Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding, read by Samantha Bond
This novel picks up where the second Bridget Jones left off, and her voice comes through authentically here. The format is diary entries as were the earlier books. Bridget is in her early fifties, still grieving the sudden death of her husband a few years earlier. Her friends want her to get back in the game, but she struggles with being faithful to his memory and being there for her kids. As she works her way through getting back to work, by writing a screenplay, and starting to date again, her emotions range widely. She has a core group of friends, that she has had for years, but finds that she also needs to connect with other mothers. She is drawn to a neighbour, Rebecca, who has kids of a similar age to her two children, and finds a new friendship. Her two children have distinct personalities that reveal themselves through her entries. She also interacts with other school mothers, such as Nicolette who seems superorganized and has it all together, and teachers such as Mr. Wallaker who always seem to be around when she is doing something wrong, or embarrassing. She ventures into social media through Twitter and as she gradually becomes more comfortable with the communication and with texting, you see her development.
I'm a similar age to Bridget, as I was when I read the earlier books, and her uncertainties read true to me. Her life isn't mine, and it wasn't mine then, but the underlying feelings, insecurities, and missteps are all ones I can relate to.
Fielding makes her characters come alive, and this hasn't changed. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, as a good escape novel that made me laugh from the heart.
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