For my British Literature class, I just finished Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The book tells the story of a year in the life of an average, single, thirty-something British woman, who, armed with only her wits and charm (and a diary), goes in search of the ever-elusive Mr. Right. Unlucky-in-love Bridget has two candidates: the fun and sexy Daniel Cleaver and the unfriendly Mark Darcy. Not surprisingly, she goes for Daniel, but he turns out to be a less-than-perfect catch. Then, just when she becomes interested in Mark (following his statement that he likes her just as she is), he begins dating Natasha, another lawyer, who is determined to marry him. Meanwhile, her parents' marriage is on the rocks and she embarks upon a career in television news. There are many similarities between Bridget Jones's Diary and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. In both stories, the heroine is attracted to a charming rogue and repelled by his haughty former friend (whose name happens to be Darcy in both cases.) In both stories, the rogue wins her sympathy by telling her about all the rotten things his ex-friend did to him. But both heroines later discover that you can't believe everything you hear - and Darcy turns out to be the real charmer. With all these parallels, it isn't hard to determine that Helen Fielding is an Austen admirer, and that all of these similarities to Pride and Prejudice are intentional.
This book is witty and hilarious, from Bridget's list of New Years Resolutions on page 1 to her summary of the year on page 271. Furthermore, each of the characters is incredibly believable (especially Bridget), which makes it very easy for the reader to relate to this book.
Book Review: Pulled me out of the doldrums
Summary: 4 Stars
I've been having a difficult time of late finding a book that holds and, more importantly, keeps my attention for any length of time. Am I jaded? Too easily bored? Tempted too easily by the lure of the tv? Probably. Having already seen the movie based upon this novel I knew what I was getting into when I turned the first page. A very funny, somewhat jaded, slightly over-the-top look at the modern girls' search for love. I figured I'd turn a few pages before becoming bored or distracted but was surprised when I quickly polished off 70 pages before nodding away to dreamland (from exhaustion not boredom). I found Bridget's lack of control when it came to nearly everything quite amusing and her constant (but never overwhelming) remorse realistic. She keeps on plugging away despite her setbacks and always maintains a wicked sense of snark that you've gotta love. Yeah, she's more than a little self-absorbed but I still loved her.Some fave bits:
When Bridget ponders the weirdness of why one must apply mascara with mouth open, making me feel not-quite-so-odd for doing the same. It's these silly little comments on the mundane that kept me turning the pages.
Love Bridget's daily tallying up of her vices. This one is my favorite though:
Pg. 77 9st, alcohol units 5 (disgrace: urine of Satan), cigarettes 14 (weed of Satan - will give up on birthday)
Another favorite of mine (possible because I don't know the first thing about throwing a successful diner party) was her famous dinner party where she agonized over making the perfect. "Realize after all effort and expense have served my guests: blue soup, omelet, marmalade."
A great read. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel someday soon.