Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason: A Novel

I loved the first Bridget Jones, it was so funny, and I seem to recall liking the movie, too. However, this second book falls far short. I read it mainly because I've owned it for years, and wanted a light, funny read. It was definitely light, but lacked genuine humor. It rarely made me chuckle. Bridget just gets kind of annoying, since it seems she can never do anything right and cannot assert herself. And the constant misunderstandings between herself and Mark Darcy got annoying. Just call him already and straighten everything out! But of course there wouldn't be much of a book if she did that. A lot of the funny parts felt like the author was writing what she thought would appear funny in a movie (such as the parts where Bridget is singing Madonna in the Thailand jail), but they didn't really seem all that funny to me as a reader. Oh, well.....still had some humorous parts.

I really enjoyed reading BRIDGET JONES. It was funny, slightly quirky, and full of British charm. The book is a modern take on Jane Austen's classic novel and is thoroughly successful at what it does. I enjoyed it so much I was delighted to hear that a sequel had been penned, BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON. I've owned the book for over a year, but with the new movie arriving in theatres, I wanted to make sure I finally read the book. When I read the first page, I was excited to read the further adventures of Bridget Jones.

I was quite disappointed. The first few sections of the book start out alright (however, unlike BRIDGET JONES, BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON isn't divided up according to a monthly calendar). At first Bridget seems to be the same old Bridget that everyone came to love and adore. Then the characters stop acting like they are supposed to act. We all know that Bridget is kind of a basketcase and slightly neurotic, but does anyone really believe that even Bridget could be dumb enough to dump someone like Mark Darcy over the things she ends up dumping him for? Sure there would be fights, arguments, and disagreements, even with someone as remarkable as Mark Darcy. However, no one would actually dump him they way Bridget ends up doing. It's completely out of character, unrealistic, and unnatural. However, Bridget isn't the only one who starts acting crazy. Her friend Tom ends up moving to the United States (he must have a pretty penny to be able to do that), Bridget's Mum has brought an exotic foreigner home to England to visit for awhile, Bridget's Dad is sent to a rehabilitation home, and on it goes. It's as though Bridget and everyone in her world are all suffering from a midlife crisis at the same time (well, except Mark Darcy). Yes, people have midlife crises, and sometimes bad things happen all at once all around us, but not like they do with Bridget. Things get even more bizarre when Bridget goes to Thailand and gets arrested for drug smuggling. It's like a warped version of the limbo--how far can we go.

BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON isn't a terrible book, but it's not a terribly good one either. The story has some good writing and there are memorable moments in the plot. Still, it's just not the same Bridget. Until the last fourth of the book Bridget doesn't grow at all and instead regresses. She makes some improvements just before leaving for Thailand, but by that time she's fallen so far, just about any decision could look like an improvement. Whereas the original BRIDGET JONES was witty, humorous, charming, realistic, and believable, BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON just isn't reasonable. It should have been entitled BRIDGET JONES: BEYOND THE EDGE OF REASON instead.

Poor Bridget Jones, she just can't win for losing. First she gets her man, Mark Darcy, then she loses him to Rebecca, a woman with baby giraffe thighs, who aside from having absolutely no girlfriend etiquette whatsoever, decides to steal Bridget's friends as well. And to make matters worse, her ex boyfriend Daniel Cleaver decides it's time to worm his way back into Bridget's life. Will she get back with Daniel or will Mark come to his senses and see that Bridget is the woman he loves and needs?
Aside from Bridget's love life, other crazy events seem to be unfolding around her every second. First her mother and Auntie Una bring back a tribesman with them from Africa. This, of course, forces Bridget's father Colin into taking up drinking in the shed outside. Second, while on a trip with Shazzer to Thailand, Bridget unknowingly traffics cocaine at the airport and ends up in a nasty prison where she must fend off lesbians and sing Madonna songs for survival. And last but not least, Bridget gets a mysterious death threat and is forced to leave her apartment and go into hiding. Oh yes, who can forget her interview with the sexy Colin Firth (the original Mr. Darcy) where Bridget constantly asks about his wet shirt and his Italian girlfriend? It's hilarious!!!
Her friends also seem to be having a weird year as well: Tom is between London and San Francisco(and boyfriends), Jude and Vile Richard are FINALLY getting married, and Shazzer, the most staunch of feminists, is...GASP...in love!! And during all of this our little Bridget is alone and heartbroken over Mark Darcy.
I don't think that Helen Fielding could've handed us a better Bridget book if she tried. This one was so wonderful! We've already fell in love with these characters and it's nice to see theirs lives and loves progress another year forward. After reading "Edge of Reason", I was nothing short of blown away. I found myself laughing hysterically, crying, and banging my hands on the couch in anger as Bridget takes us through another year of her life. I also found myself wanting to shake some sense into Mark and wrap my fingers around Rebecca's neck until her boney little face turned blue. Coniving wench!
What I enjoyed most about "Edge of Reason" was Bridget's progression into a woman in complete control of her life. She finally realizes that no amount of counting calories, cigs, or pounds will ever equal happiness. Being yourself is all that matters and those who really love you will see this as well and love you all the more for it. I recommend this book to anyone who's already read "Bridget Jones' Diary". I hope that Helen Fielding decides to grace us with another Bridget book soon. We just can't get enough of her.
Gennie Bailey-Rogers

I liked the first installment of Bridget's misadventures in singleness a great deal, and I had high expectations going into round two, "The Edge of Reason." Despite my high expectations, Fielding's sequel delivered on every count, perhaps going even further than the first novel in its engagement with the more comic side of contemporary gender relations in British culture.
If you liked "Bridget Jones's Diary," I have a hard time believing you wouldn't like this book just as much as the first. The tone is similar but more assured (the diary data at the outset of each chapter, for example, are far more varied and inventive in this second book), and we get more hijinks with our favorite wackoes from the first book (including the pathetic Daniel Cleaver) and meet even newer wackoes, like Gary the professional Builder but impassioned part-time...angler?
What I liked even better about this book, though, was that Fielding pulls no emplotment punches and riddles the narrative with one out-of-left-field surprise after another. These surprises often amount to little more than local episodes that are opened and wrapped within a chapter or two, but others become jokes that run (and run well) for the duration of the novel, including the mishaps in Thailand, the speculations over the sexual orientation of one of Bridget's uncles, and the ridiculously exoticist treatment of a young African man by Bridget's mother.
Which leads me (in a roundabout way) to the final thing that makes this novel, for me at least, as timely as it is fun: "The Edge of Reason" seems more willing to address (even if only via satire) contemporary social ills than Fielding's first novel did. While "Bridget Jones's Diary" seemed to confine its attention to Bridget's relationship woes (and I'm not complaining about that focus at all), "The Edge of Reason" parodies British attitudes toward race, globalization, sexuality, and broader discussions of gender (the constant pokes at Nick Hornby's figuring of today's British male are especially funny). While the engagement with these topics is far from thorough, I do think that it broaches its chosen social themes in a gentle way.
In short, I am confident that fans of the first volume of Bridget's diary will like this second tome at least as much. Does Fielding have another one in her? I hope so.

