Rating: 
Summary: Feed starving children, oh dear I broke a nail, maybe later.
Review: This book is an unusual mix of modern day London, celebrity parties and the pampered rich, then in a breath the author takes us to a refugee camp in Nambula, Africa. The refugees are dying from starvation and cholera as they await a plague as old as the bible. The locusts are fast becoming a major problem and the only crops this nation has been able to grow after years of drought and famine are about to be sheared off at the roots by a cloud of hungry insects. Our heroine, Rosie has left her cushy life and celebrity friends behind after a disastrous relationship. She has taken a position in an African refugee camp working as part of an organization that gives relief to starving families. When faced with a famine of undetermined proportion, a shipment of food and medicine that hasn't arrived, and no clue when the next shipment will arrive, she makes up her mind to call on her celebrity friends to do a performance to help raise the money. The problems that ensue range from tragic to laughable as we watch London's pampered princesses of the stage and screen, toting perfume and packing blow dryers in a place where the people are so malnourished that their hairs falls out in tuffs. This book is a brilliant look at two sides of the coin and Fielding does it so well. She certainly has more to offer than Bridget Jones, as endearing as Bridget is, this book shows us that the breadth and depth of her characters go beyond what she has become so famous for. This was an enjoyable book with a heart of it's own. A wonderful dose of reality. Kelsana 5/15/01
Rating:
Summary: Bridget grows up
Review: As a fan of Helen Fielding's later books, "Bridget Jones' Diary" and "Edge of Reason," I approached "Cause Celeb" with the anticipation that it would be similar in tone and content. It wasn't, but I was not disappointed. Not as intimate as the "Diary" books, "Cause Celeb" is nonetheless a sophisticated piece of writing that showcases Fielding's great humor and grasp of the absurd. The reader is literally jolted from chapter to chapter, simultaneously caught up in the trivialities of Rosie Richardson's disasterous love life in England and the seemingly impossible challenges that face her as an aid worker in famine-wracked Africa. The frail nature of the self-absorbed characters in the story creates a startling contrast with the resilience of the more selfless. Even the most insensitive, however, are drawn with a fine line of empathy.
Rating:
Summary: Another laugh out loud Fielding read
Review: I really enjoyed both Bridget Jones books and was thrilled to see the release of the Fielding's first novel,'Cause Celeb'. It did not disappoint as a light, entertaining read; something to read on an airplane or to clear the palate between heavier books.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and Thought-Provoking
Review: On top of the fear discussed by previous reviewers that this book would be disappointing after Bridget Jones, I had an additional worry: This is Fielding's first book. So, why is it just now appearing in America? The obvious answer is that this book was not very good but that the publisher, knowing that this book would sell well even if it was garbage due to the success of Bridget Jones, was just putting out a bad book to make money. But, whether you had this fear or any other, you will enjoy this book if you (a) enjoyed Bridget Jones, (b) would find an honest account of celebrity hangers-on interesting and (c) want a unique, non-expert opinion on some of the poverty/political problems in Africa. Cause Celeb tells, in two parallel story-lines, the story of a woman heading an sub-Saharan refugee camp just outside Sudan (here called Abouti) when a locust plague is about to hit the country and cause devastation to a population just now recovering from famine and the story of the messed-up Bridge Jones-style love affair that drove the woman away from her comfortable London life several years previously. The last half of the book tells of the woman's plans to produce a Live-Aid style "Appeal" (British for benefit) to ward off the impending crisis. First, for Bridget Jones lovers, the wit that will come to full bloom in Bridget Jones peeks out several times in this book providing a few laugh-out-loud moments. Second, for those interested in celebrity, you get a seemingly honest view of what is like to run with famous people when you are not quite famous yourself. For instance, you learn an interesting rule of being a celebrity hanger-on. You are never allowed to start a conversation with someone more famous than you. Always wait until they talk to you. When the main character follows this rule, she is accepted; when she ignores it, she is shunned. Never having been around celebrities, I can't vouch for its accuracy, but it does seem like the world would work this way and is an interesting insight into celebrity. Finally, hidden within the lightness of the book and the ridiculousness of some of the characters, a la Bridget Jones, is an unblinking look at political and poverty-created tragedy in Africa. The book is a thinly-veiled indictment of the politics surrounding the Sudan civil war (and likely mirroring the problems of other immediately sub-Saharan nations), issues which are very current now as the U.S. and Western Europe debate whether to get involved in the Sudan and about which I, and I suspect most others, have very little knowledge. This book gives detailed accounts of the horrors of famine which even the years of seeing starving children in Save the Children commercials has not immunized us from. However, the book is funny and cheerful enough for me to guarantee that those of you looking for diversion rather than depression in your reading material will still come away from the book happier than when you started, although you will, as I did, also have a greater appreciation for the problems surrounding African poverty by the end of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Surprising stuff from Helen Fielding
Review: Unlike some other people, I went into this book not expecting Bridget Jones. What I found was actually closer to Bridget than I thought in some sections. However, Rosie is a stronger woman-she just doesn't know it yet. Fielding's characterizations of the celebrities, as well as the relief workers, were well-rounded, and the action was fast paced. But most of all, I never thought I would laugh out loud while reading about a famine. The scenes where the celebrities first encounter the Africans are quite funny. Later on though, while one celebrity is photographed holding a starving child, all I could picture was Sally Struthers wandering through the camps with tears in her eyes--and Fielding's point hit home. Cause Celeb is an interesting statement on the place of celebrity in our society--and how it can actually be used for good, even if those doing the good are vile people. I recommmend ths book.
