Rating: 
Summary: Quintessentially British Humour at its Absolute Best!
Review: Bridget Jones's Diary is one of the funniest, most enjoyable novels that I've read. I don't often break out in audible bursts of laughter when reading, but I couldn't help doing so with this one. It is a very modern story, and it is, at least to my mind, in many ways on par with the brilliantly-directed, hilarious British comedy-drama television series Cold Feet. The story and characters are very different, of course, but it has the same flavour and feel (for lack of a better description!); suffice it to say, if you are familiar with and enjoy Cold Feet, you'll enjoy this novel.Bridget is a chain-smoking, alcohol-swilling, overly weight-conscious, man-obsessing, 30-something "singleton" with an addiction to self-help books and chocolate. She is also one of the most delightfully entertaining characters one could hope to come across. Some of the situations she gets herself into--well, they are just hilarious. But the book is more than just a comedy of errors, misunderstandings and mishaps. It is also highly insightful--both with respect to men and women (and I should imagine a lot of men would find this book enjoyable too). So far as women are concerned, however, I can't imagine anyone who could not find something to relate to in Bridget's character (whether or not one smokes, drinks, etc.). So long as one has spent at least a portion of one's life single, one will be able to relate. Indeed, it is that bond, that ability to relate that makes Bridget both so hilarious and so endearing, for ultimately it is ourselves, our own foibles, insecurities and obsessive moments that we are chuckling at. The novel covers one full year in Bridget's life, with one month per chapter. It is written in diary format, which is a wonderful way of structuring the novel as it allows for a lot of humour to come through in ways that would be impossible otherwise. Never fear, though, for the diary entries are more for the reader's benefit and enjoyment rather than being that which one would actually write, with the result that chunks of it read like a novel complete with "recollected" dialogue. Although a familiarity with Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is not necessary for the enjoyment of this novel, a familiarity with that work (particularly with the BBC/A&E dramatisation featuring Colin Firth) does enhance one's appreciation and enjoyment of this novel as it is, in fact, a very loose (and modern) parody of Pride and Prejudice (with actual reference being made to that particular dramatisation). In short, I enjoyed this novel (and its sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason) immensely, and I recommend both novels extremely highly. I particulary recommend them to those who enjoy British humour at its absolute best, for the humour here is quintessentially British. It simply does not, at least in my opinion, get any better than Bridget Jones!
Rating:
Summary: What else can be said?
Review: Sure - this was a great book. Sure - it became a great movie. Buy you have to remember that it gioes beyond that - it's a classic. If you're a lover of giggle-romance novels, this is the staple of the sub-category. A must have for anyone whoe wants to laugh at that way so many of us are!
Rating: 
Summary: Fun
Review: Okay, it's not the most... well, "academic" book, but it's still a lot of fun. Actually, my favourite character was not Bridget, but her mother. Such a colourful, silly, petty, STRANGE woman! For those who have seen the movie before reading the book, be forewarned... all is not the same. Both start off in a similar manner, but the end of the book is quite different (I almost wish they had filmed the book's version of the last few diary entries... that would have been a hoot!). All in all, it's a fun book, but don't read it expecting to learn anything or experience anything new and earth-shattering. It's light reading at its best.
Rating: 
Summary: OK book to pass time
Review: This was enjoyable, and an ok book to pass the time, but it isnt one of those suspensful, cant-put-down books. It is very British..meaning if you are not familiar with british slang and geography, you are better off renting the movie.
Everyone has a Bridget Jones in their lives.. someone who is neurotic, insecure and compulsive. So it is easy to relate to her and you will find your self rooting for her to succeed. It has a handful of good laughs and it is written well. Personally I would rather read a book that makes you turn the pages and cant wait to see how it ends. This is not one of them.
Rating:
Summary: Funny Girl
Review: This is a funny book. Pride and Prejudice in the modern, no post-modern, era. Bridget has a ton of things to worry about. Alcohol, cigarettes, food, diets, money, her job(s), the tangled affairs of her family and friends and most of all her own love-life. This is a book for women, yeah, but it's also a great read for men. How the other half thinks and funny enough to make it entertaining. I couldn't put it down, and I've got a ton of other books to read. I loved it.
