Bridget Jones's Diary

by Helen Fielding

Book Overview

The iconic #1 bestseller by Helen Fielding and basis for the films starring Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey and Emma Thompson. Bridget Jones's Diary is the devastatingly self-aware, laugh-out-loud account of a year in the life of a thirty-something Singleton on a permanent doomed quest for self-improvement. Caught between the joys of Singleton fun, and the fear of dying alone and being found three weeks later half eaten by an Alsatian;...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 014028009X
• ISBN13: 9780140280098
• Release Date: June 1999
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

don't skip this just because you saw the movie

Time's tight for all of us. That's why you'll be tempted to skip reading "Bridget Jones's Diary" if you saw the movie. Don't! The movie is, of course, darling with cute Renee Zellwenger, uptight but decent Colin Firth and Hugh Grant as the epitome of the gorgeous, smooth-talking cad. However, the book is much, much better. You'll miss the uproariously funny details inherent in the format of Bridget's diary (e.g., counting cigarettes and calories, the despair of falling off the wagon, the recriminations common to all young women's diaries -- and low self-esteem). Reading this was like reliving my own misspent youth. By necessity, the movie had to shear big sections of the book out of the screenplay -- and you won't want to miss a juicy day of Bridget's year-long diary. Also, the movie treatment of some of Bridget's adventures just aren't as clever or funny as Helen Fielding's handling. It's a cliché to say you'll laugh out loud. But in this case, it's actually true. Don't miss reading Helen Fielding's gem just because you saw the big-screen version.

Este libro mantiene su gracia en la versión española

Habiendo leído 'Bridget Jones's diary' en inglés, decidí leer este libro, la traducción española y debo decir que me ha gustado muchísimo y todavia tiene tanta gracia como antes. Bridget describe su vida cotidiana en su diario, siempre con los mismos comentarios muy collejos y graciosos. Cuando leo este libro, siempre identificas con Bridget porque es un caracter muy normal y tiene las mismas dudas como todo el mundo. Me gusta las palabras que ha utilizado; mmmmm, uf, umf etc. Es muy gracioso y me ha gustado muchísimo. La traducción es perfecto y me encanta. Leídlo ahora mismo. Siento hacer tantos errores españoles.

Time to get noticed!

While most people will read this book because of the movie version starring Renee Zellweger, its important to remember that the book has been around for quite a bit of time, and that its essential reading even if you have seen the film.The problem with reading a book AFTER you've seen the movie version is that you undeniably relive the scenes with the cinematic players in mind. Luckily, my time with this book was spent before the film opened and I was able to appreciate Helen's attempts at comedy with a better perspective on what she was trying to do - create a female character so flawed and jinxed, that it was impossible but to fall in love with her.I must say that some of the scenes here read funnier than when they made it to film. But to give it credit, the movie version excelled in portions that were more or less underplayed in the book - the blue soup incident, and the mom-on-TV segments especially. However, I must say that the quality of language and the author's writing style here are wonderful and quite exceptional. Rarely has there been a book that makes you want to meet the lead character, but this one does just fine on that count.The only concern I had is that while Bridget Jones's Diary is a journal that takes you through a girl's life in a year, the movie seemed to be more a collection of little vignettes, focussing less on the diary itself - though in the end, its the diary that brings her happiness and the man she loves. Readers may find the climax a bit silly (it looks even more contrived on film) but keep in mind this was written for twenty-somethings looking for a way to pass their time on a lonely weeknight, and not for aspiring professors of literature. Still, there are highly comic moments, and I'd have to give it to the author for sustaining my interest in the book until the very end.And yes, if you're wondering if all your favorite scenes from the movie are there in the book, well, the answer is both yes and no. And there are bits and pieces that I found essential to the story that were left out from the movie, but thats no big deal. As a novel, this reads very well, and its satisfying to learn that it will gain renewed attention now that the film version is out.On another note, when I first read the book, I did not at all picture Bridget the way Renee does her in the film. I saw her more as a plump Toni Collette ('Muriel's Wedding' and 'Emma') or a bloated Kate Winslet ('Sense and Sensibility', and 'Jude'). Also, the Hugh Grant character seems more suave and smooth than Hugh does on film - a Rupert Everett or Jeremy Northam was what I first thought of in this role. However, Bridget's mum is as funny here as she is in the film. What I really love about the entire Bridget Jones Diary madness going around is that the film really compliments the book and is a faithful reproduction, for the most part. If you're a person whos been thinking about reading this book based on the hype thats been circulating, I would urge you to get

A must read for every girl out there!

With terms like Singletons, Smug Marrieds and Whippersnappers... Bridget Jones tells us what it's like being a single woman in London in the modern times. Through her diary, the reader is able see right into her mind. Oh her obsession with counting things... like her weight, counting calories, cigarettes smoked, alcohol contents consumed among other things is hilarious with her special comments next to them. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy (especially the wet shirt bit) from Pride and Prejudice (along with her friends Shazz and Jude) Bridget has several interesting encounters with her own Mr. Mark Darcy. Stuck in a dead end job and doomed relationships- Bridget shares with us her every day life, which is filled with outrageously embarrassing situations to mundane everyday things. Although, with Bridget Jones, everyday mundane things are not really mundane at all! These daily entries are funny and absolutely engrossing!! And found myself laughing outloud not just because the heroine is a crack-up but because I was able to relate so much to Bridget! I actually noticed myself writing more like her in my own journal entries... I loved reading about a woman who got into more humiliating scrapes and embarrassing situations more than me! There really is a Bridget Jones in every woman. Can't wait to read Edge of Reason!

Parallels, Parody, Pleasure

Bridget Jones's diary was funny enough to read three times running and my pleasure in this book was shared with a number of female friends. Men do not appear to understand the humour, which is hardly surprising as it deals largely with the female psyche and response to life and relationship issues. Bridget is a somewhat exaggerated character, but this device works to entertain women by presenting an extreme version of some of their own foibles. A source of particular amusement and pleasure for me were the plot parallels with Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. Never so obvious as to be irritating, the parallels are none the less obvious enough that they are not to be taken seriously but simply enjoyed. Bridget Jones's Diary is not LIKE Jane Austin's books, but it has a similar scope. That is, it deals with the social interactions between people, with relationships, and with the petty social discourse that is yet so crucially important to our lives.