Helen Fielding's "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" is a delightfully quirky return to Bridget's perpetual misadventures and obsessive attempts at misguided self-improvement. Focused around Bridget's budding relationship with Mark Darcy and its rapid unraveling, Bridget finds herself balancing between maintaining an independent womanhood and avoiding an unfortunate spinsterhood. While deep within the throes of troubled romantic seas, Bridget must also navigate the choppy waters created by her friends and family. With adventures that take her from gaping holes in the side of her flat to jail time in Thailand on to death threats, Bridget's bumbling exploits make for a captivating novel.

Fielding allows Bridget's personality to emerge and flourish contrasting it against a cast of likeable, but remarkable human characters. She captures the most unstable parts of her characters allowing the reader to see the clash that happens when they interact with one another. The plot is intriguing shifting constantly as Bridget undergoes various stages of self-evolution. I did find that the story dragged on during the middle of the book, but overall Fielding provides an entertaining story that provides a glimpse of British politics and pop culture.

I read the Bridget Jones books because I enjoyed the movies, but the books are so much more entertaining and I love them! It's wonderful, even as a smug married, to see things through the eyes of a woman who is barely making her way through the maze of men/job/friends/mummy/daddy/dieting each day and who considers self-help books to be a new form of religion. I raced through the first book but took my time with the second, as I did not want it to end. If you are a woman who watches Pride and Prejudice and fantasizes about Mr Darcy to get away from the banal reality of your own love life; if your friends make you crazy and keep you sane at the same time; if your parents still treat you like a little kid who should be quiet and listen; and if you feel like you are the only woman in the world who is as homely/fat/miserable/unlovable as you are, then Bridget Jones is here to make it all look very bearable. Hurrah!!

If you come to the book from the movie, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Bridget's friends, who are mere accessories to the plot in the films, are much more important and better created in the books. Mark Darcy is not as perfect and high and mighty in the book either. The story of his relationship with Bridget has more depth and details here. And you may also find yourself picturing a v. handsome model in his mid-30s rather than Colin Firth, who is in his mid-40s now. Maybe a man like the model on the Swiss Watch ads in Conde Nast Traveler. Mmmmm... Imagine HIM coming out of the lake of Pemberley in a wet shirt...

Bridget Jones is the sort of book every woman should read when she is getting TOO SERIOUS and needs to laugh a lot.

I liked Bridget Jones's Diary, and was looking forward to more of the same improbable events and silliness. It was enjoyable because I knew that even though there were some emotional times, Bridget was not meant to be taken too seriously. I wanted more in the way of blue-soup dinner-party fiascos and quirky mothers getting in over their heads with shady gentlemen friends. Instead, a good chunk of The Edge Of Reason was about Bridget's incarceration in a Thai prison! Great fear, and the intense emotions experienced by her family and friends while fighting to get her out, really had no place here. I don't mean that the second novel should have been a complete repeat of Bridget rationalizing that a chocolate croissant fills the "whole-grains" requirement in a diet breakfast...but you know. Ms. Fielding could have found some middle ground and kept readers interested. By the time Jude's (or was it Shazzer's?) wedding rolled around, I was completely exhausted from Thailand and I can't seem to remember much of what happened to that silly Singleton. How come there was never a third volume where Bridget gets a proposal followed by months of funny prenuptial hassles? That would make up for Book Two.

I have now listened to this particular audio version (by Barbara Rosenblat, Recorded Books) three times in a row, which tells me that a) the book is very very funny (and I enjoyed it!); b) this particular adaptation is very good.
Unfortunately, this particular edition is not available via the store.com but there is an abridged version available. Check your public library for the Rosenblat version if you want the full fix.
I have both books in the Bridget Jones saga. While I read and enjoyed them both, the audio version brings out the full zaniness of this creation. It is hard to refrain from giggling (at work) while listening to particular episodes. Even Bridget's time in a Thai jail becomes hilarious when she is pondering on how to produce a baby with a boring young diplomat rather than have her child-bearing years wasted. The Colin Firth interview is a notable highlight, but so are the descriptions of Bridget's brushes with the British police and the description of Jude's wedding (starting from her dress disaster to the telegraph from Tom). Even that no-good handyman becomes a living breathing person.
I believe that it helps to have read BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY, but in some respects, this book can stand alone. For me, it brilliantly answers the question - What happens after "Happily Ever After?"
Rating = 4.9
Recommended = Very Highly, for Rosenblat's rendition of several characters.

After reading a very clever, funny novel in this genre My Life on Craigslist: Award Winning Finalist of USA Book Awards(great book, I highly recommend it) I realized that this genre is more interesting than I had previously thought from my literary ivory tower. So I decided to try the queen of the genre, Helen Fielding, especially since I watched the movie and loved it. The book is better written than I imagined, vivacious very funny in a self deprecating way. I noticed that some other readers complained that it was "just funny, not hilarious", well, European humor is less in your face than the American one. The only thing that I didn't love about this book was the price of the kindle edition, almost like a movie ticket in New York. Even so, I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a fun, fine read that will tickle the brain and their heart.

This is the continuation of Bridget Jones's Diary. It starts four weeks after the end of its predecessor. Bridget is still the same calorie counting, self-help book guru that she was in the last book, now she is in a thriving relationship with an adult male. But of course, things can't be that easy. Once again, Bridget tries to figure out her relationship with the man she loves, her parents, her peers, and co-workers.
Honestly, I thought Bridget lost some of her bravado. That doesn't mean the book wasn't good, but I always saw Bridget being a little "stronger", if you will, that she appeared in this book. Fielding also had a field day making fun of self-help dating book (cheeky satire at best). Bridget and her friends were more obsessed than ever with them, and it did get a little annoying at times. Although I like Bridget, I had to agree with a statement that was made in the book about wanting a person who knew their own mind instead of relying on what self-help books tell them they should do.
And I didn't think this book was nearly as amusing as the last. I wouldn't say these books are laugh out loud funny, but they do make me smile a majority of the time. Can't wait until the next one comes out. I'm still interested in seeing how things end for Bridget.

Diary style ever more implausible (reminds me of Henry Fielding's satirical novel Shamela) but still plenty of laughs at expense of earnest but misguided career gal looking for true love.

While the first Bridget Jones Diary made a splash as funhouse mirror reflection of Sex and The City type gals, this time the plot goes just a little too wacko. At times, text could seem a bit embarassing and truly degrading of women, but Fielding puts in enough humanity and tenderness to avert a real disaster.

