Bridget Jones's Diary: The First Columns

Bridget Jones

by Helen Fielding

From Author:

I always stuck all the columns in a series of large hardback scrapbooks. I found them again recently. It was funny to read the first ones after all this time and remember how nervous I felt writing them. I didn’t let anyone except the section editor know it was me. All the journalists on my desk were frightfully serious and writing about New Labour and global warming - I didn’t want them to know that I was writing about why it takes three hours between waking up in the morning and leaving the house.

I feel rather more confident about them now. And it’s good to be starting the column again, back at The Independent, where it all began, before all the fuss. I hope you enjoy reading the originals - but please do remember: they are the diary of an exaggerated, comic, fictional character. It wasn’t me who drank all the alcohol units and shagged all the f***wits. It was Bridget Jones. Obviously.

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

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

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

[Kate Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

My god diet culture was bad in the nineties. Spent most of this quite worried about how much Bridget didn’t like herself. By the end it was quite wearing on me, a woman almost twice her size

[Babs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange little book. It is a collection of the very first "Bridget Jones" columns that appeared in The Independent and as such comes before both "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason", both of which I have read and enjoyed - and, of course, comes before the film version of the original diary book.

However, reading these columns is almost like reading the "Bridget Jones's Diary" film script. It is clear that a lot of the film's contents (Mark Darcy aside) came from these original columns, with very little tweaking involved. Being a huge fan of the film, this did ruin it for me a little bit.

The writing is a bit "iffy" in places, and it's clear to see that this is one of Fielding's first writing projects - the books are much better! In places there are glaring inconsistencies and errors in the text, and it is now a bit dated as it constantly refers to "current events" that are no longer current! However, it is still a very funny collection of writings, and well worth a read for any Bridget Jones fan. "

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

As well as being hilarious, this book is really interesting to read from a historical perspective. It's now set over 2o years ago, so as an 18-year-old, the events take place before I was born. Since this was published as newspaper columns Bridget gives her brief commentary on certain items that were in the news at the time, which I found interesting. It's strange to see how much British culture and society have changed in a relatively short time, particularly with the introduction of the internet.

[Shahrun · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suspect I may have read the actual Diary many years ago and I have seen the film, so I have some familiarity with the characters and plot. This collection of the columns that started it all was interesting reading, very of it’s time (90s) but not as funny or entertaining as I was expecting. For me the best and most interguing bit is how she starts her entires. I love the tally of weight, transgressions and her own opinion of each one. I’m not convinced her scales work though with the impossible weight gains/losses. Gonna have to read the Diary now.

[Stella G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harder to understand than the books but basically the same to some extent. Some of it had nothing to do with storyline.

[Rosy Roo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as sharp as the diaries themselves - reading the first columns is reading a ‘first draft’ and it’s interesting to see how the ideas developed and changed.

[Mel Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting perspective on the books and then films.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little book contains the first columns that were published in The Independent in about 1995. The columns were written before any of the books or firms came out and it's clear that both draw prettily heavily on these columns. It's probably only really going to be enjoyable to those who are interested in seeing how Bridget's character evolved from the first newspaper columns.

[Ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was surprised by how recommended this book was. I found it boring and kind of pointless. While Bridget is a very relatable person I found her storyline unimpressive and uninteresting. I'm surprised a movie and musical were made after this.

[Lorma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read....found it to be light and funny and right on point in regards to relationship issues....loved the way she hit on all types of relationships too.

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't finish it. It was too much whining and I got bored.