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Bridget Jones's Diary
Bridget Jones's Diary
Bridget Jones's Diary
Audiobook8 hours

Bridget Jones's Diary

Written by Helen Fielding

Narrated by Barbara Rosenblat

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

Sunday 1 January: 129 lbs. (but post-Christmas), alcohol units 14 (but effectively covers 2 days as 4 hours of party was on New Year's Day), cigarettes 22, calories 5424. From its beginning as a weekly column in a British newspaper, Bridget Jones's Diary quickly became a best-seller in England. After gaining international popularity, it also shot to the top of the New York Times best-seller list. A 30-something single professional, Bridget Jones prefers a diary to a day planner for tracking her life. Each entry is an honest and hilarious step in her endless quest for self-improvement. (New Year's Resolution: Go to gym three times a week not merely to buy sandwich.) Caught between match-making relatives, other singles, and smug marrieds, Bridget records the triumphs and faux-pas of her life in this diary. Funny, witty, and, at times, charmingly innocent, Bridget Jones's Diary has a voice that is absolutely authentic. You've seen the Bridgets of the world trot by on their way to the office or gym. Now, through Barbara Rosenblat's narration, you'll spend some wonderful hours in the company of one. But be warned: from the very first line, you'll be laughing out loud and looking for friends to introduce to this wonderful young woman.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 20, 2012
ISBN9781464034039
Bridget Jones's Diary
Author

Helen Fielding

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 possible to Africa, India and Central America. She is the author of Cause Celeb, Bridget Jones's Diary, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination, and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. She co-wrote the screenplays for the movies of Bridget Jones's Diary and The Edge of Reason, starring Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. She now works full-time as a novelist and screenwriter and lives in London and Los Angeles.

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Reviews for Bridget Jones's Diary

Rating: 3.873873873873874 out of 5 stars
4/5

111 ratings79 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have read this book a long time ago and I forgot how good it is! Bridget is funny, relatable, and hilarious. For me, Bridget is the best chick-lit I have read!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Entertaining, light book. Has some authentic moments mixed in with some ridiculous ones. Doesn't hold up well on repeated readings, but a good beach read. It's worth noting that Bridet may be the least interesting character in the book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book never fails to bring a smile to my face.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not quite sure why this is on a "Must Read" list but it does give a humorous picture of a certain kind of life as it is being led in these times, and that has some value. Also it's enjoyable.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I LOVED this book. Bridget Jones is a very likeable heroine, full of imperfections. She is relateable to anyone struggling to find their own way in the dating world wile being surrounded by Smug Marrieds. This book is laugh-out loud funny and impossible to put down. I have read and re-read this book many times.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Terrific, well-written story about a modern woman finding her place in the world. It may be the mother of all chick lit but it is a very well-crafted piece of frothy fun.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Bridget Jones's Diary is filled with entertainment from start to finish - each journal entry showcasing wonderful off-color British humor. This is truly chick lit at its best. Read Bridget's journal to get a peek into her thoughts on men, her misadventures in cooking, and the ups and downs of both her weight and her dating life.

    Each day's entry starts with a log of her weight, alcohol intake, cigarettes smoked, calories consumed and lottery tickets purchased. Sometimes this log at the beginning of the chapter is just as funny as the entry following it. I may not be able to relate to the smoking and drinking, but I think struggling against giving in to self-indulgence is one of those shared human experiences to which we can all relate.

    I have seen bits and pieces of the first movie, and all of the second, and I can say without reservations that I prefer the book over the movie. For one thing, I found the swearing very off-putting in the movie, while in the book I found it easy to just skim over the swear words if I felt like it. In addition (like most books) there is more content in the book that didn't show up in the movie. Plus if I'm going to be experiencing a journal, I'd rather read it than watch a movie about it.