This sequel has a little less for self-deprecating readers to humorously identify with, simply because Bridget has become almost a caricature of her silly but truly satirical debut. I don't want to spoil the bizarre twists and turns of vol 2, so I'll say no more about those.

Cetainly plenty to laugh at, so those readers who were wild about the first novel should still find enjoyment in this one. It's got the now-familiar humor addressing diet, overindulgence, dress and makeup disasters, career advancement strategies, and list-making.

Movie treatment of this novel rather different from the text!

Helen Fielding's latest adventure for Bridget Jones borders on the unbelievable at times, but is utterly enjoyable. Reading the book a second time, I realized what I missed the first time--this is Jane Austen's PERSUASION and it is laugh-out-loud-in-public funny.

Bridget's mum is on another trip and brings back another man, this time a Kikuyu warrior (or at least a nearly seven-foot-tall African male of the Kikuyu tribe) named Wellington. But it is Bridget who finds herself in jail this time, a la BROKE DOWN PALACE, which was the only unbelievable element in the book.

Like anyone who governs their life by turning to self-help books and conferences with friends, which inevitably turn into dissections of every minute detail of a date or relationship, Bridget and Mark Darcy's break-up while the romance is still budding is unfortunate and sad, but all too believable. Mark Darcy expects Bridget to call or at least come by and Bridget is following her friends' and MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS advice and letting him realize his rubber band attraction and spring back to her, only he doesn't spring back, which proves to Bridget and her friends Darcy was only dating her for the moment.

As annoying and under-handed as Rebecca, one of Bridget's sort-of-friends-but-really-not-friends, is, she is the distillation of every man-stealing, back-stabbing, well-to-do stick insect female ever known and thus more aggravating and hilarious in her ham-handed attempts to co-opt Mark Darcy. Granted, she is a bit wearing on the nerves, but someone had to play Louisa Musgrove's part with Captain Wentworth (aka Mark Darcy) who is too proud to tell Bridget what he feels while Bridget is too full of self-help nonsense and helpful friends' advice to tell him she misses him. Ah, pride and prejudice once again.

What really makes this book worth the read is not just Bridget Jones's Singleton adventures (and she is not a total klutz in a real emergency or two), but Helen Fielding's witty prose and social commentary. Sometimes confusing and frustrating, always funny, BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON is well worth reading again and again. I can hardly wait for the movie.

The story in Bridget Jones's Diary continues (again in diary format) in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason with the events of the following year. This novel is longer (by 110 pages in my version) and the chapters are not broken down into months. (In some cases we follow Bridget's life day by day; sometimes there may be a break of weeks or even months).
I should begin by saying that I absolutely loved Bridget Jones's Diary. I was sceptical about this novel's ability to be as good as the first (as sequels so rarely are in my experience). But I was so pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed this novel every bit as much as the first--maybe even more, if that's possible. There is a deeper, meatier story in this one by comparison with the first. Also, one's emotions are tugged at in this one far more than in the first novel, with one of the characters (I will not mention whom) being a real snake in the grass. The result was that although I hated to put the first novel down, with this one I simply could not put it down. And Pride and Prejudice fans (of which I am one!) will NOT be disappointed--particularly those who've enjoyed the BBC/A&E miniseries starring Colin Firth!
I don't wish to give the story and the many cute (and often hilarious) little surprises away. Suffice it to say that these two novels are two of the funniest and most insightful that I've read. As is typical of British humour, they are novels to be read and reread. If you enjoyed Bridget Jones's Diary at all, this novel is an absolute must-read. I cannot praise it highly enough, and I recommend it most highly!

Bridget's back and better than ever. That old thing about characters being played out and burned out in sequels doesn't play out in here. Helen Fielding did a great job of bringing Bridget back.
True, her "year" is longer this time around, maybe due to the overhwelming popularity of the previous one. Also, a few of the things happening here seem like cheap shots put in merely for show (our Bridge in jail?) BUT I have to admit, the overall achievement is wonderful.
The characters retain their marvelous structure from the first part and obviously, if you've read the first book, you'll catch right along with this one as far as characters' psychology goes. They're still loveable (some of them), hateable (the rest of them) but all utterly human and relatable.
As far as the story and the narrative style go, I don't think I ever laughed so hard at any book ever before, not even the first Bridget book and I loved that one. Cheap shots or not, the truth is I've read it twice already and it's a fun read sure to pick me up anytime.
Thoroughly enjoyable whether you like the Bridget Jones movie or not. Highly recommended!

By the time I had finished Bridget Jones's Diary, I decided that I rather liked Bridget Jones, despite her endless shallow, self-centered, annoying whining about how horrible her life was.

So when I read this book, I was fully involved in her life, once again rooting for everything to come out OK, or at least not too badly.

This book is in a somewhat similar style to the first -- that is, like a diary -- however it is far more narrative. Because there is a lot more to narrate, quite honestly!

Bridget finds herself right in the middle of a classic farce, complete with misunderstandings, miscommunications, missing letters, missed planes, and plenty of misadventures. It was all great fun, while also being very soap-opera-like, in that you couldn't wait to start the next chapter because the last one ended with a cliffhanger.

I almost couldn't put the book down until I'd found out what happens to our poor heroine. Does she finally find the man of her dreams, or at least inner poise? How about spiritual epiphany? Well, I'm not telling; you'll have to read for yourself.

This novel was a great read, it was hilarious. May I say that I think it's funnier than the original. Of course, it is not very different from the original -- she is still trying to quit smoking and trying to lose weight, but the heroine seems a little more together this time around.
There was a setback, the whole death threat thing, for a minute there I thought I was reading a mystery novel (I hate mystery novels) -- but other than that, it is great! I was cracking up on the subway train on my way to work this morning while I read the chapter in which she was interviewing Colin Firth -- the actor who played Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. The people on the train were staring at me, but I couldn't help it, it was too funny.
I know it sounds insane but I do wish Miss Fielding writes another Bridget Jones novel. I would happily buy all the Bridget Jones novels available!
Oh -- and I loved the whole Jane Austen feel. The original was Pride and Prejudice, and this time around, Persuasion. There were also the essential Jane Austen elements, such as the gossiping, giggling, and obsession with men. Loved it!

First off...if you are thinking of purchasing this book because you saw the first, or more to the point, the *second* Bridget Jones movie, stop right there. While it's typical for an adaptation of a book to the big screen to take creative liberties, Helen Fielding's second Bridget-book is nothinggg like the second movie. Period.

I first saw the original Bridget Jones movie, then read the book was was fairly disappointed by the extreme erraticness Bridget displayed in the book that was cut down for the big screen. Afterwards I watched the second movie, fell asleep about 3/4 of the way in, and felt bad for Renee Zewelleger for having to sing Madonna with a tampon as her microphone. I recently settled down the read the second book, and re-watch the second movie and they are extremely different!