Rating:
Summary: Four and 3/4 stars
Review: Heroine: Average Bridget Jones is a wryly humorous, voyeuristic look into the life of a young thirty-something who is set upon improving herself while trying to balance her world on a set of conflicting beliefs. On the one hand she purports to be a staunchly independent "feminist", and yet she is utterly desperate for a man to call her own. In point of fact, Bridget and her other unattached cronies are all convinced that they'll die alone and will be discovered weeks later half-eaten by an Alsatian. This desperation tends to drive Bridget into relationships with some real sleazebag losers, which, while doing nothing helpful for her self-esteem, does wonders for her dieting. Add to all this the fact that Bridget has finally reached that difficult point in life where she has to be the adult in her family. She has to handle her dad's pitiful middle-of-the-night phone calls while her mum, who left home in the throes of an end-of-life crisis, plays at living a wild carefree life as a television personality with a new youngish boyfriend, all the while trying to throw Bridget at her neighbor's rich, newly-divorced barrister son. What worked for me: I totally relate to Bridget's neuroses concerning food and calorie counting, as I imagine millions of other women in the world do. I also understand her worries about fitting into the world and trying so hard to present herself as someone who "belongs" appearance and intelligence-wise. Bridget's attempts at self-improvement in those areas were funny but also terribly bittersweet. Though it sometimes seemed a bit much, the terse telegraphic writing style lent itself very well to giving the feel of reading someone else's journal. And it was certainly fun trying to decipher those cryptic entries made when Bridget'd had a few too many! Size-wise Bridget was at best on the plump side of average, but she felt as though she was much larger than that. When she managed to shed the "extra" weight, all her friends couldn't help but ask her if she was ill and where her bosom had gone to. What didn't work for me: The characters were more like "caricatures" as they were so incredibly over-the-top in many respects, and at times I found their antics and attitudes wearing. (Well, you know how the psychobabble goes . . if you don't like someone, odds are it's because she reminds you of yourself. I am fervently hoping that this isn't actually true!) Overall: A fun, fast read for those who want to have a few laughs and feel better about their own lot in life. After all, things could be worse. You could be Bridget!
Warning: coarse language and sexual references abound, and if you abhor calorie obsessions, then skip over the headers to each entry in this book. If you liked "Bridget Jones's Diary" you might also enjoy "Jemima J." and "Having It and Eating It".
Rating:
Summary: Time Spent Re-Reading Bridget Jones, 5 hours (v.v.g)
Review: "Bridget Jones's Diary" is laugh-out loud funny. I resisted reading it for years because I hate all things "Ally McBeal"/women's self-help-like and that's what I feared it was. But it's incredibly funny, warm, smart and real. I also recommend the follow-up and Helen Fielding's first book "Cause Celeb." Not to mention that earlier work "Pride & Prejudice." Mark Darcy/Mr. Darcy...Ding-Dong.
Rating:
Summary: Bridget Jones
Review: This book is brilliant! Hilarious story of Bridget Jones. This story had me laughing out loud (sometimes to my embarassment) whenever and wherever I was reading it. Helen Fielding is a great author and I recommend this novel to anyone of the following : those who enjoyed the movie, those who enjoyed Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, those who like to laugh, and any women. Certainly the funniest book I've ever read. There is a little bit of Bridget Jones in every women. Don't believe me? Read it yourself and you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Average woman not so average
Review: This book was great. I laughed out loud on a number of occassions. I really liked it because Bridget Jones is so average, and goes through many of the same situations that average women go through, but proves to be not so average when she finally realizes that she doesn't have to try so hard and just accepts herself. It's a great confidence booster and a great book to curl up to one night when you need some alone time to pamper yourself. So put on a face mask, sit and the tub and enjoy it from cover to cover.
Rating:
Summary: Hurrah for Singletons!
Review: Bridget sounds like every woman's nightmare. She's a seemingly shallow, insecure, ego-centric, delusional, semi-feminist, weight-obsessed, cigarette-and-alcohol-addicted, boyfriend-hungry "singleton" surrounded by "smug marrieds" and her garish mother - at least in her diary, where all her flaws get to come out. All in all, a pretty normal woman. The nightmare part is that it's constantly (and publicly) found out that she's not the superwoman/goddess that modern society seems to expect. But that's alright. She's also beguilingly charming, warm-hearted, witty (after disaster occurs, of course), and keenly observant when you least expect it. All the wrong funny things lead to all the right funny things. Follows Pride and Prejudice much closer than you would believe (try reading them in succession/concurrently), this is an inspired re-writing of Jane Austen's classic. A fresh voice in an timeless situation of woman v. the world. Guess who wins? So, it's a bit predictable, but that doesn't take away from Bridget's charisma. She's wonderfully, deleriously human. An overdose of self-help books has her aiming for high, vague ideals like Inner Poise. Her friends, having read different self-help books, aren't much help, but a crazy continuation of Bridget's frazzled, endearing self. The movie captures Bridget's screwball comic essence (as well as Daniel Cleaver's caddishness) brilliantly, but the rest didn't do justice to her friends or mother. A great read at any time, it will go all too quickly. V. v. good.
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