Book info

• Title Bridget Jones's Diary
• Author Helen Fielding
• Year 1996
• Genre Contemporary

A dazzlingly urban satire on modern relationships? An ironic, tragic insight into the demise of the nuclear family? Or the confused ramblings of a pissed thirty-something? As Bridget documents her struggles through the social minefield of her thirties and tries to weigh up the eternal question (Daniel Cleaver or Mark Darcy?), she turns for support to four indispensable friends: Shazzer, Jude, Tom and a bottle of chardonnay.

Thoughts

I remember starting this book a couple of times when I was younger, and could never really get past the calories counts and stuff. That kind of thing was never really interesting to me. I also vaguely recall watching the start of the second film and being completely appalled and disgusted at her behaviour about getting married, when she’d only been with the chap for a few weeks.

I always assumed that Bridget Jones just wasn’t for me.

Having given the book a second (or third) chance, I actually quite enjoyed it. The story is interesting, and although there is a lot of nonsense about calories and some crazy angst about men, there’s a lot of good bits in there too. I particularly loved Bridget’s thoughts on Christmas:

What is the point of the entire nation rushing round for six weeks in a bad mood preparing for utterly pointless Taste-of-Others exam which entire nation then fails and gets stuck with hideous unwanted merchandise as fallout? If gifts and cards were completely eradicated, then Christmas as pagan-style twinkly festival to distract from lengthy winter gloom would be lovely.

Indeed.

Good story, interesting characters, far too self-indulgent but then again it is a diary. I may or may not risk the second book. I’m still not watching the films though.

Rating: 4 / 5