New Bridget Jones Success Continues Rich Tradition of Beloved Literary Heroines

Posted on 29 Sep 2016 by Anna Scott
A few eyebrows were raised when the latest Bridget Jones big screen outing was announced, but those naysayers are now eating their words after Bridget Jones’s Baby topped the UK box office for a second week in a row. Even though it’s been 12 years since we last saw her on the silver screen, our love affair with this most relatable of female characters is still going strong, continuing a tradition of much loved literary women, whether they make it into the movies or not. So what other female book heroines should be celebrated as well as dear old Bridge?

 

Bridget Jones


Bridget Jones's DiaryLet’s start with the woman herself. With the huge popularity of the screen versions (well, the first and third ones), it’s easy to forget that she started life on the page, and not even within a book – author Helen Fielding created Bridget Jones as a fictional character for a column in The Independent in 1995 and the novelisation Bridget Jones’s Diary was published the following year. The sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason was released in 1999, with the first two adaptations coming from these titles. Although the new movie veers away from the subject matter of the third book in the series, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2013), her enduring popularity both on page and screen is something to be celebrate, and you can use Hive Books promo codes to enjoy her both in book and DVD from if you need your Bridget fix.

 





Katniss Everdeen


The Hunger GamesAnother very modern type of heroine, but as far removed from Bridget Jones as you could get, Katniss Everdeen lives in a dystopian future where selected teenagers must compete in the annual Hunger Games, a battle to the death until one can be pronounced victor. Over the course of The Hunger Games trilogy (adapted over 4 films between 2012-2015 and starring Jennifer Lawrence), Katniss goes through more than the average teenager, competing in not one but two games as well as civil war, just in case that wasn’t enough, and all relying on her quick wits and skills with a bow and arrow. Katniss, we salute you.

 






Miss Marple


Miss MarpleIn all of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple books, there’s at least one person who underestimates our central character, who dismisses her as just a bit of a batty old lady who can be easily fooled or flustered. Sometimes this person is the murderer, or sometimes it’s a short-sighted policeman who eventually has to rely on the intelligence of said batty old lady to solve the mystery. This perception is used by Miss Jane Marple as one of her great strengths - her ability to blend into the background and not be viewed as a threat means she picks up on all those small clues that others fail to. Turning those misconceptions on their head and making them work in her favour is what makes Miss Marple one of the great literary detectives, and if you want to revisit one of her many cases, Waterstones discount codes can get you a good price on those classic Agatha Christie stories.

 

Hermione Granger


Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneThere’s a very good case to be made that Hermione is the real hero of the Harry Potter series. Surely The Boy Who Lived wouldn’t have made it to the end of the first book if it wasn’t for Hermione Granger’s sharp brain and quick wits? And time and time again she saves their bacon, whether it’s by actually reading up on the history of magic and learning those spells, or just taking charge when the boys show their ineptitude. Yes, the book may not have her name across the front, but we all know who the real hero of the Harry Potter titles is.

 






Matilda


Matilda by Roald DahlWho hasn’t wanted to be Matilda at some point in their life? Ok, at every point in their life. And it’s not just her power to move objects with her mind – we all love Matilda because she’s kind, she has a rich imagination, she loves to read and she just needs someone to love her in return. Whether you discovered the story of Matilda through the original Roald Dahl book, the 90s screen version or more recently with the hit West End musical, Matilda’s story has proven to be timeless and necessary for every generation, and you can pick up a copy of the classic title using White Horse Books promotional codes.

 

 

 

 

So let’s raise a glass to Bridget Jones and her latest success as well as the rich tradition of other great literary heroines, and long may they continue to inspire and entertain us.

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