My Favourite Book: Have You Met Miss Jones?

Picador, 2001

Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding will forever remain one of my favourite books. I can’t remember whether I read the book first or saw the film but I remember being quite late to the book – discovering it a few years after it got published. I was in my early twenties but still found it relatable all the same.

Not knowing what to expect, once I started reading, I devoured it. For me, it’s one of those rare books that I feel really transferred well onto screen from the page and it is a relatable story to a lot of people, especially women of any age. I lost count of how many times I said out loud whilst reading “this is me.”

For me, Bridget is a great heroine. She is very flawed (along with a lot of us.) She strives to be better but something always seems to go wrong. She’s the type of character that would get her skirt caught up in her knickers, walk down the road and get spotted before she notices and I love that about her. She’s not perfect – she is a real and relatable person who is just trying to find love. Also, like her I’ve had a few awkward moments at social gatherings where I have stood there in silence not knowing what to say and then when I do speak, just sounding like a complete idiot.

For me, at the time of reading, finding a relatable fictional character meant a lot. I am not always the most graceful and confident of people (managing recently to drop a tray of mugs by tripping over nothing but my own feet,) and that is what I love about Bridget – she’s just like me.

The supporting characters around her are fantastic. Who doesn’t want a Mr Darcy in their lives? However, I also loved the roguish Daniel Cleaver (however, I am very solidly team Darcy.) Tom, Shaz and Jude are great best friends and I wanted to be a part of their gang.

The writing is full of warmth and humour. It was the first book I read in a diary format and I just remember how original it was.
I was obsessed with Bridget Jones’ Diary when I first read it. It’s a fantastic book and a solid favourite. In fact, where is my copy? I think it’s time to read it again.

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.