Bridget Jones Mad About the Boy

Genre: Fiction

I gave this book ***

This is the continuing saga of sweet and charming Bridget Jones. Only she’s now in her 50’s, mother to a young boy and girl and a widower (Mark Darcy died while in the Middle East in a bomb attack). Mr. Darcy left her well-to-do financially, freeing her up to be a screen writer and stay-at-home mom. We reunite with Bridget four years after Mr. Darcy’s death when Bridget decides (in usual Bridget fashion) to lose 20 lbs., join social media (i.e. Twitter) and date again. Same old Bridget up to the same old antics. She dates a loser, meets a young guy that’s not quite right and finally, falls for the strange guy who appears off and on throughout the book and ends up sweeping her off her feet (oh, so predictable!). One of the most charming things in the book is a funny Twitter exchange between Bridget and her young lover, Rockster. Bridget is trying to apologize to her followers for a drunken late-night rant and asks, “What is the past tense of tweet? Tweeted? Tweettled? @rockster @jonesbj: I believe the appropriate term is Twat. @jonesbj @rockster: Are you being grammatical or rude? @rockster @jonesbj: Former. From the Latin twitto, twittarse, twittat”. Very clever! The old gang of Tom and Jude (even Vile Richard), is back (except for Shazar who is off doing good for the world) and are all their usual heavy-drinking, sex-seeking, funny selves, only older. And here’s the problem.

By the time most of us have kids and/or reach mid-life, we generally outgrow the behaviors of our twenties. Bridget hasn’t and it’s hard to reconcile her age with her behavior. I really didn’t want to like this book (I balked loudly at the part where Bridget sees a barn owl through her window and as he flies away she waxes about the past leaving and welcoming the future. Harrumph!), but I get sentimental about my books and couldn’t help but find her charming still. Bridget is one of those characters you fall in love with and she stays with you. I still find myself every so often speaking Bridget (as in, “Boys are playing in yard and fighting. Am ready to pull hair out!”). That said, she’s had a good run, but it’s time to say, “Cheers"!