Chick Lit Heroine Grudge Match: Elizabeth Bennett vs Bridget Jones

This week we’ve got two classics of English literature battling it out. One is in her 30s, the other in her 200s. You decide who wins between Elizabeth Bennett and Bridget Jones

Elizabeth Bennett

The Books: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, the story of the Bennett family girls and their hunt for eligible bachelors

The Age: The Regency period, a time of social niceties and empire line dresses

Men: Fitzwilliam Darcy, an unlikely suitor who thinks he’s too good to become embroiled with the Bennett family but does so anyway

Films: Filmed for the big screen and TV numerous times, the most popular of which is probably the 1995 BBC adaptation – who can forget Mr Darcy jumping in that pond? This version started Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth

Bridget Jones

The Books: Bridget Jones’s Diary, Bridget Jones – The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding, following Bridget's search for the perfect fella - and what she does once she's got him

The Age: The 1990s, when women got drunk and wore big knickers

Men: The bounder, Daniel Cleaver and the standoffish Mark Darcy

Films: Both books have been filmed, starring Rene Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth (as Darcy again)

Conclusion: One’s a classic of literature, the other’s a classic of chick literature and we arguably wouldn’t have had Mark Darcy without his predecessor.

Who wins?

Júlia

It is unfair to compare them! If we consider that Pride and Prejudice was written in 1813, and portrays a woman totally ahead of her time, with thoughts and perceptions that no women at that time (or at least the majority of them) could even imagine... Bridget is great, but she is only funny...

Keris

My vote&#39s for Bridget! No, I&#39m kidding. Of course it&#39s Lizzy. (Plus, I like Mark Darcy, but he&#39s no *Mr* Darcy, is he?)

And LOL at Justine&#39s comment. Yes, it&#39s real. We&#39re actually going to make them fight each other. ;)

Justine

Um, is this real? How can you compare Elizabeth to Bridget? Elizabeth, hands down. She has withstood the test of time and continues to inspire those of us who are searching for love. If Bridget survives another hundred years, then the contest might be a little closer.