I first read in this very when I was in my early teens in the mid-90s. I remember being struck by the candid honesty of this woman. She seemed, well, normal.
It was the first time I’d read anything like it, it was honest, exposing and very funny. – Jones’ brilliant creator – had struck gold. Then along came the films.
.. and what a joy they were! was the perfect casting as Bridget in released in 2001.
Jones was a young professional living a chaotic life as a single woman in her thirties in London. There were the inappropriate choices in men and boozy nights, but she was always supported by a tight group of friends, her slightly outdated (but loving) parents and a flat that I – at the time, also a single woman in London – would have killed to live in. I have so much nostalgia for the noughties: we were in the halcyon days of New Labour, the nation was still humming D:Ream’s classic (with more famed for his keyboard skills than his astronomical prowess).
Bridget Jones was our role model. She summed up a point in time that it now feels impossible to get back. Fast forward 23 years and there are now three films in the franchise, with the fourth instalment, recently .
But in an era of post-pandemic chaos, cost of living crisis and an imminent election – not to mention and in – how relevant is Bridget Jones to a Gen Z Britain Things have changed since the first release – that’s putting it mildly. . For one, we can all universally accept that Bridget was fat.
He.