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Cover of Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen FieldingBridget Jones's Diary
Modern · Fiction, Humor, Young Adult

Bridget Jones's Diary

by Helen Fielding
1996 · 292 pages · Fiction
61.5Must-Read
Score Modern
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 7 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Bridget Jones is a thirty-something single woman in London, keeping a diary for a year. She records her weight, cigarettes and alcohol units, her resolutions, her disastrous flirtation with her charming, caddish boss Daniel, her embarrassing parents, and Mark Darcy, a stiff lawyer who seems to dislike her.

Why it's worth reading

It's one of the best-selling novels ever and was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It's a very funny update of Pride and Prejudice that started the 'chick lit' boom.

You'll love it if you liked

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Good to know

It's light and quick. Some of its jokes about weight and dating feel dated.

By the numbers

61.5Must-Read Score
  • Readers11 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller68 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

On the lists
BBC's The Big Read

Reads as

Funny, Uplifting

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Humor booksTop 25 · 35 rankedYoung adult booksTop 25 · 219 rankedModern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 1990sTop 25 · 273 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked

Quick answers

Is Bridget Jones's Diary worth reading?

Yes. It's one of the best-selling novels ever and was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It ranks #2,227 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 61.5 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Bridget Jones's Diary about?

Bridget Jones is a thirty-something single woman in London, keeping a diary for a year. She records her weight, cigarettes and alcohol units, her resolutions, her disastrous flirtation with her charming, caddish boss Daniel, her embarrassing parents, and Mark Darcy, a stiff lawyer who seems to dislike her.

How long does it take to read Bridget Jones's Diary?

About 7 hours (292 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Bridget Jones's Diary?

If you liked it, try Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Emma by Jane Austen or Book Lovers by Emily Henry.