A review by drbex
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I really really did not like this book. I feel like it was trying to hard to be relatable but all it did was make me frustrated with the main character and those around her. It seems very much a book of its time (mid 90s). I understand that women have insecurities, I have my own as well. And I get that it was a diary format so of course it's going to be a bit more unfiltered. And the generational trauma and shame put on her by her mother make sense. But real life and novels need to be different. I need to be able to understand the protagonist's journey. I want to see them grow. Or not. But if they don't, there needs to be a better reason for it. I had no indication that Marc Darcy was actually interested in her. At least in Pride and Prejudice, we have the 3rd person perspective so we can understand things that Lizzy can't. But here all we get is Bridget's incessant whining. Maybe it was the audio book format and being able to hear the intended inflections, but I just found her terribly frustrating without any sort of real change or development through the course of the novel. Also, the fat shaming. I get that it was pushed on her by society, but the woman is almost always within the same 4-6lb weight range. And idk her height, but 120-something is, in most cases, far from overweight. Yes, I get it. It says more about societal standards. But from a 2022 perspective where we are better aware of body positivity, or better yet, body neutrality it's just plain icky. 
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