Bridget Jones’s Diary

Bridget Jones #1

by Helen Fielding

With an introduction by Caitlin Moran

A dazzling urban satire of 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.

Bridget Jones's Diary was first published in 1996 and applauded by critics from Salman Rushdie to Jilly Cooper. A number-one bestseller, Helen Fielding's book has sold over fifteen million copies worldwide and has been turned into an Academy Award-nominated film series starring Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. Bridget Jones's Diary is followed by Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Humor, Contemporary, Comedy, Adult

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 1996

About the author

Helen Fielding was born in Yorkshire. She worked for many years in London as a newspaper and TV journalist, travelling as wildly and as often as possibly to Africa, India and Central America. She is the author of four novels: Cause Celeb, Bridget Jones’ s Diary, Bridget Jones:The Edge of Reason and Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination, and co-wrote the screenplays for the movie of Bridget Jones’s Diary and the sequel based on The Edge of Reason. She now works full-time as a novelist and screenwriter and lives in London and Los Angeles.

Reviews

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Prepare yourselves, it's about to get personal up in here.
So, I've never seen the movie of Bridget Jones's Diary, so I thought I would read the highly acclaimed book before doing so and, to my great surprise, I ended up hating almost everything about it. I 100% understand why people like it - it's funny and relatable and reminiscent of the great decade that was the 90's, but because of a purely personal problem, this book made me feel like garbage and therefore made me absolutely loathe my reading experience.
Bridget is always writing down her weight and saying she's fat, but the thing is, it's not just herself saying this. Friends, family and other characters also call her fat throughout the novel and then I look at me, who weighs over 15 kilos more than Bridget, and it honestly made me feel like crap. I have already been struggling with confidence and self-loathing because over the past couple of years I've put on 25 kilos due to changing medications for my mental health, so this book honestly just made it worse. Is this what people on the street think about me when I walk by? Do my friends and family secretly discuss how much weight I've put on behind my back? It honestly took me back to when members of my own family were making snide remarks about my weight or offering suggestions for how exercise and dieting could benefit me, thinking they were helping when really, it made it ten times worse.
I was 3/4 of the way through the book, when I thought to myself, has anything plot-wise actually happened? Nope. Just a bunch of damaging self-hatred that triggered my own.
I get that a lot of people love the book and that's fine, I totally get it, but for me, it ended up being a damaging and destructive novel that ended up being quite triggering for my depression.
Let me know any thoughts you guys have on this book or any of the things I've discussed!

Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge Notes:
- 20. A book with a first name in the title

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book in an ironic way, or in a it's-good-even-though-, or I-can't-believe-I-do-but-I-perversely-can't-help-it or any other angled, roundabout, halfway indirect from behind kind of way.... No. I sat on my couch and wolfed this thing down in one sitting while laughing my ass off.

I read it last spring when I decided I was curious about what "chick-lit" was, so that I could form an opinion and generally improve my likelihood of passing as a somewhat informed member of civilization. This was not the only "chick-lit" book I attempted. I tried *Bergdorf Blondes*, the first few pages of which made me want to stab my eyes out with a rusty fork; well, maybe it made me more want to stab someone else's eyes out (Plum Sykes springs to mind), but my point is that it wasn't just bad but actually highly disturbing. Disturbing as in, does not so much shake as demolish one's faith in humanity and makes one tremble in horror at the times we're evidently living in..... I also tried *Good in Bed*, which wasn't upsetting, but did seem pretty bad, or at least definitely not for me. I even flipped open a *Shopaholic* book, which wasn't as awfully written as *Bergdorf Blondes* but did similarly make yearn for a grim Stalinist dystopia where this kind of trash just isn't permitted.

Then there was Bridget Jones.

Now, my enjoyment of this book was not uncomplicated by this terrifying "I-am-Cathy" feeling that I'm now enough of a grownup to identify with a lovably neurotic character from fluffy popular women's fiction. Because, dear bookster, identify I did. Yes. I had the 100% straightforward chick-lit experience, which I guess must be exactly this sense of recognizing your own ridiculously stereotypical feminine traits in a light novel's plucky heroine. And seriously? That's exactly what happened to me.

(Can I just explain that I'm supposed to be packing right now, which is why this is getting so long and involved? I'm not really crazy, I'm just procrastinating.) (Also, though, I do want to tell you guys about Bridget Jones and how weirdly good it was.)