Rating:
Summary: Great first effort from Helen Fielding!
Review: Helen Fielding is best known for writing Bridget Jones's Diary -- the often imitated but never duplicated novel. I can't believe it took me this long to read her first effort! Set in England and Africa, we are introduced to Rosie: a sweet but self-deprecating (what did you expect? This is Helen Fielding!) heroine whose crush on a celebrity brought her to Africa. Needless to say the trip to Africa isn't as glamorous as anticipated. There are flashbacks of when she falls for the celeb in London. The scenes are hilarious! This isn't Bridget Jones, but Cause Celeb has enough fun and charm to satisfy readers. I have become a fan of British humor, and this book has plenty of it!
Rating:
Summary: A fabulous first novel by Helen Fielding
Review: Because *Cause Celeb* was only recently released in the United States, I had already read both of her other books, the Bridget Jones Diary and the sequel to BJD, Bridget Jones Edge of Reason. I was happy with both of the Bridget novels; they were a fresh look at single life in the 90's. But I had no idea of Fielding's depth until reading *Cause Celeb*. The main character of Celeb is a more mature, somewhat less self-conscious version of Bridget. They have many characteristics in common, in particular, their sense of humor in the face of tragic situations. Rosie works for a publishing house in London, where she is often right in the middle of celebrity gatherings. She hooks up with a famous TV host, Oliver, who turns out to be (in my humble opinion) a schizophrenic abusive boyfriend that increases her desire to get far, far away from London life and the celebrity scene. She finds work in Nambula, Africa, where she runs a refugee camp providing food, water and medical care to villagers thrown out of their homes. In Africa, Rosemary is able to find herself, garner self-esteem and gather the courage to go back to London when a food shortage and health crisis is imminent. Unfortunately, the only way she can help the refugees is to ask for a celebrity benefit from none other than Oliver and his cronies. *Cause Celeb* is an absolute page-turner and exceeded my every expectation for a first novel by Fielding. She makes it clear that she can write about more than our Bridget, which only increases my anticipation by another Fielding novel!
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant and well-written
Review: The kind of book that makes you laugh out loud, then pause to reflect in embarrassment that you're laughing that should provoke a tragic response. Excellent dissection and skewering of the decidedly mixed motives of those, celebrities and ordinary aid workers alike, who try to do good in the hot climates. Read it as excellent fiction even if you don't care about the topic; read it as a great commentary on aid and aid workers if you'r at all familiar with the field. Better than the Bridget Jones books which are terrific in their own right.
Rating: 
Summary: Cause Celeb
Review: I am not reviewing this book, I am providing information to my book club so they can decide which book to read next. I order several books each month for my book club. At times, it is necessary for me to provide a summary of each of the hostesses choices so the book club can pick a read for the upcoming month. It used to be easy to find a book summary and I wish the summary came first and reviews later. Thank you. Martha Cousino
Rating:
Summary: Not Bridget, but just as good
Review: This book is not another Bridget Jones slapstick funny type book, but it is a solid good read and an interesting story. I read this book in about a day after seeing it in a local bookstore. After plowing through it, I am certainly looking forward to Helen Fielding's next book, whatever it may be about. I highly reccomend this, it is kind of like John Grisham's Time to Kill versus the Firm. Two different kinds of stories, but both good.
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