false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179179917m/884776.jpg 884776 3 In the course of the year recorded in <I>Bridget Jones's Diary</I>, Bridget confides her hopes, her dreams, and her monstrously fluctuating poundage, not to mention her consumption of 5277 cigarettes and "Fat units 3457 (approx.) (hideous in every way)." In 365 days, she gains 74 pounds. On the other hand, she loses 72! There is also the unspoken New Year's resolution--the quest for the right man. Alas, here Bridget goes severely off course when she has an affair with her charming cad of a boss. But who would be without their e-mail flirtation focused on a short black skirt? The boss even contends that it is so short as to be nonexistent. <p> At the beginning of Helen Fielding's exceptionally funny second novel, the thirtyish publishing puffette is suffering from postholiday stress syndrome but determined to find Inner Peace and poise. Bridget <I>will</I>, for instance, "get up straight away when wake up in mornings." Now if only she can survive the party her mother has tricked her into--a suburban fest full of "Smug Marrieds" professing concern for her and her fellow "Singletons"--she'll have made a good start. As far as she's concerned, "We wouldn't rush up to them and roar, 'How's your marriage going? Still having sex?'" <p> This is only the first of many disgraces Bridget will suffer in her year of performance anxiety (at work and at play, though less often in bed) and living through other people's "emotional fuckwittage." Her twin-set-wearing suburban mother, for instance, suddenly becomes a chat-show hostess and unrepentant adulteress, while our heroine herself spends half the time overdosing on Chardonnay and feeling like "a tragic freak." <I>Bridget Jones's Diary</I> began as a column in the London <I>Independent</I> and struck a chord with readers of all sexes and sizes. In strokes simultaneously broad and subtle, Helen Fielding reveals the lighter side of despair, self-doubt, and obsession, and also satirizes everything from self-help books (they don't sound half as sensible to Bridget when she's sober) to feng shui, <I>Cosmopolitan</I>-style. She is the Nancy Mitford of the 1990s, and it's impossible not to root for her endearing heroine. On the other hand, one can only hope that Bridget will continue to screw up and tell us all about it for years and books to come. --<I>Kerry Fried</I> 1285437 9 11 2001 Bridget Jones's Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2 volume paperback boxed set) total:1185|5:262|4:412|3:348|2:139|1:24| 1185 4304 1376 100 4 1 false true Mon Mar 10 06:55:39 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 10 06:55:39 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Nov 21 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Sat Sep 19 10:19:03 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 19 10:24:40 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Mon Jan 05 20:15:24 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 05 20:17:08 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Sat Dec 13 15:11:36 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 13 15:13:05 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Fri Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 1999 Thu Sep 27 01:45:27 -0700 2007 Thu Sep 27 02:00:52 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue May 13 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 11 16:01:49 -0700 2008 Tue May 13 16:43:42 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2001 Sun Sep 27 09:01:37 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 27 09:02:27 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Fri Sep 04 19:09:19 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 07 22:35:47 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Nov 05 02:25:18 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 27 13:08:37 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat May 09 07:24:04 -0700 2009 Sat May 09 07:24:16 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Mon Jun 15 19:59:24 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 15 19:59:37 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Thu Jun 04 06:54:17 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 04 06:59:56 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Wed Jul 04 00:00:00 -0700 2001 Sun Aug 02 17:54:42 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 12 23:38:49 -0700 2009 2 4 0 false false Sun Aug 03 19:19:05 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 03 19:23:55 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Thu Apr 24 13:59:30 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 25 04:58:15 -0700 2008 her interview with...more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Aug 28 07:27:39 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 28 07:29:45 -0700 2008
I am no longer a 30 something singleton, but ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Oct 26 18:22:38 -0700 2008 Mon Oct 27 16:53:26 -0700 2008 more...]]> 0 0 false false Sun Aug 31 16:36:55 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 31 16:38:23 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Thu Aug 07 08:27:53 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 07 08:29:13 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Thu Jul 31 09:49:03 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 31 09:50:25 -0700 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=884776