Title: Bridget Jones’s Baby (audio CD)
Author: Helen Fielding (read by Samantha Bond)
[Synopsis]
As Bridget careers towards baby-deadline, tortured by Smug Mothers miming her ticking biological clock, a series of classic Bridget Jones moments finally leads her into pregnancy – but just not quite as intended. It’s a pregnancy full of cheesy potatoes, outlandish advice from Drunken Singletons and Smug Mothers, chaos at scans and childbirth classes, high jinks and romance, joy and despair – but all of it dominated by the terribly awkward question – ‘Who’s the Father?’
[My Review]
I am a huge Bridget Jones fan. I’d watched the film version of Bridget Jones’s Baby last year, so this was before I’d read the book (or in this case, listened to the audio CD). I barely ever listen to audiobooks, as I find I always prefer to read at my own pace without getting impatient, but for 2017 I want to make an effort to listen to more – and it’s so much easier to fit them into small parts of the day when I couldn’t otherwise read. For example, on the walk to work or whilst I cook/ wash up/ clean. And if it means I can get through more books this way, then bring it on!
When I saw the film, I smiled and laughed all the way through – it’s ridiculous and cheesy at times, but it made me beam! So, I hoped the book version could live up to the film…
This is ultimately a fun, easy read. I recognised plenty of scenes from the film, so in some ways the producers hadn’t changed a huge amount of the book, but there were other key elements that were completely different. I don’t want to give too much away, but it will be instantly obvious that, in the book (and, in this case, CD) version, the two ‘possible dads’ are Mark Darcy (same as in the film) and Daniel Cleaver (definitely not the same as in the film). This didn’t change my enjoyment of the story too much, as the character in the film who is the ‘other possible dad’, called Jack (played by dreamy Patrick Dempsey) is a bit of smoothie just like Daniel, and has some of the same mannerisms.
The plot is as silly as ever, but that’s what you expect from Bridget Jones, surely? It’s really enjoyable, and I am really happy that Bridget is back – though, as she is ‘with child’, she’s not up to her usual antics in terms of drinking and having ridiculous sexual encounters, something we all love Bridget for! I’m sorry to keep comparing, but I feel like the film had more of the hilarity instilled into it; I came out of the cinems with cheeks hurting from smiling, and this book didn’t have the same effect on me. Still, it was good fun.
I wasn’t too keen on the narration, by Samantha Bond. Her voice, as Bridget herself, wasn’t as funny as I wanted it to be, and just didn’t seem quite right, or so it felt to me (perhaps because I picture Renée Zellweger’s voice from the films, as they’ve become almost inseparable in my mind?). I also have a copy of the paperback, and having read some funnier bits in there too, I found that I laughed more at the book version. This is just personal preference, though; perhaps I would have found the story even funnier if I’d read it instead of listened to the audio version. So, perhaps this review is more relevant to the audio CD as opposed to the book?
Still, for Bridget Jones fans it’s still a solid effort, with plenty of fun and the usual Bridget cock-ups – definitely worth a read. But make sure you watch the film too, because to be honest I enjoyed that way more! That’s not something I say often (it could be because I saw the film first? Who knows) but both are good fun, it’s just the film was more fun, to me. However the book is great for a light-hearted, humorous read. Either way, you do feel like you’re slipping back into a comfy pair of slippers, nice and cosy, as you head back into Bridget’s world!
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