Essentially in both cases the book picks up a month to a month and a half after Bridget Jones and her leading man from the previous book end up together. She is blissfully happy, but at teh same time extremely paranoid, judgemental, and constantly seeking the advice of her romance-handicapped friends.

Eventually Bridget and said man break up, under a series of accusations and misunderstandings, and most importantly, fears. The big difference here between the movie and the book is in the film, Bridget breaks up with her guy under vague suspicion he is having an affair with a co-worker, Rebecca, who ends up being a lesbian that fancies Bridget. In the book however, Rebecca really is trying to seperate Bridget and her fella, and more or less successfully does so.

The rest of the story from there follows Bridget's depression, subsequent attempts to cheer herself up, and a couple of 'major' events including her best friend getting married, an interview with Colin Firth, and a trip to Thailand. Didn't see those first two in the film? That's because they never happened in the movie version. As well, the role of the 'other' man in Bridget's life, who shall also remain nameless, takes on a MUCH smaller role in the book than in the film - but that one you can chalk up to star power quota.

All in all the second book is an improvement over the film, unlike the slightly disappointing first novel in comparison to the movie. If you like the writing of Helen Fielding you'll be pleased to find it still entertaining, slightly easier to read, and as wacky as the first book. I found much of the story bogged down with weird sub-plots and Bridget's complete psychoticness at times, but it was certainly better than the first book, and second film.

This is no great work of literature, in style and content both. My main gripe with the former is the narrator's tendency to lapse (and lazily so) into shorthand accounts - "For four weeks and five days now have been in functional relationship with adult male thereby proving am not love pariah as previously feared". It might engender realism but makes the flow of reading difficult.
With the latter, it's the one-dimensional characters who take up their stock roles with gusto (Evil Boyfriend-Stealer, Wacky and Worrisome Mother, Supportive Advice-Giving Food-Bringing Best Friends) and the out-of-this-world twists and turns in the plot. Still, such a book requires a certain suspension of disbelief for true enjoyment; and within its genre, it's among the best for sustainability of reader interest and humour.
Bridget as a character is very sympathetic, if somewhat unbelievable with her extraordinary bouts of stupidity that no educated working adult could possibly suffer from. She's genuinely nice, very funny and the underdog - it works everytime. Mark Darcy *must* be the perfect guy; allusions to Mr Darcy from good old 'Pride and Prejudice' are obvious, and writing in Colin Firth as a 'guest star' is both clever and hilarious.
The book even ends happily ever after (and, strangely enough, starts that way as well). It's easy reading and it makes one laugh out loud; perfect for a fun, frothy and mindless read.

Hurrah! Bridget is no more a poor thirty-something Singleton. She has a perfect boyfriend in Mark Darcy. However, only weeks into the relationship, Bridget is worried, for the evil Rebecca has her eyes on Mark. Rebecca is what Bridge and co. calls a 'Jellyfish', someone who seems all nice and happy and then lunges out at you and stings.

But, her problems with Mark are often pushed into the background, as her friends and family wreak havok over themselves and poor Bridge. Her mother heads to Africa with Una Alconbury and comes back with an African tribesman, to the horror of her husband, Jude attempts to settle down with Vile Richard, Tom is stuck in his on again off again relationship with Pretentious Jerome, and Shazzer is having one of those 'just friends' shagging habits.

Even though her job's ghastly, her ex-boyfriend gets drunkk and tries to get back together and she somehow ends up in a Thai jail, Bridget makes it through the year, every year.

Best book ever, made me laugh more than the first. Better than Harry Potter, less pretentious.

Hurrah! Bridget is no more a poor thirty-something Singleton. She has a perfect boyfriend in Mark Darcy. However, only weeks into the relationship, Bridget is worried, for the evil Rebecca has her eyes on Mark. Rebecca is what Bridge and co. calls a 'Jellyfish', someone who seems all nice and happy and then lunges out at you and stings.

But, her problems with Mark are often pushed into the background, as her friends and family wreak havok over themselves and poor Bridge. Her mother heads to Africa with Una Alconbury and comes back with an African tribesman, to the horror of her husband, Jude attempts to settle down with Vile Richard, Tom is stuck in his on again off again relationship with Pretentious Jerome, and Shazzer is having one of those 'just friends' shagging habits.

Even though her job's ghastly, her ex-boyfriend gets drunkk and tries to get back together and she somehow ends up in a Thai jail, Bridget makes it through the year, every year.

Best book ever, made me laugh more than the first. Better than Harry Potter, less pretentious.

In the sequel to Bridget Jones' "Diary", "The Edge of Reason" picks up almost immediately where the Diary left off: Bridget is with Mark Darcy, and thinks she should be 'happy'. But all is not well: Mark seems more interested in football, Bridget's friends are having problems, her mother is off to Africa, her father is drinking, and a new character, Rebecca (with "thighs like a baby giraffe"), is after Mark. Plus, Bridget is still obsessed with her weight, her smoking, and how many alcohol "units" she consumes. How Bridget copes -- or doesn't -- with all of the above makes for an hilarious read. However, there are some serious moments and some characters that sometimes don't fit well into the novel; for example, Bridget and Shazz's trip to Thailand starts off one way and ends very differently. These minor glitches don't ruin the book, and maybe author Helen Fielding was trying to see if her character learns anything from her trials and tribulations (hint: not quite). The highest comedy point is Bridget's Rome "interview" with Colin Firth: it will make you laugh out loud. (Fielding actually thanks Firth in the acknowledgements.) Definitely worth reading.

Bridget Jones is back with full force in "Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason", along with Tom, Shazz, Jude and of course, Mark Darcy. Giving us more insightful views to this Singleton's mind. She explores even more into the depths of her neurotic-ness and tells us of her frantic diary. Possibly even more entertaining than the first diary, which I enjoyed immensely... Helen Fielding writes with much gusto and female understanding that every woman is bound to relate to. And who wouldn't fall in love with Mark Darcy... perhaps even a notch sexier than the original version. Loved the new adventures that Bridget got herself into in this book. Edge of Reason isn't just for women, you know! This time, conveniently featured are international escapades including tropical islands, drugs and even prison!! Oh, and there is this bit about a personalized live bullet that causes quite a scare! And, I was happy to read that Bridget somewhat achieves her goal of "inner poise" at one point... although, she seemed to have landed right back in square one at the beginning of the new year. Loved being with Bridget for two years in a row... hope Helen will give us some more anecdotes of Bridget and her friends! Oh... and Rebecca deserved what she got, finally!! Love happy endings for Bridget and her friends! The sequel is longer than the first but seemed twice as short... can't seem to get enough of Bridget. Can't wait to see how Colin Firth is going to play a modern version of himself in the movie!

