De Dagboeken van Bridget Jones

Bridget Jones #1-2

by Helen Fielding, Martha Heesen (Translator)

Bundeling van de twee dagboeken van de stuntelige dertiger Bridget Jones.
Deel I: Bridget Jones is single, werkt bij een uitgeverij in Londen en worstelt met haar onzekerheid, relaties, werk, alcohol, calorie- en nicotinegebruik. Van haar goede voornemens voor het nieuwe jaar komt weinig terecht, ze valt weer op de verkeerde man, Daniel, en komt door haar onhandige gedrag in allerlei hilarische situaties terecht. Gelukkig, aan het eind van het jaar laat ze de onweerstaanbare maar foute Daniel lopen en valt in de armen van jeugdvriend Mark Darcy.
Deel II: begint een maand later, Bridget worstelt vrolijk verder met oude en nieuwe problemen, want hoe gedraag je je in een vaste relatie? Haar vrienden en zelfhulpboeken moeten uitkomst brengen. Ook schijnt Marks aandacht wat afgeleid te zijn door een aantrekkelijke nieuwe collega, en dan is Daniel er nog...

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Humor, Contemporary, Comedy, Novels

633 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

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 possibly to Africa, India and Central America. She is the author of four novels: Cause Celeb, Bridget Jones’ s Diary, Bridget Jones:The Edge of Reason and Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination, and co-wrote the screenplays for the movie of Bridget Jones’s Diary and the sequel based on The Edge of Reason. She now works full-time as a novelist and screenwriter and lives in London and Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really do love these books and reading these back to back in one edition was fabulous!

This is one series I need to make sure I finish.

Four stars.

[Aishu Rehman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very uneven offering from Fielding, whose first two Bridget Jones' books are classics, in my opinion. Her greatest creations are the character of Mark Darcy and the indelible voice of Bridget Jones. The first two books were wonderful, sort of a melding of The Odd Couple with Jane Austen. But, Mad About The Boy is all about Bridget's voice and her failure to grow and mature. She's just getting old. It's disappointing and unthinkable that after what, 10 years or so with Mark Darcy, she couldn't/wouldn't grow up? She's become a bit of a female Daniel Cleaver in this book. And yet...Fielding incorporates considerable feeling and sadness in this third installment, particularly in her depiction of Mark's death and the effect it has upon his family, the devastating loss, the wonderful routines with the children that are now gone forever. Fielding's chronology here; did Bridget really have her youngest child at age 48? Why? Fielding would have done well to write the interim book, from Bridget's marriage to just before Mark's death, to provide some rationales here.

Still, the ending is satisfying and there is a very short passage just before the end, of tremendous beauty and emotion in which the moon and an owl play a part. Incredibly moving, devastating, and worth the tedium of much of the book in my opinion.

[Mahra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was 700-something-pages! I read the first book and watched the movie and then read the second half and watched the movie also.

1. Very funny
2. True I didn't get hooked up from the beginning but the perseverance paid off
3. Longest book I ever read till now
4. Bridget was some kind of positivist and I'm glad she did not shag Daniel after seeing that naked girl on his roof.
5. Mark Darcy is (as she said) is a sex god
6. I can't wait to get my hands on the third book!!

7. TOTALLY getting a diary next year

[K.D. Absolutely · Rating 2 out of 5]

I spent more than 4 days reading this 2-Books-In-1 of Helen Fielding: Bridget Jones's Diary and The Edge of Reason. The first book is the Filipino Group's Book of the Month Choice for February 2010 with the theme Romantic Comedy. I voted for Unrequited Love for the theme because I thought I would nominate Wuthering Heights so that I would have a compelling reason to read it. But it lost to rom-com so I had to think of a good novel for that. I thought of nominating The Graduate or Breakfast at Tiffany's but they are old novels and definitely not popular with the predominantly young voters.

Was the 700+ book (brand new at regular price of P525) worth the effort? I did not like the first book (1 star) but I enjoyed reading the second (3 stars). Since they are 2-in-1, I am giving the book a 2-star rating (it's ok). But with hindsight, Win or lose, I could just have nominated Breakfast At Tiffany's and see if Truman Capote is a good novelist. Then I could probably pass myself for not reading the book of the month as my choice did not win.

Reason: Bridget Jones's Diary is too chick litt for my taste. Sure there were funny portions especially in the first few pages. Those in the rest are all either too British or too shallow. There is no character that I could identify with except Bridget's father who gave the best definition of love via Nat King Cole: "The greatest gift, you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return". Very apt for this Valentine's season.

