Bridget Jones has been one of those in a growing stable of chick flicks that is shared and repeated on TV so many times. It's not one of my favourite series, but it's ideal when I want some silly humour. I'd never thought to read the books until Helen Fielding released the latest in the series though, but got lucky at the library with a quick reservation.
My first thought when I started reading Mad About The Boy was how well the film makers did with the previous films in bringing the books to life, they definitely stayed true to the book, and if this new one is anything to go by, Fielding definitely brings her characters to life to the point that in Mad About The Boy, they were jumping off the page.
It felt at times that Bridget was living in an alternate universe, and I chuckled at the friends and children in her circle, not many places you could get away with names like Cosmo, Roxster, and Farzia. Humour pops up all over the place, but I especially enjoyed Bridget discovering Twitter, obsessing over followers, and unsurprisingly managing to put together some embarrassing drunken tweets.
It's funny, more funny than I expected, but at times I thought all it would be is funny, and get a bit too bubble gum, then I turn pages and 'feel' the poignant reality of being a single mum, feeling old and lost, and trying to find a voice in amongst the prep school mums at the gate. Then there is the pride at bagging a toy boy and showing him off to the world. It was sad, a little bit cringe worthy, and awkward to read, but the novel needed some depth of character and something beneath the silliness to keep readers interested so I think it worked on that level.
Some books I've read have been a bit obvious in their romantic outcomes, girl voices dislike, argues with and avoids boy to the point that you know they will end up together - or girl in oblivious to their own feelings for someone in their life. I won't give too much away in case you haven't read the book, but I like the way Fielding suggests a romance early on, then does a great job (in my opinion) of putting you off the scent. I was fooled!
I wouldn't say this novel is a page turner, it took me a while to get into it, but I am glad I read it, and for me, I had no idea what to expect, even having seen the films, which is always a bonus. have you read it, or the other books in the series? would love to know what you thought. Please leave a comment below and lets be bookworms for a while. If you have any reviews of your own I'd love to read them too.
My first thought when I started reading Mad About The Boy was how well the film makers did with the previous films in bringing the books to life, they definitely stayed true to the book, and if this new one is anything to go by, Fielding definitely brings her characters to life to the point that in Mad About The Boy, they were jumping off the page.
It felt at times that Bridget was living in an alternate universe, and I chuckled at the friends and children in her circle, not many places you could get away with names like Cosmo, Roxster, and Farzia. Humour pops up all over the place, but I especially enjoyed Bridget discovering Twitter, obsessing over followers, and unsurprisingly managing to put together some embarrassing drunken tweets.
It's funny, more funny than I expected, but at times I thought all it would be is funny, and get a bit too bubble gum, then I turn pages and 'feel' the poignant reality of being a single mum, feeling old and lost, and trying to find a voice in amongst the prep school mums at the gate. Then there is the pride at bagging a toy boy and showing him off to the world. It was sad, a little bit cringe worthy, and awkward to read, but the novel needed some depth of character and something beneath the silliness to keep readers interested so I think it worked on that level.
Some books I've read have been a bit obvious in their romantic outcomes, girl voices dislike, argues with and avoids boy to the point that you know they will end up together - or girl in oblivious to their own feelings for someone in their life. I won't give too much away in case you haven't read the book, but I like the way Fielding suggests a romance early on, then does a great job (in my opinion) of putting you off the scent. I was fooled!
I wouldn't say this novel is a page turner, it took me a while to get into it, but I am glad I read it, and for me, I had no idea what to expect, even having seen the films, which is always a bonus. have you read it, or the other books in the series? would love to know what you thought. Please leave a comment below and lets be bookworms for a while. If you have any reviews of your own I'd love to read them too.
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