Fielding was clearly under some deadline pressure with this one. It's still full of laughs and some parts are done very well, but there numerous inconsistencies and many hastily written parts. Some parts, expecially toward the end, were downright sappy or stupid. It's a shame because I felt so involved with the characters after the first book and the movie. It would have been nice if more thought was put into the writing. For instance, surely more explanation is needed for how Darcy could have NOT meant he was breaking up with her during their first visit to Rebecca's villa, and NOT sleeping with her, especially since he constantly hangs with Rebecca for the next 5 months. Since we're talking fantasy here, it also would have been better to see Bridget accomplish at least a couple things (overcome alcohol problem, quit smoking, get a job on her own, show up for work on time, at least manage to not miss a flight to interview Firth, etc.) As much as many of us identify with at least some part of her challenges, virtually everyone can point to something they accomplished or didn't completely mess up. As it is, she comes off as too pathetic. I hope they do a better job with the movie sequel.

Bridget is back...and she's in rare form! Everything you liked about the first book is back for the second.
As with Bridget Jones' Diary, I found myself laughing at myself through Bridget. She does and says many of the same things I do or say regularly, particularly in the 30-something singleton's pursuit of man. This is one book that will have you chuckling out loud.
I found the characters in this sequel better drawn. Fielding really gives life to Bridget's mom (who is QUITE a character) and her friends Jude and Shazzer. Fielding makes sure we still don't really care for Mark Darcy (why DID she take him back? ) and that we cringe at Bridget's boss. The interview with the actor who plays Mark Darcy is downright hilarious....I could only hope to be as funny!
While I did enjoy The Edge of Reason as I did the original, I will say that this one seemed to drag on in one particular spot, specifically the Thailand holiday. Had that whole section not been included, I'd say we have a winner. With the excursion out of London, this one goes on just a little too long. I can't decide if I was happy that Bridget goes home for her sake or mine!
Overall though, this is another fun and funny piece by Helen Fielding. One can only wonder if Bridget is up for a third go!

This is the sequel to The Bridget Jones Diary and I must say, better than its parent. It was funnier and more in depth than the original.
We catch up with Bridget a year later, actually we pick up right at the end of the first book and go into another fun filled year with Ms Jones and her wacky friends.
Still struggling with her fluctuating weight, smoking and too much wine, Bridget shows us that nothing is perfect and nothing ends perfect.
Problems with her boyfriend drive her to do some funny and off the wall things in this installment. Her boss is driving her crazy and her mother can't stop reinventing herself. Her friends are asking for her advice and help and all Bridget can do is wince.
Throw in a disasterous vacation in Thailand and perhaps prison and maybe an exchange student and wella, you've got a mix of very funny scenes. Bridget soon realizes that maybe she should just stop trying to fix her life and just be happy?
Well worth the time and money!
Tracy Talley~@

If possible, "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" is even funnier than the original book.

The book opens with Bridget settled into happy domesticity with Mark Darcy....not! Her insecurities have not left her and they wreak havoc on her life. She's panicked Mark will leave her for the lovely Rebecca, she's uncomfortable that he folds his underwear at night, she's struggling on the job...and this all leads to the inevitable break-up with Mark.

I don't want to ruin the many twists and turns of the plots. Suffice to say, her adventures (and those of her friends Shazzer and Jude and of her parents) are even more laugh out loud funny the ones in the original. And all throughout the book, Bridget never loses her sense of vulnerability and her decency. She is a true heroine (or anti-heroine perhaps).

This book differs from the new movie. So even if you've seen that, you're still in for some surprises.

I highly recommend this book to Bridget lovers everywhere.

I enjoyed the first Bridget Jones's because many of us could relate to the fumbling and vulnerability that encounters one's life when it comes to romance, sex, relationships and careers. In the sequel Bridget did not evolve at all, she just seemed to making the same mistakes over and over again. I don't why the most of the reviewers found her being incompetent, and suffering perpetual low self-esteem such an enduring quality. How many times can you shoot yourself in the foot? And the same foot at that! Bridget wasn't faced with any new challenges, instead Fielding just recycled the old ones from the pervious book and made them even more ridiculous to the point you couldn't even take it seriously nor was it funny. I yearn for the day when more women writers create a heroine whose life does not revolve around reducing flabby thighs and snagging up a male partner before her eggs dry out. Thank god for the public library because if I spent my money on this bookI would have been mighty pissed.

When I read the first book about Bridget Jones, I loved it, even being a man. I laughed out loud and found the book to be very inventive. Other than that, even being a little crazy, she seemed like every other woman with high hormones.
In this one, Bridget Jones is just like a caricature. Although it's good to see Bridget in other places different than the others ones - like a travel to Tailand - , she doesn't say a single line that doesn't seem to have been spoken by a crazy child, she is not serious in a single chapter and seem not to have the faintest idea of what the human being is as for their behavior and mind thinking. The book is not as funny as the first one. I didn't laugh in a single line and it's even dull sometimes. I think it's much better if Helen Fielding come up with another character, because Bidget Jones is not as good as she used to be anymore. If she writes another book like that, I think she'll perceive that the life of Bridget Jones is not interesting to her readers as it was once. If you wanna try it under your own risk, do it. If you have nothing better else to read... Just don't tell me that I didn't warn ya!
Marco Aurelio.

I saw the movie first and immediately wanted to read the books. I went to a store and picked up what I thought was "Bridget Jone's Diary" But when I looked closer, I saw it was actually the sequel "The Edge of Reason" I intially felt disappointed, but then figured I could read the orginal later (since I had already seen the movie and knew the basic storyline) Once I started "The Edge of Reason", I couldn't put it down. I found myself laughing all the way through. This book is a very easy, enjoyable read. I read it in a single sitting. I have also since read "Bridget Jone's Diary" which I also enjoyed very much. But I found that I liked the sequel even better than the orginal. Which is surprising, considering that only rarely are sequels as good as the orginal. If you liked "Bridget Jone's Diary" (and even if you didn't) I highly recommend this book.

People have compared this story to Jane Austin's Persuasion, which I haven't read (yet). Personally, I was struck by the similarity to "The Importance of Being Earnest." Bridget and friends are like the diarists in that play - nothing is real until it has been shared with the diary and with phone calls to friends. No wonder Mark Darcy feels he's being disected!
The basic plot - Bridget and Mark, who got together just at the end of Bridget Jones's Diary, hit a crisis a few weeks into their relationship (one of those easily resolvable movie-type crises that could be solved in two minutes, but then how would you fill up the rest of the time?). They split up, and it's a foregone conclusion they will reunite, but the fun is in the journey. This book seems to be every bit as fun as a the first, and yet I was left, at the end, feeling like the journey wasn't as interesting. It's partly because of the unbelievable absurdity of the breakup, but more because the characters are just that much more over-the-top. The book has moved from the sublime to the rediculous, as it were.
That's not to say I don't recommend the book for anyone that liked the first one. It is fun, a quick read, and will have you chuckling if not laughing out loud. Both sexes will enjoy it - if Bridget is a carricature of the modern professional woman, the men are certainly the male equivalents (if less developed). So have a seat by the pool (or heat lamp, if it's winter) and turn off your brain for a few hours.