The Edge of Reason is a lot better than the first. The plot is meatier: there is a Filipino boy character naked in bed, Bridget went and got incarcerated in Thailand for drug trafficking, the two guys fought over Bridget, etc. However, the most wacky scene for me is Bridget's interview with Colin Firth. Unfortunately, this part was not included in its movie adaptation in 2006 (which I could barely remember now).

It was announced last year that Bridget Jones Part 3 is now in the making with Bridget at 40 trying to have a baby. That should be nice. If the trend continues, it should be better than Book 2. I hope...

Later, I will answer the questions the moderator is asking in the comment thread.

[Amalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bridget Jones diary is a novel based on the fictive character Bridget Jones; a slightly superficial yet humorous thirty somthing women, searching for mister right, dealing with family (especially her somwhat hyserical and bizare mother), while trying handle her job.

The story of Bridget is light and funny, but in the end just can't stay on its tracks. I found myself quickly irritated by Bridgets desperate and slightly pathetic need of a man (what happened to being a little independent). Of course i am only 15 years old, and perhaps you have to be a littel older to realte and therfore respect Bridget.

The silver lining of the story, is Bridgets love life with most focus on the realtionships with the Bridgets sexy boss Daniel and the more sweet layewer Mark Darcy.

The story start with Bridget having an on and of realtionship with Daniel Cleaver. Daniel is a top publisher at the publishing house Bridget work at, and also her boss. The realtionship just start to get serious when Bridget catch him cheating. Daniel is the sexy jerk type, that practicly every woman on the planet, has to fall in love with in order to grow up.
Mark Darcy is an obvious contrast of Daniel. He is the type that women can get serious with. He is also a vital part of the story, even though he only really step into character of the last chapters of the book.

But at the end of the day I couldnt not read Bridget Jones.

[Flora · Rating 2 out of 5]

Όσο συμπάθησα, γέλασα και ταυτίστηκα σε ορισμένα σημεία με την κινηματογραφική Μπρίτζετ τόσο με κούρασε και σε πολλές στιγμές με εκνεύρισε η λογοτεχνική εκδοχή της.

Αρχικά να πω ότι η ιστορία έχει πολλές διάφορες με τις ταινίες και πως οι ταινίες είναι πολύ καλύτερες του βιβλίου (πράγμα που σπάνια λέω).

Το βιβλίο είναι τεράστιο χωρίς κανένα λόγο. Να σημειώσω βέβαια ότι η έκδοση που διάβασα περιλαμβάνει ουσιαστικά δυο τόμους. Ωστόσο και πάλι θα μπορούσε να είναι το μισό χωρίς να λείπει τίποτα ιδιαίτερο. Ο μόνος χαρακτήρας που πραγματικά αξίζει στο βιβλίο είναι ο Μαρκ Ντάρσυ και είναι απορίας άξιο γιατί γύρισε να κοιτάξει την Μπριτζετ (του βιβλίου της ταινίας καλά έκανε😅).

Η μετάφραση είναι πολύ κακή με λέξεις τύπου «μπαρμπουτσαλιαρης» 🤦🏼‍♀️ κλπ και η όλη πλοκή πολύ μέτρια. Το πιο βαρετό και περιττό storyline για εμενα ήταν αυτό της τρελής μάνας της (από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος) η οποία γενικότερα σα χαρακτήρας μου ήταν αντιπαθής και η όλη συμπεριφορά της εκτος από εκνευριστική δε μου έμοιαζε και διόλου αληθοφανής.

σ.σ το τελείωσα καθαρά από ψυχαναγκασμό για να μη μου ξεκινήσει η νέα χρόνια με παρατημένο βιβλίο 😂.

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bridget Jones's Diary - 4 stars

I loved the first book in the series. Bridget is idiotic and loathes herself for her weight issues and the choices that she makes but I still laughed. This was my first chick-lit read.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason - 2.5 stars

I didn't like this book as much as I liked the first one. Bridget was frustrating in this one. The only thing that I liked about this was Mark Darcy.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY. Helen Fielding did an amazing job!
Many women can relate to Bridget, I know I can! She is a very laughable character, there is literally no filtering system between her brain and her mouth which is why she always says things without thinking and the humour comes from her trying to dig her way out of those embarrassing times! Bridget struggles to find the perfect man and resigns herself to becoming a spinster, which is hilarious because she isn't even that old! The majority of her friends are all coupled up so she starts keeping a diary containing her inner most thoughts, her future aspirations and as a way to vent out her frustrations about the men in her life. She writes without the intention of being read by anyone! Could this book prove lethal in the wrong hands? . . . Wait and see!
And then we have the love triangle! I immediately rooted for Mr Darcy! The un-satisfied mother, the creepy boss, the hilarious friends, betrayel, deceit, humour like laugh out loud funny!
classic chick-lit at it's best, guaranteed laughs, romance. It's a sweet, light hearted read that's bound to make you smile!