    I laughed my way through this entire book, and would recommend it to anyone who likes chick lit or books in journal form.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I thought this was the funniest book ever when I first read it. Bridget was just so ridiculous, bumbling all over the place.What's not to love
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Usually fun, occasionally funny, peppered with moments that were unbelievably annoying.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Meh. Saw the movie: again, meh (but I didn't think that Renee Zelllweger had that accent in her until I saw it).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    So I picked up Bridget Jones's Diary because I just simply wanted to read and laugh a little and enjoy a lot and I was not disappointed. I have seen the movies and I definitely enjoyed them - but I've always wanted to get a deeper feeling for Bridget and thus the book has been one that I've wanted to read for quite some time now.Bridget Jones's Diary is just that - her diary entries which span a year in time. Every entry not only has what's going on in her life but also counts her calories, cigarette intake, and how much booze she drinks. Now let me tell you that just those little numbers were a crack-up. You could definitely tell what kind of a day she was having by how many cigarettes or how many drinks she had.There were so many things that I truly enjoyed about this book:Characters that I could relate to; weighing oneself every single day, being infatuated with a guy who's no good for you, knowing it, and still obsessing over him to the point where you get no work done; good friends who love and protect you and will do anything for you (including lie to you) if the need arises; parents who try to hook you up with anyone of the opposite sex because they are terrified that you are spiraling headfirst into spinsterhood.Bridget Jones's Diary is all that it was said to be and more. It is funny and original with a likable, funny, yet slightly neurotic heroine... just the way I like them.I'll end it at this, it was V. good. :)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I really enjoyed this book. Being a singleton at the time, I could identify with Bridget and her plight.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I have been wanting to read this book for a very long time. Ever since the movie came out. Even though I enjoyed the movie, I wasn’t sure I would like the book. I have no idea why I thought that. So when I recieved this book as a gift from my Mom I picked it right up and started reading it.I was surprised that I enjoyed it but at the same time I expected it to be funnier. I’m glad I read it and maybe someday I will even read book two, The Edge of Reason.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is exactly the kind of woman I am very glad not to be. She goes along with everything she hates. Like the parties of the Smug Marrieds where she knows she’ll be put through hell. She is mostly put through hell because she seems to lack the ability to tell people off. She thinks about shocking things to say but she doesn’t say them. If she would, she would suffer far less. She worries about what people think so much that she can’t form her own opinions. She constantly puts herself in the 3rd person and thinks from the outside viewpoint. It’s women like this with no self-esteem that can’t go out without makeup on because they are convinced they are not good enough as they are. I’m so glad this isn’t me.It was funny to read though.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book was very funny. I expected a lot less because I really hated the movies, but this book was quite well written and quite funny. However I still wouldn't rate it terribly high. Although it was funny, much funnier than I expected, I didn't expect a lot. And despite being well-written and amusing it's not actually a good book. If you like girly books and want a laugh this book is perfect. Especially good for a summer holiday read I should think, but if you want something spectacular give it a miss. It's not my cup of tea. I plan on donating it. And if I don't plan on keeping a book it's probably because it was really rubbish.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I happened upon a Canadian publisher's copy (in my American Goodwill shop), which is apparently the same as the British version. I don't know exactly what the difference is (other than her weight being in stones rather than pounds), but I like the *idea* of reading it as it was written.I love the movies so I'm surprised I waited so long to pick up the books. I wasn't over-awed by the first book. I laughed out loud about a dozen times. The writing style (same as the narration style in the movies) is choppy, but I got used to it after 50 or so pages. Daniel (Hugh Grant's character in the movie) doesn't come across as bad in the book -- just a typical skirt-chasing, sports-loving, shallow sort of chap. About half-way through I quit reading the opening sections for each day listing her weight, # of fags she'd smoked, lottery tickets she'd scratched, etc.All in all, a decent beach or travel read but I wouldn't spend my time reading it again.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Bridget Jones’s Diary is a cute, fluffy novel that had me laughing at many parts and groaning in others. Of the several “chick lit” books I have read, Bridget is as adorable, vulnerable and likeable as her “chick” counterparts. However, what sets her apart, in my opinion, is that she learned from her adventures and came out a wiser person (though, with a sequel, this could have been temporary!). Bridget Jones is a single thirty-something who can’t find a meaningful relationship, works in a dead-end job and must cope with her mother’s mid-life crisis. She writes about her life in her diary, including a faithful documentation of her daily alcohol, tobacco and caloric consumption. In effect, she gains 74 pounds but loses 72, binges on alcohol (especially when times get tough) and never strikes it rich. Her affair with her boss, Daniel, leaves her feeling miserable and lonely, and by the end of the book, she finally gets her act together to end the year on a positive note. Thanks to Raidergirl3 (Elizabeth) for recommending that I read Bridget Jones’s Diary around the holidays. It was perfect for this time of year – a light read with short chapters (great for bookmarking in between baking batches of cookies) and some good laughs. It was a fun book. Interestingly, it was awarded the British Book Award (Book of the Year) in 1998. You go girl!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Funny book that defined a genre. The allusions to Pride and Prejudice are fun, but don't work completely since BJ is no EB. She's too self-conscious and obsessed.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book was a hilarious modern retelling of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." Following Brdiget's misdaventures through love, career, friendship (married vs. singletons), and family was an enjoyable experience. The lead character's flaws (alcoholism, not knowing where Germany is, letting men walk all over her) were well balanced with her humor, nice personility, and eventual determination to develop "inner poise." Overall, "Bridget Jones's Diary" wasn't a memorable masterpiece, but it was definitely an entertaining read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    While it will certainly never win the Booker Prize, Fielding's witty and honest depiction of the modern singleton is quite an enjoyable and engaging read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Hilarious! I laughed the whole way through. I think most women will be able to find a piece of themselves in Bridget.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Meet Bridget Jones a thirty something singleton who is planing to change her life in the next year. She will: loose weight, stop smoking, develop inner poise, and find a boyfriend. Over the course of a year, she ends up ditching the new year's resolutions, flirting with office scoundrel, working in television and meeting Mr. Darcy. The book is hilarious and most single women will love Bridget!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5