Yes, Bridget Jones is indeed back. As before, she's just flaky enough so that we can all empathize with her when she's facing problems and still all laugh at her, not with her, when she tries to solve them.

Those self-help books give Bridget ideas. As only she can say, "They are a new form of religion. It's almost as if human beings are like streams of water so when an obstacle is put in their way, they bubble up and surge around it to find another path."

Bridget wonders a great deal about the deeper issues of reality, such as whether Men think about Women.

My biology textbook says that the invention of sex made life more complex. Well, it sure has made Bridget's life more complex. We're all lucky that there aren't several more sexes, given the problems Bridget has coping with only two of them.

I highly recommend this very entertaining book.

I remember sitting in a darkened theater all alone and watching "Bridget Jones' Diary." I loved it so much, I looked and found the novel, read it, and loved it even more. It isn't often when a book makes you laugh out loud, not just a giggle, but a true belly laugh.

When I saw the sequel was out, I squealed in delight. By then, Bridget felt like a long lost friend and I wanted to know what happened to her and good old Mark Darcy.

I was NOT disappointed. Hilarity from beginning to end. There is one scene with an asian boy on Mark Darcy's bed ... oh gosh, enough said, I read it over about 100x and laughed hysterically each time.

Helen Fielding, my glass is lifted to you. Terrific, comedic writing once again.

If you need a good cheering up, get this and the first book, you won't be disappointed.

I eagerly awaited the sequel to Bridget Jones Diary and it did not disappoint. Warning: Do not read this book on the bus. I did and the book was so funny, I had to bite my lip as I shook with laughter so the other passengers on the bus would not think I was some 'talk to myself' mental patient. Once again Bridget and her friends analyze all relationships through a myriad of self-help dating books which provide conflicting advice. (I'm glad I got married 29 years ago before it became necassary to analyze all actions of the opposite sex to determine what they really meant.) Bridget compulsively sets daily goals and resolutions and then does whatever she wants. This is the funniest book I've read since Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, which I also recommend. This book has universal appeal-my wife, daughter, son, and daughter -in-law all read Bridget Jones Diary and enjoyed it as I'm sure they will enjoy this book.

Ok, I know what you are thinking - sequels are never as good as the first one, the real thing. But sometimes they come close. Here, Bridget is still our adorable, disorganized, imaginative Bridget, the same one we left at the end of Bidger Jones' Diary. At the beginning of the book, she's offically Mark Darcy's girlfriend, so she is feeling much more at peace with herself. But things change, and you will be surprised of how fast her (funny, but still usual, pretty close to boring) life becomes a sequence of strange occurrences and advantures, including - are you ready for this? - a few days in jail. But Bridget will survive that and much more, thanks to that sense of humor, self-irony and imagination that made us like her so much from the very first pages of her diary!
So go ahead and read this, especially if you are a Bridget fan, you'll like it enough.

Like most of the reviewers, I enjoyed the first Briget Jones's Diary because her insecurities and fumbling we all have been through at one point in our lives. I was really looking forward to the second one but I found this Bridget just awfully stupid! My god, how many times can a person shoot herself in the foot? The interview part with Colin I couldn't even finish because you knew she was going to screw it up. Why must Fielding make Bridget perpetually incompetent? After a while you could telegraph the plot because you knew Bridget was going to make a dumb move. I hate to say it, but she is an borderline idiot with friends who undermine her relationships and self-confidence.
I couldn't relate to Bridget in this round, and I yearn for the day when more women writers will make a more complex heroine, whose goal in life is not just about reducing flabby thighs and catching a man before her eggs dry out!

This was definitely better than the first! Sure, good ol' Bridget is still ranting on and on about Mr. Darcy calling, but that was half the fun for me. I enjoy the tallies she keeps before each entry (cigarettes, alcohol units, number of Mark Darcy fantasies . . .), and I'm glad Ms. Fielding kept that up, even if she did cut back a bit in this novel.
I liked the 'hole in the wall' story line; it kept me rolling, as did her, uh, adventures in Thailand, and especially her mother.
Now, why should you buy this book? Was it a great work of literature? Did it inspire me to great feats? Was it the best book I've ever read? Nope, to all of the above. But it was a heck of a lot better than a lot of things lately, and if you like Helen Fieldings unique "Bridget-Prose", then you'll love the edge of reason.

As soon as I finished reading "Bridget Jones' Diary" I ran out and bought "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason." I couldn't wait to see if it was as good as the first book. Although "The Edge of Reason" redeemed itself in the end, I have to say that I was actually disappointed--or rather, annoyed--by much of this sequel.
In "Bridget Jones' Diary," Bridget's ditziness was endearing, but this time around I found myself thinking, "Come on, Bridget, you're a grown woman--how can you be THAT stupid?" at least every other page. She just came across as embarrassingly incompetent during the first two-thirds of the book. The interview with Colin Firth, who I adore every bit as much as Bridget does, made me cringe, not laugh.
Another irritation--and I admit, this is a petty one--the constant use of the exclamation "Gaaaah!" really got on my nerves. The first one or two uses were cute, but after that it made me feel that someone was sneaking up on Bridget and scaring her from behind during almost every diary entry. It was distracting.
Third (and last) complaint: The story was long and meandering, with way too many tangents. Bridget's flat, her mother's Kenyan "souvenir," Mark and Rebecca, the election, Uncle Geoffrey, Colin Firth, the trip to Thailand--too much going on! Halfway through the book, I considered not bothering to finish it.
That said, I did finish it, and I'm glad I did--I enjoyed the last third of this book so much that it almost redeemed the rest of it for me. I loved the parts where Bridget and Mark were together--they're a great couple, and I wish more of the book had been specifically about their relationship. Bridget's stint in jail, while maybe a bit far-fetched, had me laughing out loud, and I LOVED it when Rebecca finally got exactly what she deserved. Bridget struck a blow for average girls everywhere with that victory! It was good to see Bridget grow up a little and gain some confidence at last.
Helen Fielding is a very funny writer; she's captured the self-centered Singleton life to a T. I hope she plans to write another Bridget novel--maybe Bridget and her friends can become Smug Marrieds themselves (just, please, no more celebrity interviews!). All in all, I recommend the book for Bridget fans, if only to see what happened after the first book ended.

