Bridget Jones Diary ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blurb: 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 permanently 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; tortured by Smug Married friends asking, “How’s your love life?” with lascivious, yet patronizing leers, Bridget resolves to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not just to buy a sandwich, form a functional relationship with a responsible adult and learn to program the VCR. With a blend of flighty charm, existential gloom, and endearing self-deprecation, Bridget Jones’s Diary has touched a raw nerve with millions of readers the world round. Read it and laugh—before you cry, “Bridget Jones is me!”

Review: I read this book as a young girl. It was the first fiction book I read in the form of a diary format. I loved the book and I thought it was really funny. When I was a bit older I read it again and I could still relate to her and her relationship struggles. I liked the clumsiness of Bridget and had more than a few good laughs. HOWEVER, it also made me aware of society's horrible ‘thin’ focus. Every day starts with Bridget's weight and although at the time it was pretty funny and 130 pounds sounds like a lot... it's only 58 kilos. I talked to lots of women fighting their self-esteem issues and Bridget Jones wasn't really helping....it made women feel worse about their own bodies. So yes I enjoyed the book and understand it was written at a time when weight was an issue, but it can be harmful to young women struggling with their self-esteem.