Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

By: Helen Fielding

Narrated by: Samantha Bond

Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Bridget Jones, the iconic character who sold 15 million books worldwide, inspired a major motion picture franchise, and became beloved as a Chardonnay-swilling everywoman, is back in this hotly anticipated third installment.

Set in contemporary London, the new novel brings us Bridget in a new phase of life.

©2013 Helen Fielding (P)2013 Random House

Love the mature Bridget! .

She is still flaky and kind hearted. Often I laughed out loud, but sometimes it was heartbreaking and I dissolved in tears.

Seriously after 14 years....

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would not have killed off Bridget's husband. He was what made the story click. The author wanted to shake things up by doing something dramatic. She could have had that effect without killing off Mark Darcy. They could have made the journey together and had interesting challenges without eliminating his character.

Would you ever listen to anything by Helen Fielding again?

I can not say right now. It depends on what the book is about. If it is interesting and has a good story then maybe yes but I wouldn't buy it just because she wrote it.

Have you listened to any of Samantha Bond’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to Samantha Bond previously but she did a great job.

Could you see Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

If this were to be made into a movie then once again we would have to drag out Renee Zellweger and dust her off to play the aging Bridget Jones. What's difficult is that the age that Bridget portrays in the book is significantly older than Renee Zellweger's actual age. Therefore she may not jump at the chance to portray an older woman. But is she did I think it could make a good screenplay with some changes and adjustments to the storyline.

Any additional comments?

I don't want to come off as a person bashing Fielding because she has written a solid book. Are there things that could have been different, yes most definitely. Did I feel like I had to play catch-up with the storyline and figure out ok how did we get from Point A to Point C and what happened to point B. That was difficult to do but it is a good book, not great but good.

Narrater voice

Loved the story! I’m a huge fan of Bridgette Jones. However, the narrator made Bridgette’s voice sound way too elderly for Bridgette’s age. I found that very annoying and a not needed exaggeration of a mature female. Which is by the way my age and my voice does not sound elderly!

I loved it.

I must be as shallow as some reviewers think Bridget is because I loved this book. I found myself laughing, crying and laughing again all in a minute's time. Bridget is still silly and making some questionable decisions but that is what makes her Bridget. I couldn't stop listening.

Not Terrible, but Could've been better

If you loved the previous Bridget Jones books, proceed with caution. This book is not terrible, and may even have some salient points about motherhood, growing as an individual, and life after loss, but the plot is mediocre. It's also not the same Bridget that you've loved in the past, here we see her 20 years later having matured, had kids, and suffered loss. Having just finished the prior books, this was a bit jarring and I haven't gotten over the death of a major character from the earlier books. It was hard to engage with the new love interest and I think it would've have been a better book if Fielding hadn't killed off a certain character. That said, it was at least enjoyable which is why I gave it a 3/5. If you really liked the prior books, take some time and consider whether you aren't better off leaving it at the happy ending in Edge of Reason.

listened to it 5 times

I absolutely love this book. it can be read as a stand alone even if you have never read or heard about the other Bridget Jones books or movies. It genuinely is my favorite Fielding novel and I have read ALL of her work. even random magazine articles about travel to Oman. This book is a heartwarming, funny, real look of what it is like to be a parent in today's world. With all the pressure of expectations of perfection from our bodies, our children, our parenting styles, dating life, sex life etc etc It is a page turner with deeper messages and philosophical points brought up in between very very funny story line. highly recommend

Awesome book!!

I have enjoyed every Bridget Jones book that has been published. I was a little disappointed with the death of Marc Darcy, but it was an awesome book.

Sad the way this book was handled...

Totally missed listening to the prior narrator from the first two books. And the beginning of this book was so boring that I had to force myself to keep listening till we got past the kids and into the dating part of the story.

Falling in love with Bridget all over again

Would you listen to Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy again? Why?

My title has a double meaning because "Mad About the Boy" reminds us why we fell in love with Bridget Jones the first time around--and we get to watch/listen to her flail about with love one last time.I don't know whether I so loved this book that I'd listen to it again. But it was bloody lovely to see Bridget trying to make it as a single mum, re-entering the dating world that has COOMPLETELY changed since she was last single. Anyone in their 50s will laugh out loud at how Bridget grapples with phones, x-boxes, remote controls, texting, and Twitter.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy?

SPOILER ALERT: Okay, if you've been living under a rock and missed the headlines that Mark Darcy...SPOILER ALERT...no, I can't do it. If you don't know already, you'll have to read the book to find out. I loved the brilliant combination of tenderness and humor that Helen Fielding brings to Bridget's very real trials as a single mum of two young kids. I got a bit choked up at times. And then, just as my heart was touched, Fielding wrote something that made me laugh out loud.

Which scene was your favorite?

Well...like all of Bridget's great moments, the best comes near the end. And I'm not going to ruin it for potential listeners by describing it here.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was really touched by Bridget's interactions with her kids, and how hard she tries to hide her frustrations and sadness, and simply soldier on. There was a scene when her daughter splashes hot chocolate all over Bridget's brand new, never-been-worn, oh-so-chic white coat--and I just love the way Helen Fielding writes this sweet and simple moment--and how Samantha Bond sensitively narrated it. Perfection.

Any additional comments?

At the beginning of this listen, I was not thrilled with Samantha Bond's voice--it seemed too husky, too vaguely smoky or alcoholic. And then I realized, "But that's Bridget, always trying to quit smoking, always drinking a few more units of alcohol than what is perhaps best." Brilliant.And truly, Samantha Bond (whom Downton Abbey fans might know as Lady Rosamund Painswick) is the frosting on the cake of this clever, sweet book. She is absolutely pitch-perfect, her sighs, expletives, little kittenish moans, all of it worthy of an Oscar. Or Audie.It was really good to find out what Bridget is up to in her 50s. Like all previous Bridget books, it's a fairly breezy read. But it also addresses some very real issues. And in the end, you care about this character. Just the way she is.

Will Have Small Glass of Wine...

Where does Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

While I enjoyed the book, I would have loved to have had the book begin where the Edge of Reason left off. It would have been nice to enjoy Bridget and Mark's wedding, the birth of their children and creation of their family.

I was saddened by not only Mark's death but how briefly it was discussed. I understand it had to happen. This allowed Bridget to get back out into the dating world (which is frankly terrifying at any age).

Although I wish there had been a bit more of Bridget's new found love with Mr. Wallaker (Scott - who happens to be rich and is very James Bondish), it was nice to hear about their future together with their blended families.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Tales from the 20 Pack-A-Day Smoker...While Samantha Bond is a lovely narrator (better suited for older characters or timeline books), she was the wrong choice for narrating this book. Bridget is supposed to be around my age, but sounds like and 80 year old 20 Pack-A-Day Smoker. It was rather unpleasant.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but unfortunately I had to break it up a bit due to time.

Any additional comments?

I found this book and all of the Bridget Jones books incredibly relatable. I often find myself running around with the thought of Bridget's voice in my head. Although she's clumsy, a bit of an alcoholic and an unorganized mess, she's a hopeless romantic at heart! That's why we love her!