I read Bridget Jones' Diary and Edge of Reason one after the other and it's unfair to compare since it's really like one big enjoyable book. It was so sad to see the first one end, but Fielding does such a great job of just continuing where it left off and giving readers more of what they want: Bridget "Caught in the middle of trouble" Jones. Bridget and men; Bridget and her mom; Bridget and her friends and enemies; Bridget and her job; Bridget and her diet; Bridget and her self-help books; and finally, what everyone hoped for from the beginning, Bridget and her success. In terms of comparison, I couldn't help but think of "Sex and the City" while reading both books, and without a doubt Bridget Jones wins hands down. If you miss laughing out loud (not the "lol" kind) pick up both books, a bottle(s) of wine and dig in. You won't be disappointed.

The "Edge of Reason" is the best. It is absolutely hysterically funny. Between Magda and Jeremy's phone calls, Pam Jones's fascination with Africa, the Madonna songs for the prisoners and the Colin Firth interview at "Adrian's tomb" in Rome, I was laughing so hard, I almost lost consciousness. I am in awe of Helen Fielding. I'm reading "Cause Celeb" right now and it's hard to believe the same person wrote these books. Thanks to Ms. Fielding, the entire Mr. Darcy, Mark Darcy, Colin Firth connection finally clicked. I felt compelled to buy the Bridget Jones and Pride and Prejudice DVDs in order to fully appreciate Bridget's need to pop the Pride and Prejudice video in her machine at all times of crisis. Wow! The Bridget Jones girl may be stupid, but she certainly knows a thing or two about Colin Firth. In all seriousness, I now understand what a truly gifted actor he is. I'm still wondering what all the fuss was about his wet shirt, but what he does with just his eyes should be illegal in 50 states and all U.S. territories. I can't wait for the movie version of Edge of REason and I fervently hope Rene Zellwegger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant will reprise their roles.

Cheers to Ms. Fielding for creating another hilarious account of a very funny, likable character. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason continues to document the life of the lovable Bridget. While she may still be man obsessed and self absorbed, she is still one of the more real protagonists in contemporary fiction. I know, I know she does come across as a bit daft at times. Take for example, the excruciating interview with Colin Firth. While, I heard a comment from an actual writer say how stupid she was, I must admit that when in the presence of celebrity even the coolest of cucumbers can sway and go a bit haywire. She is still in constant contact with her gal pals, Jude and Shazzer. While they do tend to medicate some problems with alcohol, they spit out some intuitive insight. Although the quest for Mark Darcy is still a central focus, Bridget focuses more on developing herself. Still the object of ridicule at her job, she pushes on just like the "Get on with it" girl she is.

Having read the first Bridget Jones novel some two years ago I thought I'd go out on a limb and be one of the few guys in this world to read both in the series. True, they are very much 'girlie books'. But in this genre they are rather polished pieces.
In 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason' we have Bridget struggling with the man (Mark Darcy) she won in the first book. A predatory femme fatale plus Bridget's unwarrented paranoia places this relationship in jeopardy. Of course catty gossip and bizarre interludes (including a strange vacation to Thailand) makes this a funny yet harmless (and, alas, ultimately forgettable) read.
Bottom line: Helen Fielding decomposes the modern Brit 'chick' with panache. Even guys can like this kind of book.

I hesitated to get this book because a male friend of mine who liked the first book thought that Bridget was a little too whiney in this one...well, to each his own. I read it in two days (with a lot of interuptions from family) and suffered several what-is-wrong-with-you looks from my husband and kids as I snorted and laughed outloud my way through it.
A memorable highlight is the interview Bridget conducts with Colin Firth. I found myself exclaiming aloud, "Oh no she didn't!" several times (yikes)then laughing so hard I had to put the book down in order to regroup. Luckily, my husband would miss me if he had me institutionalized.
My friend Mary and I, both mothers of little ones, especially enjoyed the telephone conversations Bridget has with her married friend who continually talks to her children while talking to Bridget at the same time.I don't have the book right here in front of me but the dialogues run alot like this: "Bridget, you really need to...sit on the potty, Mummy says sit on the potty!"
Should you read the book? I guess the best analogy would be the Austin Powers sequals. In the second and third movies, Austin stays Austin with only the adventure changing--the humor remaining the same. In the second installment of Bridget Jones, Bridget stays Bridget with pretty much the adventure changing and the humor staying the same. Some people liked the first Austin Powers movie but didn't want to see more of the same thing...I could watch a new Austin Powers movie every year as long as the jokes keep flying. The same goes for Bridget Jones. Does she change and grow--becoming a more 'complete' woman? Well, while she probably does learn the danger of taking packages from strangers while on holiday the answer to that question is no, not really. But just as I wouldn't want to see Austin Powers 'change and grow', 'no really baby', I have to say thank goodness for savy writers who know how to not mess up a good thing.

Number of times read book: 15 (uh-oh becoming obsessive Bridget Jones-type person. Oh God even talking like her!) Number of times laughed out loud:79 (Gaaah but v.g book)
Hurrah! Another Bridget Jones book (v.g) and love it. Even better than prequel, made me cry and laugh. A bit less credible than first book, Bridget in jail, not v.likely but still v.funny. Scenes toward end with Mark Darcy (aah) v.emotional as well as amusing. Book v.g if you like first book, will like this. Easy to read and happy ending. Throw out those self-help books now!!!! Love it.
PS In case people have not a clue what I was talking about, I was trying to write in the style of Bridget. Reading that style in the book is not as annoying as it may seem. Don't buy this for its literary value, buy it to laugh and cry and realize that (oh my God) I am Bridget Jones. Only bad bit of book was that I couldn't understand the bits when she was writing the diary having had one too many Chardonnays (what does she mean 'argor'?). But apart from that, I enjoyed it and had fun. V.g

The irrepressible Bridget Jones continues her diary for another year with this sequel to "Bridget Jones' Diary", and the hilarity of her adventures is undiminished. Written in the highly comic trademark Bridget style, the new diary recounts Bridget's adventures in her relationship with Mark Darcy, her attempts to have her flat renovated, and her observations of her mother's shenanigans. Although "The Edge of Reason" is necessarily less original than, well, the original (and is clearly not going to spawn an entire subgenre of popular literature the way "Bridget Jones' Diary" did) it's still an excellent read; Fielding is a better inventor of plot, and surely a better stylist, than most of her imitators.

I found this book just as enjoyable as its prequel. Beneath the humor there is something sweet and simple about Bridget Jones that make her, despite her flaws, a very lovable character. In the book, Bridget continues her relationship with the dependable Mark Darcy and is sure she has finally found the path to being loved. Reality, however, would prove her wrong. The intrusion of a traitorous friend into their lives shatter her and Mark's relationship, although it is obvious from the reader's point of view that they are still very much in love with one another. Misunderstandings, scary parents, and self help books weave in and out of the story line, adding incredible humor to Bridget's upside-down-whirlwind life. In the end it is Bridget--loyal, gullible, naive, and at times embarrassing--who perseveres. And with that Helen Fielding has restored my faith in the order of this chaotic world.

