Bridget Jones's Diary

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Summary: Bridget Jones's Diary is an incredibly humorous, light novel
Review: Helen Fielding does an excellent job in mirroring the feelings of many women in an amusing way. I found myself enthralled with Bridget, her reader relatability, and was frequently caught laughing aloud at her antics. I was amazed in reading others comments on Bridget Jones. Rather the criticism. This book was written for enjoyment purpose yet some readers took it as a serious work of fiction and analzed it as they would Henry James. Take this novel in the manner it was intended!

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Summary: I loved it!!
Review: I thought this book was hilarious and looney in the best British comedy tradition. Just when I was about to lose interest in the book thinking the heroine was a perpetual victim, she did an about-face and found the guts to get out of her dead-end job and relationship. Her reward is a happy ending, which you can guess if you read or watched "Pride and Prejudice". It's a great light read and kept me well amused throughout a transatlantic plane trip.

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Summary: Great way to lighten up!!
Review: Bridget Jones is light reading and very funny. Most of us do obsess on something our lives just like Bridget. I would recommend this book for those who just want to forget about life and laugh a little at Bridgett and themselves.

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Summary: This book is popular with women? Which women?
Review: I'm amazed that this novel has been so popular. I love all things British but I couldn't stand Bridget after awhile. Her endless calorie counting, taking two hours to get dressed, and pathetic whining about not having a man border on the offensive. I'm a single woman myself and I have lots of single friends and I don't know a single one who acts like this. I wanted to shake Bridget and shout at her, "Who cares if you have a man or not - enjoy your life! Eat what you want. Do some charity work! Do something worthwhile instead of drowning in liquor and self-pity!" And as if that isn't bad enough, the other characters are one-dimensional cartoons especially Bridget's mother who becomes an adulteress, talk show host and thief - none of which is even faintly believable. If ever the success of a book made me wonder about the taste of the masses, this is it.

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Summary: I can't believe this is the same book that got raves!
Review: I cannot believe that this is the book that garnered such rave reviews last year when it came out in hardback. I find myself wondering if somehow I got a different copy - say a high school freshman's fiction writing assignment that was erroneously slipped into a Bridget Jones'Diary book binding. How this book could've garnered the praise it has is astounding to me. My first problem with this book is from a sheer point of view of craft. It is so poorly written that I had to re-read some sentences to understand them. Part of this, to give the author credit, was due to the strong English accent the character has, but part of it was just plain bad writing. Take an email exchange between two extremely vapid people, add a dose of indecipherable abbreviations and some alcoholic confessions and you've pretty much covered it. The book lapses back and forth between 1 dimensional characters and 1 dimensional plot. You have The Gay Guy, The Best Friend, The Cute Boss, The Bitchy Social Climber. The only character I found at all interesting was Bridget's mother who does a turn as a stereotypically wild divorcee turned talk show hostess. No one has sufficient depth that you form an emotional bond with them and hence they come off as petulent,pathetic and altogether unlikable. By the end of the book (and yes I read it through to the bloody end) I found myself in a state of such antipathy for the heroine that I wanted to smack her around and hold her face in a chocolate tray to silence her pathetic whining. To me the way the heroine acts and her attitude in her diary is a slap in the face to women everywhere, but especially single women. No woman in this book comes away unscathed by Brigit's tirade of self-hatred, neurosis, willful stupidity and catty comments. I found it highly offensive in so many ways, not the least of which being the undertone that single women are not single by choice, but merely by foul circumstance or lack of foresight.The conclusion that all single "career" women secretly desire the completion that only a big frilly wedding and chubby cherubs will bring made me nauseous. And it is -never- challenged throughout the book! I kept wanting to shout "Get some PRIDE woman. Quit whining! Grow to appreciate your independance." But alas that never happened. In the predictably "romantic" ending the reader is left wondering why any sentient human being within Brigit's whining range would find her remotely attractive, much less marriageable, so the book's conclusion feels just as forced and self-indulgent as the rest of the book. Definately ready for the recycle bin. May it's next life as parakeet paper give it some substance.

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Summary: Funny and Entertaining!
Review: This was a rather entertaining book where I found myself laughing out loud. Bridget's life is very amusing, and you keep asking yourself, "what is she going to do next?"! Bridget's diary portrays a funny singleton who just needs a good shag! I recommend this to any young woman!

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Summary: 90's version of Pride and Prejudice
Review: I kept thinking, that the story was sounding familiar. Then Mark "Darcy" came into the picture and I knew excatly was was going to happen. I suggest you read Jane Austin's "Pride and Prejudice" instead. I liked "Bridget Jones," but I always favor the original.

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Summary: Singletons unite!
Review: Every woman can relate to the struggles of Briget Jones...this book is hilarious and very easy to relate to. As I was reading it, I found myself comparing Briget's thoughts and feelings to my friends and me. I read it in one evening and was sorry to see it end so soon...any woman over 20 should read this book!

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Summary: I simply LOVE it :)
Review: It's a funny novel, I find myself laughing at bridget's thoughts and actions. An entertaining read indeed.

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Summary: v.b.
Review: Although there were funny moments, all in all the book severely disappoints. Bridget is certainly neither a feminist nor particularly appealing. Many of the characters, including Bridget's extraordinarily obnoxious mother, are completely flat and unbelievable. Not to mention the fact that the conclusion is too ridiculous for words. If you must read it, borrow a copy - you'll be happy to have not wasted the $13.