There were a few things I didn't realize about BJ before I read this book. One is, she drinks too much. The other is, she smokes. I know it sounds dumb, but I think I would've felt differently knowing that, instead of just that she struggles with food. I'd sort of heard that a lot of it was about efforts to control her weight or whatever, and this typical, you know, on-again-off-again dieting, blah blah blah, and I really couldn't imagine anything less appealing, partly because that isn't a problem I identify with, and partly because does the world really need another book about a self-hating lady trying to lose weight? And why would anyone want to read something like that anyway?

Well, I would. And I did! Because it's not really about her trying to lose weight (although I guess it kind of is), it's more about the constant, compulsive agony self-inflicted by a woman cursed not only with zero impulse control and a ravenous id, but also obsessively high standards for herself and a ridiculous amount of guilt and self-scrutiny about virtually everything she does.

So yeah basically, this book is about me and a lot (not all) of my close female friends. And it really, really -- I want you to hear this from me -- truly gets at some stuff about certain ways that a lot of women tend to act and think, which, I'm sorry, all my fancy feminisms and gender theory aside, let's be honest, a lot (not all) of us are very crazy in some classically female ways, and Fielding just NAILS a lot of those. Plus she's very funny.

Is this the greatest book ever written? No. But it was fun to read.

Obviously, not all men act one way, and not all women act like Bridget Jones. However, I certainly do, and that must be the reason I got such a kick out of this book.

[Lisa of Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quirky but lovable Bridget is trudging through her 30’s with a lot of well-intentioned advice from friends, family, and Cosmo.

Although this book is delightfully hilarious, it hits on feelings on insecurity and the impossible standards women face: wanting to be independent but also craving companionship and connection, being aloof labels one as an ice queen but show interest and you are desperate.

This book is set in a time before cell phones, and I would love for someone to modernize this classic.

A perfect and relatable read if you are looking to pick up some light summer reading!

Major trigger warnings if you suffer from disordered eating.

2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal

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[Shriya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's review this book the Bridget way!
Reading goal for 2011: 35 books (not bad)
Books actually read: 38(v.g.)
No. of chick-lits supposed to be read in a year: 1 (fair)
No. of chick-lits actually read: 2 (including Bridget Jones's Diary )
But wait a second! Who can call Bridget Jones's Diary a chick-lit? That would be an insult to such a master-piece! No, Bridget is no wannabe chick-lit heroine and this book is certainly no trashy best-seller! Bridget Jones's Diary is definitely a piece of literature! It is well written, it's funny and it is extremely relate-able. Bridget, like most girls, tends to make mistakes, fall in love with the wrong guy and she gives an all new twist to the story of 'Pride and Prejudice' . In a way, it is a work of plagiarism and yet, it has the quality of being original! It is at once the biggest tribute to Austen and one of the most successful experiments on creating a story which has its own elements of uniqueness and surprise!
And the best thing about this book is, you don't want to believe Bridget is not real! It's like Santa Claus or Hogwarts all over again!
Yes, I know I can't stop gushing over it but trust me, had this book been anything like the usual chick-lits, I most certainly wouldn't have given it a five-star rating! Of course, I approached it gingerly and rather hesitantly at first but once I was done, I felt like banging my head against the wall asking, "Why didn't I read it before when I had the e-book lying with me for the last three years?"
But I guess I had to borrow it from Gayatri and then spend an entire fortnight gushing over it!
Do I recommend it to you? Hell, yeah, I do!

[Maggie Stiefvater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like our narrator, both funny and deceptively stylish.



(I have not seen the film).

[[ J o ] · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read as part of The Infinite Variety Reading Challenge, based on the BBC's Big Read Poll of 2003.

Let me introduce you to the Béchamel Test. No, not the Bechdel Test, that's different. And not the sauce, either.

The Béchamel Test is a very simply checklist to see if you should read a book or simply set fire to it. Here's how it works:

1.) Is There A Gay Best Friend?

2.) Are There Moments When The Main Character Would, If The Book Was Set In The Current Time Period, Do Something Awkward and Say, "Awkward" Out Loud Afterwards In An Incredibly Irritating Faux American Accent With A Hint Of Irony But No Clue As To What Irony Actually Is?

3.) Is The Protagonist Selfish, Deluded, Thinks 9st Is Overweight, Doesn't Think Maybe A Bit Of Exercise Would Help Pretty Much Every One Of Their Problems, Not Care About Anything Except Men And Thinks That's Fine, But Can't Stand The Idea of Marriage And Kids, (But Secretly Wants That), Hates Anyone Who Is Happy, Thinks Feminism Is Just Acting Like A Man (Wouldn't Want To Be Thought Of As Delicate Now Would We)?