In this sequel to "Bridget Jones' Diary", Helen Fielding proves there is more fun and laughter in neuroses. Bridge is still obsessing over each stone she puts on, and worrying whether being a "Singleton" proves that she will die alone.
What's a girl to do when every invite to a party means having to put up with Smug Marrieds? Bridge grabs a glass and leaps in to deal with them all. Her friends Shazzer and Jude are in for the ride too, to provide that special brand of support.
Ah, but here her life begins to change: is there a place for her is front of the telly? Who is that young tribesman with her Mum? Does Mark Darcy really mean to leave her for the Asian houseboy? Answering these burning questions is worth the price of the book, alone.
It is worth it the debut "Bridget Jones' Diary" to get the background on Miss Jones and her gang, but not necessary. For a good laugh, curl up by that winter fire and crack open this book.

Helen Fielding has done it again! With all of the brilliance and comic genius she displayed in Bridget Jones's Diary, this second book Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, is just as much of a wild ride as the first. It is true the character of Bridget speaks primarily to single women, but there is no doubt any reader could enjoy the silly escapades that result from this thirtysomething simply living her life and taking advice from her 'singleton' friends. Frequent references to current events and trends in England and America make this diary easy to believe as non-fiction, although of course it is not. Getting lost in it's spider-web of events is only half the fun - when nearing the end, you will want it to slow down, as to preserve your need for more. Another highlight in this volume is the character of her mother taking a back-burner role, and letting the real star shine along with her friends and boyfriends alike. Read this book, laugh out loud, and be challenged to find at least one way Bridget doesn't remind you of someone you know. Perhaps even yourself!

once again, ms. fielding has created a massively compelling and highly amusing tale of a certain class of mid-young womanhood in the millenium. I challenge even the naysayers to get through without laughing out loud. HOWEVER, this is a book for people who are able and willing to laugh at the foibles of love and dating; those who are not afraid to acknowledge certain values that the culture dishes out, and turn it delightfully on its head. she is a consommate storyteller and her ear for humor never falters. I very much doubt whether she would have rocketed to stardom had her gifts been less than noteworthy. I for one look forward to her next effort with enthusiasm.......

This was a quick, hilarious read. I was laughing so hard I starting snorting! No novel in recent memory has made me laugh so much. The first half of the book is non-stop laughter and Bridget's relationship woes throughout the book are a comic delight. The book becomes a wonderful comedy of errors and misunderstandings that could happen to anyone of us. I will say I was disgusted with the Jed subplot. The Thailand holiday mishap was not only unrealistic, but it brought back memories of a recent movie with the same plot. However, this book is so hilarious it hardly registers.
Kudos to Helen Fielding on writing one of the funniest novels in recent years!

This book is even better than the original (v.g., v.v. funny). No, I wouldn't have believed it, either. But once I got into it I realized that Bridget had become a multi-dimensional character I cared about. So many laugh-out-loud moments of her hilarious misadventures that I lost count. (I. Am. Not. Kidding.) This will surely develop into a cult -- reminds me of "Absolutely Fabulous." How can you NOT love Bridget? And even her bizarre, oh-how-you-love-to-hate-them enemies. And so many plot surprises! Just when you think the bizarre quotient has been reached, AAARGH! I will definitely recommend this to everyone I know. And I'll read it again.

What can one say about Ms. Fielding's endearing character Ms. Bridget Jones? Another hilarious romp with Bridget. She remains as good hearted and as good natured as she was in the first novel and there couldn't be a female alive who wouldn't relate to Ms. Jones and her experiences. There should be nothing but gender pride for the honest and light hearted way in which Helen Fielding writes of female complexities and the chaotic emotions it can create. Although in this novel, Bridget's hijinks carry her a little afar, I continue to pass her adventures onto reading friends who may need a little lift and a few giggles, maybe just to remind them of who we are. . . and, hey, who ever said we all had to be so serious about everything anyway? Let's all sincerely hope this will not be the last that we'll hear from our dear friend -Ms. Bridget Jones. (Oops. Tumbled over.)

After thoroughly enjoying Bridget Jones's Diary, I felt let down. The book had ended too soon and I wanted more story. I wanted to know what happened between Bridget and Mark, Colin and Pam, Jude and Vile Richard. I was not let down for long though because I soon discovered this book and I was able to have all my questions answered.
I was pleasantly suprised by this delightful sequel and I read it with the same voracity that I had read the original with. This is a warm and delightful book and readers won't feel let down(except I wouldn't mind a third installment.) If you still haven't read the first book, buy it and read it, then move on to this delightful sequel!

On a recent shopping spree through bargain tables I happened to see Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason laying there, calling my name. I absolutely loved the movie and it is one of the few "chick flicks" that not only does my boyfriend stomach but actually enjoys. Thus, I had to buy it. Once in my hands, I could not stop reading and devoured it in two days.
The second installment of Bridget Jones begins where the first one stops. Bridget has been with Mark Darcy for four weeks. So what if her job ..., she has a boyfriend. Everything seems wonderful until Mark gets a case of "mentionitis." This disease, made up by Bridget's singleton friends (yes, they are back), refers to the condition in which a person keeps mentioning another person's name. It appears to be casual, when in fact it is not. As Bridget loses confidence in herself and her relationship hilarity ensues. Bridget finds herself in awkward situation taken wrong after awkward situation taken wrong and, like usual, Bridget ruins things for herself. She's unlucky in love, lucky at work. Although Bridget thinks that she messes up everything at work, especially her interview with Colin Firth, things always seem to work out in the end. Bridget's life is turned upside down again and again, but she always seems to bounce back.
The highlights of the novel have to be Bridget's time in Thailand (I had to chuckle on and on when I read the very last page), and, of course, her mother. I don't think that anyone else can make singing Madonna songs to a tampon while half naked could pull it off quite like Bridget does. When her mother returned from Africa I was laughing hysterically at both the description of her and the "present" she brought back for Bridget's dad. Edge of Reason brings a new viewpoint of Bridget's mom. While she is always wacky and weird, there is one moment where something she says actually makes incredible sense. I was touched and moved by Bridget's mom's telling of the significance of The Velveteen Rabbit. It seems that Bridget's mother really does understand her.
Helen Fielding has brought us a character so real, so vivid, so like ourselves that readers can completely relate to Bridget. This is the secret to Fielding success with Bridget. Bridget makes us feel less like failures, less like incompetents, and less alone because there is someone out there just like us. Edge of Reason is hysterical; I could hardly make it through two pages without having to laugh out loud. The first installment was great, but this one is even better. Get all of your girlfriends to read this book, laugh together, and find out if you are truly a Singleton or a Smug Married.