Bridget Jones is not a compelling diarist. It takes much too
much work to get interested in this young woman’s everyday
world; all too often a fine line like "although we have discovered
our Inner Bitches, we have not yet unlocked them" (from January 4)
is surrounded by just "fluff."The
first five months of this fictional year --- 1995, perhaps? ---
were a struggle for this reader. I noted several decent passages,
some very good single lines ("If you are single the last thing you
want is your best friend forming a functional relationship with
somebody else," April 22) and a couple passages that demonstrated
the author’s skills to full advantage. These last included a
wonderful cocktail party scene, on April 18, wherein
Bridget’s natural directness shines during an interchange
amongst "an array of Poohs and Piggies" discussing "the ultimate
vandalization of the cultural framework;" and Bridget’s
reflections on how "completely weird" it is to spend an evening
with someone with whom you are "supposed to have sex" after your
"entire relationship so far has been based on the idea that one or
other of us is supposed to be resisting having sex."(May 6) And
there was plenty of evidence to suggest that our Ms. Jones was not
just co-dependent ---as others have noted --- but very much an
alcoholic. The final piece of evidence for that is on the last-page
“summary” of her year: “Hangover-free days 114
(very good).” But through all this, this reader was prone to
respond "So what?"It
was not until the June passages that I actually began to care about
Helen Fielding’s protagonist. On June 6 Bridget stays "home
to work." Of course, no office work is accomplished, but
Bridget’s rationalizations, and the juxtaposition of her
concerns with a "scratchy nail" and her ruminations on the
"dazzling" expectations that doom so many "thirty-something"
relationships, are splendid. Unfortunately, Bridget’s
alcoholism dooms her to disregard her "woman’s intuition that
(Daniel) is having an affair," and it is not until the end of July
that she faces --- in the flesh, literally --- this
reality.As
noted, Ms. Fielding does demonstrate superior writing
intermittently. She has captured a lot of the angst of being single
and getting older; trying to cope with "Singleton" life while your
peers are raising --- and/or razing --- families, living with the
incredibly vulnerable feeling of everyone scrutinizing your every
move.But
there is a lot of "fluff." As my wife said after I asked her for
feedback on the first month of DIARY, "What is the point of this
girl’s life?"As a
weekly column, one can see how Bridget Jones captivated a nation.
However, in full-length book form, there are too many rough --- or
worse, empty --- spots to ignore. Perhaps the relationship with
Mark will work. Better yet, perhaps it will not, and Bridget will
bottom out, stumble into Alcoholics Anonymous --- better be a
women’s meeting! --- and turn her life around. Regardless,
for a first novel, BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY is a very nice "second
half" read. But I think a lot of men will not be willing to slog
through the first five months to find the more accessible
story.