4.) Is The Book Purported To Be Funny But Isn't And Is Just A Weird Way For People To Be Mean About Past Generations Without Actually Saying Anything Specific?

If you answered "Yes" to any of those then the book has failed the Béchamel Test and should be burnt. At once. Don't bother leaving the bookshop; ask them to help.

And go and spend your money on some actual Béchamel Sauce.

P.S. Also failed the Bechdel Test and the one that uses a needle on a metre to determine whether a noise was heard after a joke was made.

P.P.S. (no noise was heard).

P.P.P.S. Read as part of the Infinite Variety Reading Challenge based on the BBC's Big Read poll of 2003.

P.P.P.P.S. Just watch the film.

[Olive Fellows (abookolive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025: A reread of this book every other Christmas is the most delightful gift to myself. 💖

2023 edit: Just listened to the entire audiobook while doing a 500-piece puzzle and burning a pumpkin candle. These are my wild Saturday nights these days. No regrets. 😎

2021 review: This book is just so much fun. I love rereading it around Christmastime - according to Goodreads, this was the fourth time I've read it! 😲

[Annalisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn as to how to rate this. On the one hand, Fielding nails the humor. Humor is very hard to capture in literature and I often found myself smiling or chuckling. But when I wasn't, I was exasperated with Bridget Jones. Fielding nails her too. Why do women insist on being proud of being so... shallow? Idiotic, blind about themselves and their lives, and obsessed with all the wrong things in life? I didn't sympathize with Bridget at all, nor did I really care about the holes she dug herself into. This book is the perfect example of why I don't read chick lit. I just don't relate to this definition of what women are. More than that, I'm embarrassed by it.

I also didn't buy into the love story. I didn't really get why Bridget liked him other than he was there. But what else than a shallow love interest did I expect from Bridget? I'm glad that the Pride and Prejudice undertones were not blatant or I might of cried that Fielding so disgraced the characters. I liked the way Renee Zellweger played Bridget so much more than the way this is written. At least in the movie she has a brain and a personality worth something and she seems a little above all the nonsense around her. One of these days I'd like to read chick lit with a protagonist I can relate to, but then again, would it really be light and chick-lit-ish?

[Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp · Rating 2 out of 5]

|| 2.0 stars ||

If you’re in the mood for a book about a pathetic and self-absorbed woman who does nothing but moan about how unattractive and fat she is (even though she isn’t), who has no sense of self-worth unrelated to what men think of her, and who is surrounded by other awful and unlikable people, then this is the perfect book for you!

The grammar was also absolutely appalling, and it was sometimes barely readable. I understand that this was done on purpose to create a quirky ‘diary effect’, but knowing that really didn’t make it any less annoying to have to try to decipher what I was even reading.

Also, Daniel is a huge piece of shit and I can’t believe I was supposed to be rooting for a main character who was hopelessly in love with someone like that.
However, it did get better after Mark got fully introduced as a potential love interest, because honestly… Mark is just a better man in any way, shape or form, and, best of all, he seems to be actually interested in Bridget, rather than just using her and treating her like a trashy harlot like Daniel did.

Anyway, I’m guessing some people may find Bridget relatable and that is probably why it has been such a popular book, but luckily I am not one of those people, so there was unfortunately not much left for me to enjoy here.

All in all, I can say I find this to be a very overhyped book with many flaws, but at least I did think the second half was better than the first. It even got a few laughs out of me at that point.

[Tim Null · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nov. 9, 2023 Addendum
"Space is big." Douglas Adams

Originally, I didn't go to the Bridget Jones movie or read the book because (pausing while trying to think of a nonoffensive way to say) they sounded totally stupid. After I read the book, I searched for a polite way to say the book probably wouldn't cause permanent damage to your IQ.

So why did I read the Bridget Jones book?

Recently, I've become interested in the genre that Blake Snyder calls Fool Triumphant, and Jessica Brody wrote that Bridget Jones was a good example of this genre. She also included Stargirl in her list of Fool Triumphant novels. Molly in The Maid and Forrest Gump are also examples of the Fool Triumphant genre. (On Goodreads, the general consensus on Forrest Gump appears to be that if you love the movie, you'll hate the book and vice-versa. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the movie, so maybe I'll like the book.)

In conclusion, I'm gonna stick with my original conclusion, that is, Bridget Jones probably won't cause permanent damage to your IQ.

==============

Nov. 1, 2023

"Mostly harmless." Douglas Adams

[Annamaria · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Skirt is indisputably absent. Is skirt off sick?"

