Bridget Jones's Diary
Helen Fielding's comedic novel inspired by Pride and Prejudice, set in 1990s London.
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Bridget, a single thirty-something working in London publishing, decides to keep a diary of her resolutions for the year, tracking weights, units of alcohol, her appalling boss, and a polite Mark Darcy.
Yes. Helen Fielding has openly acknowledged Pride and Prejudice as a model. Bridget's love interest Mark Darcy shares his name with Austen's Mr. Darcy, and the plot follows Austen's beats. The first film cast Colin Firth, who played Darcy in the 1995 BBC adaptation.
Helen Fielding has written four Bridget Jones novels: Bridget Jones's Diary, The Edge of Reason, Mad About the Boy, and Bridget Jones: An Education from 2024. Each is set years apart and follows Bridget through different life stages.
Bridget Jones's Diary was written by Helen Fielding, published in 1996 by Zysk I S-ka.
Bridget Jones's Diary is 310 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Bridget Jones's Diary takes most readers 5 to 7 hours to finish.
Bridget Jones's Diary is a standalone novel by Helen Fielding, not part of a series.
Bridget Jones's Diary is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.