Book Review: Bridget Jones's Diary

Bridget Jones's Diary

By: Helen Fielding

Published By: Penguin Books

Release Date: 1996, but the version I read was released in 2010

Buy it at Amazon

Source: Library

I know this book is older, but I really wanted to give it a try. I don't think we should forget about older books in the book blog universe. They need love too. I love the Bridget Jones movies so I was interested to see how the book compared. I will say that I don't think I could have appreciated this book in my younger years. 

The book follows the story of Bridget Jones, a British 30 something, who lives in London and is constantly trying to lose weight, stop smoking, and find a boyfriend. Her experiences in trying to obtain these goals cracked me up. Bridget is nothing if not up front and honest. 

There were some parts of the book that did not make into the movie and vice versa. I also found myself visualizing all the actors from the film as I read. This made it feel like I was spending time with old friends instead of meeting new characters. Bridget's mom in the book has more issues than she did in the film and is quite the spitfire. 

The book is told in diary format which I loved. However, even though the focus is on Bridget I kept wanting to know more about what was going on in the minds of Daniel and Mark. This is the main problem I often have with books told in first person. Often I feel that as the reader I get cheated because I can never truly know what is going on for everyone. 

I also loved how in the movie there was all the conflict between Daniel and Mark. You get that in the book, but to a much lesser extent. I honestly did not get enough Mark in the book. I think the movie does a much better job of showing off what a great guy he is for Bridget.

One Last Gripe: I hate how Bridget is constantly beating herself up over her weight.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: Bridget's humor and the awesome tattoo inspired cover on this edition

First Sentence: I will not drink more than fourteen alcohol units a week.

Favorite Characters: Bridget, Mark

Least Favorite Character: Jude

Summary:

Helen Fielding's devastatingly self-aware, laugh-out-loud account of a year in the life of a thirty-something Singleton launched a genre and transcended the pages of fiction to become a cultural icon.