Helen Fielding, the acclaimed author renowned for her Bridget Jones novels, has certainly made her mark in the literary world. Her iconic series kicked off with Bridget Jones’s Diary in 1996, which later took the film industry by storm in 2001. This year saw the return of Bridget to cinemas with the screen adaptation of the 2013 novel, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.
Following Bridget as she navigates life as a widow after the passing of her beloved Mark Darcy, the film was released in February. Prior to its premiere, Helen Fielding indulged Elle magazine with insights into her literary preferences for their ‘Shelf Life’ feature, revealing some seminal books that left a lasting impression on her.
Topping her list was Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, a continuous source of inspiration throughout her writing journey and notable for possessing what she regards as the best opening line ever.
Next she shared the book that made her laugh out loud, naming Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe, reports themirror.com.
Helen added: “What really makes books funny is the voice and perspective of the narrator. This is a hilarious first-person diary of a young and utterly hopeless nanny,”
Furthermore, Helen recommended hits such as Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, One Day by David Nicholls, and Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea, a prequel to Charlotte Bronte’s literary masterpiece, Jane Eyre.
When asked which books boast the most striking covers, Helen replied: “The original Ian Fleming James Bond books have insanely cool covers. I have five of them framed together on my wall. They’re gorgeous. My favourite: Octopussy.”
Helen’s final ‘must-read books’ were Buddha’s Little Instruction Book by Jack Kornfield, A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, and The Naughtiest Girl in the School by Enid Blyton.
Books recommended by Helen Fielding
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
- Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
- One Day by David Nicholls
- Octopussy by Ian Fleming
- Buddha’s Little Instruction Book by Jack Kornfield
- A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
- The Naughtiest Girl in the School by Enid Blyton