Despite what most of my friends think about me, I'm a sucker for good romantic comedies. Sure, they'll tell you that I mostly end up calling everything cheesy and roll my eyes but that's a coping mechanism and they just don't get me, alright? One of my favourite chick flicks is, you guessed it, Bridget Jones's Diary. I love its lightheartedness, how utterly 2000 it feels and looks, the Pride and Prejudice references and, my god, how gorgeous are Grant and Firth in this one? It's a personal attack I say, I'll sue!!

I didn't have many hopes for this book since I had already started it once but couldn't be bothered to finish it. Recently though I decided to give it another go. It just.. didn't work for me.

Bridget Jones's Diary presents itself in the form of a diary that doesn't feel like an intimate portrayal of life at all as it lists a series of stuff that happens to Bridget in the driest way possible. At some point it takes her pages and pages to tell us how unsuccessfully she's trying to work the video recorder. Who cares Bridget? Who cares?? There really is no plot if we don't consider poor Bridget whinging about her weight and men for the majority of this story.

As a character, Bridget doesn't grow and doesn't inspire empowerment at all as she doesn't stand up for herself, not even once. She lets people walk all over her and mops around afterwards. She's so self-centered that, as a reader, you struggle to see her as anything else beyond a huge ego. Her friends are the ones who help her and who care for her, but you never feel this care expanding from within her. Even when her parents are going through a rough patch she ends up projecting their issues onto her own, like, ew.

When it comes to the romance, she will tell us that she is in love, but we don't get to experience that love. We don't know Daniel at all, we just know that he's a borderline sexual harasser and a sex god. Good to know Bridget, can't we go a little deeper? And what about Mark? I.. Was he even in the book? (Seriously, was he? I ended up skimming through most of its second half)

What got me more than anything else though was the fake feminism. I know that when it comes to light-hearted comedies, feminism can become too surface level, but I wasn't prepared for this!

"After all, there is nothing so unattractive to a man as strident feminism."
(I don't know if this is possible but I felt my uterus litearally shrivel up)

"Think will cross last bit out as contains mild accusation of sexual harassment whereas v. much enjoying being sexually harassed by Daniel Cleaver."

"That didn't give him license to sexually harass me, but the complication was quite enjoyable, really."
(The oxymoron in these last two is what my nightmares are made of)

Bridget pretends she's a raging feminist but only when she gets to talk shit about men with her friends. Because that's what feminists do. Sometimes her friend Sharon would come up with actual good talking points that could have started interesting conversations (like the unwillingness of most women to stop compromising their careers for the sake of men who don't share the same emotional investment as their partners), but Bridget mostly fat-shames, calls a woman a "worthless trollop" because she's wearing a suit better than she did and at some point she laughs at Daniel Cleaver's "frigid cow" comment (he calls her that because she once refused to have drunken sex with him). I'm ---

Finally, that cover is so ugly I want it to die the worst death.

Needless to say that I disliked this book intensely, but am also very thankful for the movies it inspired. Without it we wouldn't have been able to get this brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before Hugh Grant, and what a wretched existence that would have been:

[Manny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get up and make sensible plan. Will work hard on journal paper during day, then go for well-earned picnic at open-air movie theatre. Tonight's movie Bridget Jones's Diary (v. good). Make salmon florentine for picnic, will eat half there and save rest for tomorrow. Feel v. organized.

Hard to concentrate thoughts on journal paper. After lunch go back to bed, need to recover energy. Wake up again mid-afternoon. Decide to postpone working on paper until tomorrow, have to tidy apartment since guests coming for picnic and place looks like tip. Pack picnic. Guests arrive, walk down to water and find good spot to pitch camp. While waiting for movie to start, eat all salmon florentine followed by large serve of chocolate mousse and most of two bottles of wine. Halfway through movie, stretch out hand to grope girlfriend and spill remaining wine over brand-new picnic rug (v. bad). Girlfriend not happy. Arrive back home pissed at 1 am. Must do better tomorrow.

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

The movie was better. In the book Bridget is annoying idiot, who has serious problems with alcohol and zero self-control.

[Yulia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This certainly wasn't a novel but, what's worse, it wasn't even a credible diary. Who records their mishaps while cooking and running late in their preparations? Perhaps if this were written in the phone-texting age, I could imagine someone constantly chronicling their every move, no matter how pressing the situation or how inane and empty the commentary, but as it is, this book serves as a frightening precursor to a new generation of books with no established atmosphere, characters, dialogue, or insight. Fielding would be better off looking into a crystal ball and telling people their fortunes than writing another non-novel.