As for the second book, I loved how the romanticism at the end of the first book continued into the second to reveal that life is never always a bed of roses when it comes to matters of the heart. Does Bridgets life get turned upside down?
I love how repetitive of life it is, that love is never easy, there will always be obstacles to overcome, life doesn't have all the ease of a fairytale, there is not always a happy ending!

. LIGHT HEARTED
. CLASSIC CHICK-LIT
. FUN READ

Happy reading guys!
Emma
x

[Lily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I adore Bridget jones and this book was awful. Two things can be true!!

[Moira Gerber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bisher habe ich bei keinem Buch so sehr gelacht wie bei diesem. Empfehle ich, da sehr sehr relateable :-)

[Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

iconic
lived up to all expectations

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is the second book of the Bridget Jones Diary series. This book had me both laughing out loud and cringing at the situations Bridget gets herself into.

I've watched the movie a dozen times but never read the book so to be able to actually picture the characters as I read - her loopy friends, her crazy Mum and her sexy squeeze Mark Darcy - made for a really interesting read. I'm not usually a movie buff, preferring to read the book wherever possible and this is about the only book I can think of that I've watched the movie and read the book. It reads as comical as the movie and many situations that women (and probably men, oh how we confuse the poor buggers!) can relate to in new relationships.

I would recommend this book for any woman who needs a laugh and also any man who is brave enough to step into the mind of a woman ... I can assure you, you'll be surprised and might even learn a little something about the opposite sex!

[Varsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg- i loved these two books so much! I want to see more Bridget please!! laughed so much- didnt cry from emotions as much as cried from embarrassment for Bridget.. love the character of Darcy being played by Colin Firth in the movies after the Firth incident in the book!! pure casting genius! Appreciate the movies so much more now- had always loved them but seriously Fielding needs to write another BJ novel:)

[A_Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 'saved me' Stars...

So, so funny. Exactly what I needed!

[Emma Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Bridget Jones films. But I found reading two of the books in one just a bit much. Bridget got a bit annoying - she never takes responsibility and relies on men to shape her emotions whilst constantly stating she won't.
The book did make me laugh a few times though and I loved comparing how Mark and Daniel are portrayed in the books compared to the film.
It's also interesting to see the culture difference in weight criticism. I don't think a book now could be released with so much 'fat' shaming without shaming the characters in return. It was clear to see why Bridget seeks constant validation when everything around her is critical and obsessed with the scales, resulting in an incredibly unhealthy relationship with food.
I think I will read the others. I just need a break from Bridget for a bit 😂

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a classic. A must-read for every woman in their twenties and thirties. We are all Bridget Jones in one way or another. An iconic character who is truly relatable and likeable. I've re-read this twice, and it's a good pick-me-up when you're feeling down. Loved it.

[Sophia The Book Fairy · Rating 2 out of 5]

the fatphobia was just… not it

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awkward icon.

[L Wills]

This book made me think about how society plays a role in many women's insecurities relating to their bodies. In the novel ‘Bridget Jones’s diary’, Helen Fielding stressed how many women see their self worth in relation to small body imperfections. Bridget’s diary entries throughout the year clearly show how her self image is influenced by societal and medial contributions, portraying the “ideal” woman as a tiny size of jeans. Bridget constantly fixates on her weight and obsessively tracks every calorie. This is a reflection of many women in the real world; repeatedly putting pressure on themselves to attain a certain body type which is often unrealistic and unhealthy. Bridget shows a clear example of this issue when she says, ‘I am of cosmopolitan culture… I must do something about my thighs.’ This quote shows how much societal values, especially those promoted in women’s magazines, affect her perception of her body. The use of the word ‘cosmopolitan’ expresses the idea that everyone in society wants to have exciting and glamorous lives. However, this lifestyle is often used as a mask over reality. While cosmopolitan is seen as fancy and sophisticated, Bridget often uses it to justify self criticism. Bridget’s constant comparison to other women and focus on appearing attractive to men, makes her think being thinner and having smaller thighs will earn her satisfaction and overall happiness. This novel not only tells the story of a young woman's life, but expresses the physical and mental difficulties that come with it. It shows how society can distort someone's self image by providing unrealistic expectations which result in many women in the real world thinking they are not good enough, leading to a constant cycle throughout generations to come.

