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Datum ingestuurd:	2 september 2005
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1 General
Author: Helen Fielding
Title: Bridget Jones’ Diary
Year of publication: April 2001
Genre: Comedy

2 Why did you choose this book?
I choose this book because I liked Bridget Jones’ Diary the movie, but the book turned out to be a little bit different in the end. Also, I like books with lots of humour in them  so this was an excellent choice for me.

3 Specifics
Where and when is the story set?
The story is set in London. It takes place in Bridget’s house mainly because that’s where she writes in her diary. It also takes place at friends’ places and at her work.

The story could take place now. There is no date mentioned, but Bridget talks about e-mails, voicemails and more of modern communications, which are all typical for the world we live in today.

Briefly describe the main characters.
Bridget Jones works as a publishing assistant and is in her thirties. She is single and always looking for true love. She is obsessed with her weight and almost constantly tries to quit smoking and drinking (but fails).

Daniel Cleaver is Bridget’s boss at the publishing house. Nothing is said about his appearance, only that he is good looking.

Mark Darcy is a lawyer and an old friend of Bridget.

Who Is the Speaker?
Bridget Jones is the speaker

What do you know about the author?
Helen Fielding was born in Yorkshire and now lives and works in London. Bridget Jones's Diary was her second novel following the publication of Cause celeb in 1994. Fielding worked for the BBC for several years where she produced documentaries in Africa for Comic Relief. Cause celeb combines the comic and the tragic, examining the uneasy relationship between starving people in Africa and celebrities in the West.

Does the story fit the time period in which is was written?
Yes it certainly does. These days there are a lot of books written in this style and this is a very popular subject nowadays as well.

4 Thematically
What is the theme?
The theme is ‘A single woman looking for love’.

What is the main problem in the story?
The problem is that Bridget is single and finds two men who like her – all she’s got to do is make the right decision.

Is this problem solved?
It is. Bridget chooses to be with Mark Darcy and is happy with her decision.

How would you deal with it?
I would have thought about it and make my decision a bit sooner. This book has a time period of a year and in a big part of it she’s trying to make up her mind.

What is the link between the title and the theme?
That’s very clear: this book is Bridget Jones’ diary, and that’s also the title.

5 Select a passage from the text which appeals to you.
Copy it and elaborate on your choice.

Saturday, April 25
9st 1oz (excellent); alcohol units: 4; cigarettes: 24 (entirely understandable).

8am: Gaah! Gaaaah! Doorbell!.

8.05am: Was Magda's builder, Gary. Forgot he was coming round to put shelves up. "Ah! Super! Hello! Could you come back in 10 minutes. I'm just in the middle of something," I trilled, then doubled up, cringing in nighty. What would I be in the middle of? Sex? Making a vase on a potter's wheel which absolutely couldn't be left in case it dried funny?

Still had wet hair when doorbell rang again. Felt surge of middle-class guilt as Gary smirked at decadence of those who loll idly in bed while a whole different world of genuine hardworking folk have been up for so long is practically time for their lunch.

"Would you care for some tea or coffee?" I said graciously.

"Yeah. Cup of tea. Four sugars, but don't stir it."

I looked at him for a moment, wondering if this was a joke or a bit like smoking cigarettes but not inhaling. "Right," I said, "right," and started making the tea, at which Gary sat down at kitchen table and lit up a fag.

I have chosen this passage from the text because it’s quite typical for the book: she writes about her weight, the alcohol units and the amount of cigarettes she smoked. Then she says what time it is and what happened. Also she gets into more of those weird situations. Also I just thought it was a funny passage.

6 Opinion
What is your opinion of the book?
I liked the book a lot. Some parts were better than the movie and some parts were a bit of a disappointment after seeing the movie. It also ends different than the movie. But it’s the sort of book I like.

Would you recommend it to others? Why?
I would recommend this book to others, provided they like a chaotic book, because it’s about Bridget’s life and that’s very chaotic. I would recommend it because it’s a funny book and it’s just very good reading if you’re looking for some easy reading.

7 Write your own summary
Bridget Jones is in her thirties and single. She is obsessed with her weight and her drinking habits. She is looking for the perfect man and a good job.
She works at a publishing house and flirts with her boss Daniel Cleaver. They get into a relationship, but then Mark Darcy comes around. Mark and Daniel are enemies, and once Bridget gets ditched by Daniel, she quits her job and begins working for a television channel.

Meanwhile, her mother is going on holiday with a friend of hers and Bridget suspects her mother is cheating on her father, but she doesn’t know for sure. Bridget asks her friends for help on that subject but also about the dilemma she’s faced with: she has to choose between Mark and Daniel and it’s not an easy decision because they both act strange. In the end, Bridget chooses to be with Mark Darcy, who incidentally also helps her mum and dad.