[Suz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally read in 2016. Reread January 2024. Amended rating from 3★ upped to 4★

**January 2024. The reason for my revisit is this book The Other Bridget. I'd like to read the whole series and it was necessary as my memory is shocking. This new contemporary read by Rachael Johns was so refreshing, with the feisty protag based on the original Bridget. I'm curious if Aussie Rachael reached out to Helen Fielding, it would have been an interesting chat I'd bet! My thoughts second time round include these. The mum was crazy scattered and a tad annoying, but with some surprising insightful opinions. Mark Darcy was infinitly patient aided by the tropes of a love triangle and the always hoped for second chance. And what say you about the dastardly miscommunication? Mmm. Slightly annoying constancy of relationship speak - though I suppose this is an aged book. One quote from Bridget's mum (which I didn't note down due to audio - smashingly performed by Imogen Church) that I loved went something like this, while they were having their colours done (eek). If she's a spring, then I'm a tin of peaches. I'm not a writer, so it was better than this. BJD was a romp, and a fun one for my summer holidays, furnished by BorrowBox and my public library.**

Watched and loved the movie first, and that's what's stuck unfortunately. So I'd say this is 3.5 stars from me. Of course it would’ve been a different experience if I’d read it first, and I can totally see why the movie focused on Daniel the cad.. What would the movie have been without the fist fight in the snow?!

The diary entries witty, the protagonist funny and cheeky. She's a ninny isn't she?! This is a fun book, a romp really, and all the more fun with the self deprecation that is Bridget. It’s a fun reminder of the noughties (naughties??) and the nineties, for me at least.

I love the mention in the book of Colin Firth and Hugh Grant (I love these guys full stop). And what’s not to love about “Gav had cooked spag bog”. But why oh why are Aussie’s always portrayed as drunkards?! Perhaps there really is something behind that..

"…I have nothing to wear. I’m no good at anything. Not men. Not social skills. Not work. Nothing.” Love her.

"Where in the name of arse where you last night?” I said. “I might ask the same of you,” he said, icily. Love it.

Where else can we read gold pieces like this? I'd eat blue soup all day, if I could sit down with Bridget and Mark. Daniel too, even if he’s a sod.

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

Like so many others out there the holidays can sometimes get me feeling blah. Not like seasonal depression or can’t-get-out-of-bed kind of depression, more like just . . . . “meh.” In an effort to combat that, I do things like going balls out on Christmas decorating well before Thanksgiving, making giant Sunday dinners with all the fixins as soon as the leaves start to change in case I turn into a “please just go get Taco Bell” kind of Mom between Thanksgiving and the New Year and tipping the scales heavier than usual when it comes reading/watching things of the feel good rather than the stabby variety. Thus is the case with Bridget Jones and her diary.

I’m not a big re-reader (but I am HUGE re-watcher). My family always knows I’m about to go spelunking in the basement for decorations as soon as I’ve watched Christmas Vacation (usually as close as possible to the day after Halloween) and it becomes hot cocoa, cookies, snuggly blanket and cozy reads season with the annual viewings of Serendipity and Bridget Jones’ Diary. There’s just something about moments like these . . . .



Oh and just in case you’re wondering if I’m a pod person, I assure you I’m not. In my world it’s not officially Christmas until this happens . . . .



Greatest Christmas movie ever. Period.

It seems ol’ Bridge is a fail for the newer generation. The only thing I can say is this is not a story that’s meant to be taken seriously so if you’re not in on the joke, it definitely won’t work for you. Put yourself in the mindset of geriatrics like me and Bridget . . . .

“I am a child of Cosmopolitan culture, have been traumatized by supermodels and too many quizzes and know that neither my personality nor my body is up to it if left to its own devices.”

Realize that Bridget’s inner dialogue regarding weight, alcohol and cigarettes is more of a “first world problem” type of confessional rather than an “I’m going to go stick my head in the oven because I’m a morbidly obese drunk with lung cancer and no one will ever love me” admission.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Bridget Jones with my whole heart. I want to live in her head forever. She is fantastic, fearless, and funny. She sees the humour in every tragic situation. She understands every neurotic thought I've ever had.

Bridget Jones has always been one of my favourite movies and so I put off reading the book for a long time because I figured it would be more or less the same but it's actually totally wonderful in its own way.