[Arne Patat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good God that mother is absolutely insane. How Bridget puts up with her... i don't know, I'd've skedaddled a loooong time ago lol.

[Dawn Cassell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for the first time again since it first can out so probably nostalgic view.
Still love it.

[Zoë Heyninck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book!
It’s so easy to read.
You can’t put it down when you start to read.
Because you’re in her head.
You get her feelings, thoughts…
You get a clear view of her life and her diary because the book is classified in days and even hours.
When I saw this, ‘I didn’t start reading it’, I thought it could be a negative thing but it wasn’t, because at this way you’re getting more the feeling that you’ re a part of the book.
Bridget is a character that you can’t hate as a woman.
It’s so recognizable.
You could say that’s weird because I’m 18 and Bridget is 30. But single ladies understand each other.
Her personality makes it only better; she’s funny, sometimes a bit wild, and maybe a little bit naive.
The funny thing is that Bridget gives the impression that she is so independent.
She lives in London, has a job, goes out with her friends…
But at the same time she isn’t.
The society shapes her mother, the people who are round her she’s still.
That she’s to fat, smokes too much, dresses not good enough.
But that’s something I liked about the book, girl off my age or of all ages are linking the part off not having a boyfriend with being to fat.
But now you see it’s a little bit off nonsenses. I’m not saying it gives you a look at the reality but it gives you hope let us say.
It makes you laugh but at the same time it makes you cried, maybe is crying a bit exaggerated but that’s because you’re really feeling Bridget s feelings and recognize it, what makes you think about the brake ups and etc.….
It’s a real book for woman/ girls.
I definitely recommend it

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding has sold a few million copies, has nearly one million votes on goodreads and is included on the 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read list https://www.theguardian.com/books/200...

Nine out of 10





One may wonder what the Woke crowd would make of Bridget Jones’s Diary and though being a feminist might mean that one approves of a female author – but surely this statement coming from a male reader would attract outcry, blame, insults, canceling and more, if only the under signed would be relevant in any way, for he projects and appropriates, making assumptions of something he has no means to know – there are aspects of the book that could be conceived as not very modern, good enough for this century.



The main character (evidently Bridget Jones) is most often insecure, to the point of depression, her anxiety manifests through fear of dying alone and being eaten by dogs, she is aghast at the transformation her mother suffers – midlife crisis it might be, if again, I am allowed to comment on something outside my own limited garden of emotions…but wait, since nobody reads this, there would be no female group asking for my demotion, and cancelation from what – albeit the parent that acts with ease, exuberance, joy, freedom of emotion would encounter some trouble when her Portuguese lover involves her in dubious activity…

For most of the time, Bridget Jones, who is in her thirties, records her weight – and that oscillates around 125 stone and I was thinking to look up and see what that means in kilograms, but then I realized that there is no point and maybe we learn from this book that we could be charming, even when we do not obsess about our waistlines, although the effect on health, what with the pandemic and other ills would be rather dramatic, if we abandon all caution, for it is clear now that obesity is deadly…



Though her lover of the first part, Daniel Cleaver, insists that men want something to grab – and even park a bike on’ – overweight is an issue that may endear the heroine to a good number of readers that suffer from the same ailment – including yours truly – and the issue does come about in a few amusing circumstances – at one stage, Daniel does not come to an event, claiming he has work to attend to, Bridget comes by his place and rings without an answer, but sees the lover in the window and when he finally answers, he claims he has been on the phone with clients, and he would meet her at the bar, but the protagonist notices he keeps watching for her movements and understands there is something dubious going on, thus deciding to surprise him in the act, she walks in looking over the apartment, attracting sardonic questioning (‘what are you doing with that…oh, I thought I have forgotten something near this couch’) and eventually finding the American that has taken her place who says ‘you said she is slim’

One reason why Bridget Jones has a weight problem (oops, I have done it again, only they cannot cancel me more than once) is that she drinks alcohol on a regular basis, indeed, she is recording units together with the weight, the number of cigarettes (another challenge, however, we need to consider this was happening more than twenty five years ago, when social and other pressures were far from the mountains size they have reached today) and often the other provocations of her life…