    Six out of ten.

    Bridget Jones is a typical neurotic woman - unhappy with love, life and her parents. Very funny in places (best when it's dealing with every day life as the plot gets more convoluted the less funny it is), it is a quick and trashy read.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Funny, light confection of a novel.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fielding's reworking of Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Thoroughly entertaining!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A lot funnier than I expected it to be....the 'throwing matches' joke was a particular highlight. I learned some time after reading it that it nakedly bases itself on Pride and Prejudice - this completely eluded me as I read this one first! May read the follow-up one day, though oddly have no strong urge to do so.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book. I started noticing things in my life that reflect Bridget Jones's observations. Of course, Bridget Jones drove me crazy with her pathological disorganization and lateness, but the Pride and Prejudice plotlines were endearing.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I watched the movie before I ever got around to reading the book. I decided finally that I would read it because it just seemed like my type of book based solely on my experience with the movie, but as I read it I was engrossed into it in a way that I didn't think I would be. The style that the author uses to create the story is very unique in that it is told through journal entries. Upon further examination I discovered that it was originally told in a newspaper in Great Britain, which made me like the piece even more because it felt like an old way to tell a story but with modern sensibilities about it.

    Most people can instantly relate to the title character with her issues of wanting to stop eating so much and trying to quit smoking. We have all had loves that slip-away or loves that maybe we shouldn't have even got with in the first place. This book really has the heart of every single person on the planet written into it. The character is believable in a way only few authors are able to create.

    I would highly recommend this book to anyone that wants a read that they will instantly connect with the title character. Also you will enjoy this if you are looking to find interesting ways to stylize a writing as an author. It is a very pleasant and fast read. For guys that are worried about it being chick-lit look at it as an examination into the mind of the female because it does this masterfully.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I loved the movie Bridget Jones' Diary and so the book seemed like a good choice. This is one of those rare exceptions where I read the book after seeing the movie. Anyway, I was looking forward to this read but was disappointed because the book isn't nearly as lighthearted as the movie. The movie succesfully ferreted out a decent present day adaptation of Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Granted, the book isn't terrible. I merely find the movie to have done a better job in developing engaging characters. The variations in plot between the book and movie made all the difference. I'll still recommend it for anyone that likes the movie. It's a short, quick read with great style and witty quips.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    After having seen the movie (sadly without even knowing it was a book at the time) and hearing that the book came highly recommended, I picked this up with high hopes. What I ended up finding was a story that I knew all too well but which didn't come across in the book as more interesting. I had a hard time identifying with Bridget, understanding why she liked Daniel and understanding why she didn't like Mark. Daniel seemed especially horrible and at worst, Mark seemed to be the victim of her snap judgment and then seemed a genuinely Nice Guy (TM) throughout the rest of the book. The book failed to grab my attention or elicit any enthusiasm for the main characters and it was only because I forced myself to do that I managed to finish it. That said, it isn't a horrible book, merely one which seemed to lack the normal character spark that would drive me to adore the main character.