I think you have to have been through certain things to really enjoy this book. If you can't relate to Bridget, you must be very lucky indeed. In a way, she is a bit intolerable, in a lovable sort of way. She guzzles wine, smokes countless cigarettes, and gorges on food like it's the last time she'll ever get to eat, and then wails endlessly about her weight; she moans about her dead-end job (in publishing, which I always thought would be so glamorous) without ever trying to get ahead; and she mopes about her social life and single status while remaining surrounded by her completely vapid (though all individually endearing) friends, and dating the absolute worst kind of men. This is something I experienced for several years (luckily in my early twenties - poor Bridge is still struggling into her thirties) and I wasn't even half as good as dealing with it as her. I was actually intolerable. Not at all adorable or witty or good-natured like she is.

This book is about growing up while trying to maintain sane with a cool, calm, and collected outer appearance. It's about learning to take your life seriously while trying not to take your life too seriously. It is heart-warming and laugh-out-loud funny and a complete narrative of my early twenties. It's to be taken lightheartedly, and if you can do that, I think you'll find it incredibly enjoyable.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of this aged poorly. Particularly the notion that a 130-lbs woman needs to diet and obsess about cellulite. But this remains by far the best Price and Prejudice retelling, and super funny too. Bridget's mom even can beat Mrs. Bennet in terms of ridiculousness. I forgot all about that.

[Kiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gawd, this book was criminally hilarious. I sat in the doctor's office waiting room literally snorting into my Nine West handbag (there's something really metal about being a minimum wage worker who chooses to buy labels instead of food) as I cradled my Kobo in my lap, with Bridget Jones and her life of ridiculous shenanigans all over the black and white screen. Needless to say, the people I waited with were unimpressed. They are probably not the first to wonder why someone like me would carry anything as elegant as Nine West.

Sometimes I wonder that, too.

Honestly? I took off a star because I was highly disappointed with the rushed and nonsensical ending. But the rest of this book? Pure gold. A little warning, though: this is not a shiny, polished tale of the stereotypical (and in real life, extremely rare) uptown and sophisticated south-English thirtysomething. It's an incredibly and often shamefully honest portrayal of a woman who likes sex and cigarettes and drinking and her foul-mouthed friends. It's not The Young Victoria. It's modern Britain, like nobody wants to see it.

Sure, it's a little ham-fisted in places. I won't say it doesn't idealize relationships, and get a little bizarre here and there. But who cares? I picked this book up expecting to be entertained. It exceeded those expectations.

Good job, Helen Fielding.

[el · Rating 4 out of 5]

it seems like nobody wants to write quippy romcoms with a clear understanding of tone and comedic punchlines these days!!!!!!!!! now it's all millennial tiktok humor and clumsy physical comedy to get the main couple together.....no! GIVE ME ONE-OFF JOKES, ANECDOTES, GRIMLY MOCKING OPINIONS, COMICAL OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE WORLD AND THROWAWAY CHARACTERS? why must we resort to internet mimicry and clumsy heroines?

this is probably the least romantic romcom ever, but it's hilariously hyperreal for that reason and totally of its time, in a way that is charming and not too kitschy. the diary set-up worked amazingly and gave the overarching narrative a kind of episodic, sitcom-esque feel that kept me thoroughly entertained throughout.

the worst crimes committed herein are the all too common "haha! people of color are weird!" jeers emblematic of late nineties white woman fiction. even the obsessive diet/eating disorder subplot i found successfully satirical and still true to our world almost three decades later.

objectionable get-together (so rushed, but that's okay because helen fielding doesn't really seem to understand romance writing), though the book was funny enough that i’ll forgive it. now onto the movie adaptation!!!!!

[K.P. Webster · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a depressingly bad book. ‘Helen Fielding is one of the funniest writers in Britain,’ says Nick Hornby on the front cover, ‘and Bridget Jones is a creation of comic genius.’ What on earth…? Why is he saying that? Did he want to sleep with her? Same goes for Salman Rushdie. ‘A brilliant comic creation,' blurbs Salman. 'Even men will laugh.’ Oh, Salman. Why is he saying that? Surely, if a book is genuinely funny, then people will laugh irrespective of their gender. Obviously. ‘Even men will laugh.’ What kind of bullshit is that? As it happens, I did laugh. I laughed, if I remember correctly, four times. Out loud. On the other hand, I also shouted out in anger, annoyance and plain old despair at least forty times.

So what’s wrong with this book?

Well, in a nutshell: flaccid, half-dimensional characterisation; sickeningly pat plotting – the ending in particular is an embarrassing slap in the face for anyone who's ever shown even a passing consideration for the real world; downright adolescent ideas about style – those bits where she writes ‘drunk’ and ends up with her typing slurred are a disgrace.