The heroine has periods when she adds the number of minutes spent brooding over one subject or another – granted, when her mother is involved in a scandal and is wanted by the police, that could be rated as a catastrophe, any of us in a similar position would lose control and would have to include just like Bridget hundreds of minutes spent agonizing over the matter that brings disgrace, financial disaster…

It is one of the segments were I laughed, though it is mean, for the whole situation is both dramatic and at times hilarious – her mother comes by the office to ask for money, on the presence that she is going to Portugal with her Latin lover, Julio, and she has forgotten her checks, with more suspicious explanations as her daughter asks how will she cope abroad without the means, only to get a call later, announcing that her parent is wanted by the police for fraud connected with time-share property, provoking major losses to friends and losing the pension fund and almost everything her father had.



Thus, Bridget’s father calls and speaks about going to visit his wife in prison, by bus – which is where I laughed when I heard it and now that I write to you about it…well, it is written to me actually, since the feedback comes from myself…alas, very few comments come this way, though there are some encouraging likes, mostly connected with older notes…

The flaws, imperfections that Bridget Jones shows make her ever more endearable and relatable, as opposed to the Marvel studio superheroes that populate the screens these days – ad nauseam for this cinephile, who is in fact refusing to watch these mega productions that make us imagine a world where Avengers, Supermen, Spidermen save or attack the world (I could not know, since I have seen so few and in those, some villains turn around and a few heroes also change sides) and they have so little, if anything with common humans – and if at times it seems that she records to many times the cigarettes she smokes, it is still effective…



After all, this is what a diary is for, the different tasks we perform in one day or another, but it is also about routine – in fact, Harvard Professor Tal Ben-Shahar and other positive psychology experts recommend that we perform daily ‘rituals’ which could make us happier than Bridget jones is for most of her story, rituals ranging from physical exercise, which is good for both body and mind, to the gratitude exercise, which would have us write at the end of the day three things we are grateful for, that happened on that day, a routine which would make us happier and thus we would benefit from longer, more successful private and professional lives – which is broken once in a while by hilarity…

At times, Bridget Jones writes about ‘a million calories’ intake, or thousands of minutes spent in moaning, abandoning hope for the comfort of whining, but this is also a sort of self-deprecating humor and in the end, as we could imagine (if you could not, then spoiler alert) she would solve her problems, albeit to have successful installments, things do get complicated, she would apparently have a baby in one of the sequels, for there is the movie called Bridget Jones’s Baby…

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read both of these books while on holiday in Tenerife in 2002, I was away with the girls and need some books to read while I recovered from my daily hangover. The first book was by far the better read and you really feel for Bridget and the way her love life just doesn't want to go right. I managed to get through this book in three sittings with the a couple of glasses of San Miguel.

The second book was good but not as enjoyable as the first - though I loved the bit where she is tripping out on the beach in Thailand. Classic and Renee Zellewager in the movie does it brilliantly as well.

These two books are definitley beach reads for me but I would say give them a read, you never know you may enjoy them as much as I did.

[Crystal Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the 2nd book even better than first. I was laughing so hard within the first few chapters I started having an asthma attack. I was so disappointed the movie wasn't nearly as good, but this book is hysterical. I love Bridget Jones. Most of the time I feel like I am her--saying the wrong things, making a fool of myself, but always well intentioned and searching for love. Absolutely loved this book!

[MiriCa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Knižku by som ohodnotila ako slabší priemer. Začiatok celkom zaujímavý a vtipný ale už po pár stranách sa veci začali opakovať, takže to, čo bolo na začiatku vtipné, začalo byť nudné. Potom sa to na chvíľu zlepšilo a opäť to isté dokola. Táto knižka sa podľa mňa lepšie pozerá ako číta (aj keď film sa od knihy dosť výrazne líši). Teším sa, že som knihu čítala v angličtine, aspoň to nebola úplná strata času.

[Katie Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into the books with knowledge of the films. Slightly different but still the same old Bridget. Love these books!

Full review here:https://sherlockianbooklover.wordpres...

[Jules (Never enough time to read) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put the books down, I found them both funny and entertaining. Yes, the books aren't perfect but they are certainly easy to read.

[Melissa Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, funny, funny! Humiliatingly humorous, mainly because Fielding is so honest I recognize the awkwardness in myself. Must read!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rare case where the film is better than the book.