Helen Fielding’s third novel about the loveable and inimitable Bridget Jones was guaranteed a wide readership simply by virtue of the bestselling reputations of its precursors.

In the late 1990s, Fielding acquired worldwide fame by authoring Bridget Jones’s Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason; two engaging and humourous novels that fall under the general bracket of “chick-lit”. To say that Fielding was a pioneer of the field is not far-fetched per se; however, as the author, more modestly and accurately stated herself, she simply drew the general public’s attention to a genre that was already extant, though not particularly celebrated in the publishing world. Subsequent writers such as Sophie Kinsella (who created the wildly popular Shopaholic series) owe at least part of their recognition to Fielding’s efforts.

Following 9/11, Helen Fielding wrote Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination — about a giddy young woman who becomes embroiled in international espionage — but the work never attained the levels of fame of her previous books. The reason behind the appeal of the Bridget Jones novels is undoubtedly the figure of Bridget herself. In the first two books she is portrayed as a 30-something, single British woman — good-hearted, unsophisticated, and a trifle stupid. In spite of what she herself regards as her considerable social drawbacks, she snags a rich, sophisticated, but equally good-hearted lawyer, romantically named Mark Darcy. The tried-and-tested Jane Austen formula of “boy meets girl; girl gets boy” works well for Fielding’s plot and character development, and one assumes that the couple lives happily ever after.

Except that they don’t. Mad About the Boy is set well over a dozen years after Bridget and Mark’s nuptials, and is overshadowed by the tragedy that, at 51, Bridget is a widow raising two small, school-going children. Mark Darcy was killed while on a sensitive overseas assignment, and while his widow is financially well-off, almost every other aspect of her life displays some sort of lack. Age has caught up with her, her mother has been placed in assisted living, she has lost her father, and her self-esteem (never high under the best of circumstances) suffers from the inevitable weight-gain that accompanies aging. Both Bridget’s children, Billy and Mabel, feel the absence of a father-figure keenly; and Fielding firmly underscores the fact that Jane Austen’s endings have no place amidst the grim emotional realities of the 21st century.

Having done so, however, she provides the reader with precisely what one expects from the book: a series of adventures whereby the bumbling Bridget works her merry way through weight-loss, screenwriting, two genuine romances, and child-rearing in a way that is entirely true to form, and supremely hilarious. Readers will be comforted by the diary-form that the book faithfully follows, with Bridget noting her calorific intake, text messages, tweets, diet Cokes, and so on, at the beginning of almost all the entries. One singular way in which the present book differs from its precursors is due to the rapid advances in technology that have been made since the first two were written, and Fielding moves smoothly with the times by having substantial portions of Bridget’s relationship with her much younger boyfriend “Roxster” take place within the limits of cyberspace.

Some familiar characters make cameo, but interesting, appearances. Daniel Cleaver, the arch-villain of Bridget Jones’s Diary, has apparently reformed enough to serve as occasional baby-sitter for Bridget’s children, until a horrified Bridget (and equally aghast reader) realises that he requires rehab-treatment for alcoholism. Bridget’s dear friend Jude continues to be typically ill-treated by her long-term love-interest Vile Richard; the heroine’s gay friend Tom remains characteristically affectionate, and fans of the novels are relieved that Fielding didn’t dispatch Bridget’s remarkable, though utterly exasperating, mother along with Mark and her father.

The central message of the book becomes increasingly evident as Bridget realises that terrific sex with a younger man is no substitute for a more emotionally rewarding relationship with someone closer to her own age. Enter Mr Wallaker, whose stoic and droll manner reminds us forcibly of Bridget’s late husband. In a heartwarming The Sound of Music scenario, he succeeds in getting her to fall in love with him by winning the hearts of her children. In this respect, Fielding is no different from Jane Austen; she realises that certain things — such as the appeal of love-stories — remain timeless. There are numerous flaws in the book: Bridget’s screenwriting never comes across as authentic, her weight-loss is unrealistic to say the least, and being left independently wealthy makes her unpleasantly self-indulgent on more than one occasion. However, almost every reader anticipates that true love is right around the corner for Bridget, if for no other reason than because that is the classic pattern that romantic fiction invariably follows.

When love catches up with Bridget, it is during Christmas, and the season’s good cheer is liberally sprinkled over all concerned. It goes without saying that the book cannot, and does not, stand on its own, but to have expected it to do so would be giving Fielding credit for more literary ability than the books reflect. As a Bridget Jones novel, however, it should certainly satisfy most fans. In spite of the passage of time, Bridget remains endearingly familiar: a point that owes much to the unsurprising fact that many modern female readers acknowledge that she remains a mirror reflecting back vital aspects of themselves.

Mad About the Boy

(Novel)

By Helen Fielding

Random House, India

ISBN 978-0385350860

390pp.