Also, I know Helen Fielding can’t exactly be blamed for this, but Jesus, you’d think Picador could afford a decent proof reader. There are so many incredible howlers in BJD that it beggars belief. On page 174 of this edition, for example…



…not only is there an ‘on one’ instead of a ‘no one’, but there is also – drum roll – this: ‘that’s a nice shirt your wearing’. NOOOOOoooooooo! God in Heaven, strike me down and bugger me.

One thing that particularly upset me about this book - and which Helen Fielding can be blamed for - was the woefully predictable oscillation of mood. This kind of thing throughout:

7pm. Opened bottle of wine feeling desperate and lonely and miserable. 7.30pm. Oh unassailable joy! Daniel called and declared his undying love for me. 8pm. Daniel called back and said he’d called the wrong number by mistake. He thought I was Ryan Giggs. (Who?) Opened second bottle of wine. Binged on marshmallow and lard and put on 3 stone in 20 minutes. 9pm. Oh insurmountable ecstasy! Mark Darcy called and declared his undying love for me. He’s coming over. Performed quick gastric bypass procedure on self and washed hair. Down to 9 stone but still look podgy. 10.30pm. Mark Darcy stood me up. Why am I so lonely? Why? Why? Why?

Because you’re a bore, Bridget, that’s why. You’re a fucking bore.

Of course I know we don’t have to like our fictional protagonists. Patrick Bateman, for example, is vile. As is Humbert Humbert, and even Homer Simpson. Yet in each of these cases, it is possible to describe these characters using one or more of the following adjectives: ‘interesting’, ‘fascinating’, ‘funny’ or ‘well-written’. And all of these things are important. However, if you insist on creating a character who is dull, slow-witted, utterly charmless, and self-indulgent to the point of mentally ill, then you’d better make sure that you write them well. Otherwise no one will read your book.

So, I suppose the next question has to be: how could I believe so passionately that what I’m saying is true and yet at the same time be so wildly and obviously wrong?

Bridget Jones's Diary has apparently sold millions and millions and millions of copies worldwide. It has also picked up astonishing reviews by the likes of the inestimable Jilly Cooper and a clearly fuckstruck Salman Rushdie.

My instinct is to say that these people are all wrong and that I know dross when I read it and that Bridget Jones’s Diary is utter, utter dross. But… what if it’s me?

This is a chilling thought. And I'm not sure what to do with it. Perhaps I shall just sit here, in my study, in nothing but the light from my computer monitor, and weep.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book a number of years ago after it was recommended to me by a friend and ever since that moment I have been wishing that I could go back in time and smack her over the head and tell her to take the book and shove it.

I found the book to be deeply irritating with a central character that was nether funny nor likable. In any way shape or form. In fact Bridget Jones has got to be one of the worst literary characters I have ever come across as she is in turns a moaning, whiny, boring, inane, deeply shallow, smug and extremely tedious individual.

In the course of reading this book I found myself not caring about her or her irritating 'problems' and at many points I simply rolled my eyes at her stupid behaviour which in turn made me unable to warm to any of the other characters (although I think that was also down to the fact that they don't have an original bone in their fictional bodies) in a story that is essentially nothing more than girl meets boy, girl has difficulty getting boy, has a dalliance with someone else and then eventually get's the boy. With a lot of unnecessary profanity, naval gazing and whinging along the way.

It's chick lit of the worst kind and how anyone can hold it up as a book about the difficulties faced by modern (feminist) women is beyond me. If I ever came across a 'Bridget' in real life then I would be deeply concerned for the human race as all the book is concerned about is appearance, getting a man, swearing and sex.

Completely devoid of humanity substance and totally misses the point about the troubles of dealing with the difficulties faced by real modern women in everyday life. Best avoided!

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been a long time since I saw the movie, so it was lovely to meet her again. The diary entries were entertaining, but in the book it got a bit repetitive. I got fed up about reading about calories and cigarettes. But I still enjoyed the book and her antics.

[Blaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. Think will cross last bit out as contains mild accusation of sexual harassment whereas v. much enjoying being sexually harassed by Daniel Cleaver.

For one of my book challenges, I needed to read a Jane Austin-inspired book. I remember enjoying Bridget Jones’s Diary, a book I read when it first came out 25 years ago. So I decided to reread it, and see whether or not it holds up a generation later.

Sadly no. No, it does not.

There are some parts of Bridget Jones’s Diary that still work. The judgment and frustration that “singletons” feel at the hands of their “smug married” friends and family is pretty timeliness. Her wild flights of imagination are amusing. And there are some parts that are almost still funny—no one knows how to program their VCR—even though they feel trapped in amber from a 1990s Seinfeld episode.

