Author: Helen Fielding
Recommended audience: Adult, although it’s adequately
easy-to-read and funny that it could pass as a teen novel – just watch out for
the sexual references every second page.
“It is a truth
universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay,
another falls spectacularly to pieces.”
Bridget Jones is
convinced her life would be better if only she could a) stop smoking, b) eat
less, c) go to the gym not merely to buy sandwiches and d) develop inner poise.
There is also, naturally – this being a chick-lit novel – the small matter of
finding a boyfriend.
And there’s not
much more to it than that, really. Bridget is a single woman in her thirties
who lives in London and spends her time navigating the murky waters of social
events, work, and relationships which never seem to go as planned. Diary’s cast is small, but does include entertaining
characters such as Bridget’s three best friends (a gay, a feminist and a
neurotic) and her overbearing mother. There’s also the Perfect Boyfriend
character as required by most chick-lit novels – but we’ll get to that later.
The novel’s
positive aspects are easy enough to explain: it’s charming and often extremely
funny – prepare to ‘LOL’ for real (for a change!). Bridget also encompasses a
myriad of common character flaws traits
found in the everyday woman, making her relatable for female readers in
particular. After all, her pursuit of the ideal body, job, and romance is
something that, while most don’t admit it openly, is a much thought-over cause
of angst in peoples’ personal lives. So, essentially, Diary wins points all around…right?
Not entirely. It’s
a book I’ve read twice and plan on reading again in the future, simply because
it’s so light and fluffy and downright adorable. That said, I’ve always found
something about it jarring; something which I only put my finger on recently.
The problem I have with Diary is the
way in which Bridget never changes, learns, or manages to self-improve. We meet
a woman with unstable self-esteem who is often so silly that it’s comical. She
dreams of a stable relationship with a wonderful man. It doesn’t work out.
Instead of growing
from the experience, however, Bridget fails to really change at all. Here is a
great opportunity to see her become an ultimately inspiring, relatable flawed
heroine, however, she basically just goes along doing the same old thing until
(uh…SPOILERS AHEAD!) the perfect relationship falls into her lap.
In a sense this is
demoralising, as it seems to say that the ideal man is drawn to women who are
kind but silly and who lack control in their own lives. Determination to be
strong and independent is not held up as an aspiration. Bridget also never
grows out of her desire to have a boyfriend who takes the reins as opposed to
being in a partnership; she likes how her boyfriend resolves her mother’s legal
issues in a commanding way, independent of her input. One never quite gets the
impression that Bridget is past the teenage phase of chasing boys and being
thrilled when they deign to pay her attention.
Of course, Diary is often satirical and certainly
light enough that I don’t think it ever meant to explore feminism seriously.
While I myself am not an extreme feminist, however, I still feel uneasy about
this book’s portrayal of an everyday heroine. Yes, it can be hard to put on a
brave face when your life is in pieces, and it’s not something that everyone succeeds
in doing… but it is something which
should be held up as admirable. The strength to carry on with life is what
should be portrayed as the path which ultimately garners results. For all its
wonderful humour, Diary sends home a
far different and less healthy message.
Pippa’s rating: 7/10 Points gained because it’s hugely funny
and can get away with a little due to being chick-lit. Points lost because
chick-lit should not be an excuse for its own questionable messages and because
Bridget is more of a Bella Swann (although lovable and entertaining, it must be
noted) than a Hermione.
No comments:
Post a Comment