Helen Fielding's "Bridget Jones's Diary" (kudos for correct apostrophe use there) is very simply, informally written, yet strangely thought-provoking. I was a bit sceptical when asked to read this book for a university level literature course, but now that I've finished, I begin to see the reasons it was chosen. Apart from just being a re-envisioning of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," with lots of fun references thrown in (Mark Darcy, for example), it goes a small s... (show more)

Helen Fielding's "Bridget Jones's Diary" (kudos for correct apostrophe use there) is very simply, informally written, yet strangely thought-provoking. I was a bit sceptical when asked to read this book for a university level literature course, but now that I've finished, I begin to see the reasons it was chosen. Apart from just being a re-envisioning of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," with lots of fun references thrown in (Mark Darcy, for example), it goes a small step beyond, really bringing the story into the 21st century. As a bonus, it was often incredibly witty and entertaining, and though this book probably won't improve your vocabulary or make you question the foundations of the universe, I would say that it is definitely worth a look. Now if only they would release it in a slightly cheaper, trade paperback version....$14 for such a thin book - aren't the "classics" meant to be accessable (a.k.a. cheaper)? (show less)