But most of Bridget Jones’s Diary is hopelessly dated and often cringey. Her obsession with her weight is unhealthy. Her lists of her weight, alcohol, cigarettes, and calories consumed gets old. This book may have originated the gay best friend trope, but it’s jarring every single time she calls him a “homosexual” like he’s some exotic creature. The plot line involving Bridget’s mother and Julio is just odd. Worst of all, like many good romcoms there’s a love triangle here, but this one sucks. The best parts of Pride and Prejudice is the banter between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, but Mark Darcy is rarely in this book until the final third. Instead, Bridget spends most of her time obsessing over her relationship with her boss, Daniel. Daniel is all class, using the work e-mail to call her a “frigid cow,” and tell her “I like your tits in that top.” Instead of going to HR about his sexual harassment, she STARTS sleeping with him.

Regular readers of my reviews know that I’m always on the lookout for that rare situation: the movie that’s better than the book. I keep a running list of them (there aren’t many) on my profile page. But onto that list I now add Bridget Jones’s Diary, a flawed book that was made into a better movie thanks to great performances by Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant. Bridget Jones’s Diary helped reinvigorated the romcom book genre. But that genre has grown and evolved and passed this book by. It’s just so vapid and cringey that I struggle to remember what I liked about it the first time. Not recommended.

Original rating: 4 stars
Rating I really want to give it: 2 stars
New rating: averaged to 3 stars

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ * · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty much on par with how i felt for the movie, really enjoyed it. i enjoy love triangles so much because the drama is good. the angst and jealousy this has!! bridget is also a really entertaining protagonist. daniel is a piece of shit that i love to hate and i kinda need mark… you guys know i love a nerdy man that basically has a stick up his ass. fun read! don’t think i’ll continue though cus im not about to read about a 10 year love triangle like that’s just insane.

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was somehow decent enough. I’m quite confused because so many things happened out of nowhere.

This is about Bridget Jones. A woman who is in some sort of life crisis because she’s unsure on what’s going on with her life, her boss is flirting with her but doesn’t want anything to do with her, she really wants a boyfriend, and she’s desperate to lose weight. Also, she smokes a lot.

As I said, I wasn’t a huge fan of it. It was sorta okay but I saw no point to the plot, it was like just reading…. Idk, something that wasn’t a diary. Sure, it was entertaining at times but not that good.

Characters were alright, but wasn’t a fan.

I’m not really sure what to think. All I can say is I saw no plot.

[Charlotte May · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must confess I watched the Bridget Jones films before reading the books.
This was light hearted amusement for me.
I could relate to a lot of Bridget's thoughts and habits, but I wouldn't say it was groundbreaking. If anything it was probably a bit too close to home for me to really enjoy - I prefer books with more escapism or surrealism.
But if you are looking for something that won't strain your brain too much and will offer you a few chuckles then this book is all you need.
Still gonna read the other two though as I own them so I might as well.

[Paulo Ratz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um dos “chick-lits” mais legais que eu li na vida. Acho que nunca ri tanto lendo um livro. Eu amo todos os personagens, mas principalmente amo os pais, que são muito doidos. Fiquei tão envolvido. O livro nem tem um grande plot, mas adorei vivenciar esse ano todo pelo ponto de vista da Bridget.

Tem as questões com o peso da Bridget que, pelo menos no livro, me parece uma leve romantização nesse desespero que ela tem em se manter magra. Por mais que seja a realidade de muitas mulheres, e não vejo problema em tratar com naturalidade, acho que o livro trata do assunto sem explicitar que é uma questão prejudicial a saúde mental, além da física.

[Aishu Rehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course the book is all about Bridget's feelings and emotions..............it's a diary!! I think anyone, man or woman, would quietly admit to themselves the selfish thoughts they have when something terrible happens to someone they know, Bridget is just doing that in her diary. The book provides an excellent outlet for anyone woman who feels the pressures of impending singledom, rubbish careers and crazy parents and it makes the reader see that IT'S OK NOT TO BE PERFECT! We love Bridget 'cos she is fun, honest and finds true love even though she is (shock! horror!) average and has arse the size of Brazil. Obviously not for everyone but one of the best reads I have come across and a must for any single girl.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SUCH a FUN book to read. I read it in December - when family/holiday shit and self worth is really taking a beating. So to pick up this book and read about her holiday get togethers and her weight and smoking issues and family issues - and how she can make an ass out of herself in such a grand grand manner....well - it was just what I needed. To be able to sympathise and laugh at the same time? Priceless!