I originally read this book in the late 90s, as a teenager, while stuck at home during an aimless afternoon, and remembered it as "mediocre but entertaining enough" so I rated it 2 stars when I first signed on to Goodreads and left it at that. Almost 20 years later, as the third Bridget Jones movie is about to come out, I thought: why not give this book another chance, this time from the perspective of a thirty-something (like Bridget!) rather than that of a teenager who didn't relate at all? And so I did. 
 My newly revised opinion is this: I still don't relate to Bridget "human disaster" Jones, at all, but I know her. 
 The woman who straight up forgot she needs calories to live and so proudly starve herself in an effort to be "good", just to binge-eat fat-laden carbs and guilt the next day because she's so hungry? I know her! 
 The woman who over-analyzes and dissects her every interaction with her crush? I know her! 
 And what of her friends and relatives? 
 The woman who goes on passionate rants about Male Entitlement and Emotional Fuckwittage at the drop of a hat? I know her! (Hell, I am her.) 
 The older woman who towed the patriarchal line her whole life, only to realise she was given a bum deal and so makes some radical lifestyle changes? I know her! 
 The Smug Marrieds? I know them! 
 And so on and so forth. 
 Yes, the novel is really, really funny (I read it in one sitting, laughing out loud several times) but it's not at all the shallow chick-lit I remembered it to be. Obviously it's exaggerated and romanticised for comedic effect but there are real issues addressed in this book. Also, female friendships and female solidarity ((view spoiler)[like Perpetua not letting Daniel get away with trying to make Bridget feel bad for quitting (hide spoiler)]). Lovely. 
 (I will say, though... I read an edition that marked Bridget's weight in stone, which means nothing to me (I can do kgs or lbs but that's it), I was shocked when I put the numbers through a converter and realised that (view spoiler)[there was NINE POUNDS, that's FOUR MEASLY KILOGRAMS, between "hurrah!" and "disaster", and even her highest weight is nowhere near "fat" (unless she's incredibly short) (hide spoiler)]. You gotta learn to love yourself, Bridget.) 
 In conclusion: Am Sharon (v.g.). Bastards!