Happy Friday lovely ladies. As ever, we are very pleased to have Emma from Year Of The Yes back with us to review the second of our Summer novels.
I should preface this review by saying that I love Bridget Jones. I love the books and I love the films and I don’t think that I will ever grow tired of them.
They truly make me laugh out loud, and laughter is indeed good for the soul.
So I am not entirely sure why the latest installment, Mad About the Boy, hadn’t made it from my bookshelf to the front of my reading list (the plight of a book worm is that there is always too many books and not enough time).
When I saw that the film adaptation is due for release later this year (and once I’d composed myself) I seized the opportunity to review it for our Spring Book club selection.
I promise it isn’t a spoiler to say this (it’s brazenly clear from the blurb) but Mad About the Boy finds Bridget back on the dating scene, where she has managed to bag herself a very dishy toy boy boyfriend.
You may be left wondering what has happened to the fabulous Mr Darcy. Unfortunately this time there has been no misunderstanding, no messy break-up (and thus no chance of a reconciliation) because we discover very early on that Mark Darcy has met a very permanent end.
I am afraid to say that for me, that element did make the book lose a bit of its magic. Part of what I have enjoyed so much about Bridget is her love and comical exchanges with Mark Darcy. I would have been more interested to see how their marriage developed, but with Mark gone and Bridget fumbling her way through dating again it felt a little like groundhog day rather than the hilariously fresh approach to literature that the first books brought.
Despite feeling slightly grumpy about the Mark shaped hole throughout, Fielding still had me laughing out loud on numerous occasions.
With kids in tow, there are of course endless moments of comedy gold – in fact I think Bridget’s daughter Mabel was the star of the show. If you are a Bridget fan then I would certainly recommend that you still pick it up and give it a go, mainly because I am keen to hear what other die-hard fans thought.
I will wait with baited breath to see what the film-makers make of this new chapter in Bridget’s life. We already know from some sneaky snaps during filming, that Colin Firth will be making an appearance, and part of me is hoping that isn’t just as flashbacks. But perhaps, instead of holding on to nostalgia, I need to remember that things change, not all books have fairytale endings (such is life itself) and a Bridget Jones book just wouldn’t be a Bridget Jones book without some dating disasters.
If you have been reading along with us I would love to hear what you thought of Mad About the Boy – did it live up to the other two books for you? How did you feel about Mark Darcy’s absence? And what are you hoping from the film?
Comment away my fellow book clubbers, I really am dying to hear some other perspectives on this book because I so wanted to love it but instead I find myself somewhat underwhelmed….
I think the film is based on the columns rather than the book so I think I will be completely different! I am not ready for a permanent end to Mark Darcy…
Aah that makes sense Emma! I am really looking forward to the film, and I am really pleased that Mark Darcy will be back on our screens. Bridget Jones’ world didn’t quite feel right without him…
I read this book a while back and was tempted to read again for book club, but I just have way too many books to read for the first time! So many books I read can be quite heavy and you really have to concentrate, so I do love the odd light hearated read. The book was not quite what I expected but I did still enjoy and there were some very funny bits. Looking forward to the film but not too sure what to expect. Which book is next? Xx
Hi Emma, we’re not too sure if it’ll be Paula Daly or Marcia Cross yet but will let you know later on today which one will be up next x
I know that feeling Emma, I have a few books that I would love to read again – but when the ‘to be read’ pile just keeps on growing, it’s really hard to indulge it!! If you have any recommendations from your recent reads, do let me know. Despite the huge TBR pile, I am always on the hunt for new ones to add to it! x
I am a massive Bridget fan and read this book as soon as it came out. I love it that people still make references to the films and books so many years on. I was a bit sad once I had finished the book and almost felt like it was saying goodbye to an old friend. I think there could be one more book eventually – I would love to see how Bridget deals with having late teenage/university age children and their dating disasters and them approaching leaving home.
Totally agree with the quote about the shorts!
Claire, I totally feel the same! I regularly quote the films and books still and this instalment for me felt like a bit of a goodbye, but I really hope there is another, even though it wouldn’t involve Mark Darcy (I have to confess I spent the whole book convinced he would make a surprise appearance at the end – maybe there is still hope)… it would be hilarious to see Bridget deal with her offspring’s dating escapade though!
Quoting Bridget is a lot of fun – whenever I have to mention a lawyer I always called them a ‘top lawyer’ and every Christmas I threaten my hubby with a turkey curry buffet.
I’m a massive Bridget fan (and quoter – is that a thing?) and it did take me a while to get used to not having Darcy around in this novel, but, I have to say, I think the sadness/ grief really added a poignancy to the novel. Fielding is writing about someone in middle age now and I like the way she handles loss and loneliness without ever getting too heavy or sentimental.