Page 110 - Bridget Jones's Diary - by Helen FIELDING

Classics people should be made to prove they've read the book before they're

allowed to watch the television version.'

'Oh, I quite agree,' said Perpetua, emitting further gales of laughter. 'What a
marvelous idea!'

I could see her mentally fitting Mark Darcy and Natasha in with an array of
Poohs and Piggies round the dinner table.

'They should have refused to let anyone listen to the World Cup tune,' hooted
Arabella, 'until they could prove they'd listened to Turandot all the way through!'

'Though in many respects, of course,' said Mark's Natasha, suddenly earnest,
as if concerned the conversation was going quite the wrong way, 'the
democratization of our culture is a good thing - '

'Except in the case of Mr. Blobby, who should have been punctured at birth,'
shrieked Perpetua. As I glanced involuntarily at Perpetua's bottom thinking,
'That's a bit rich coming from her,' I caught Mark Darcy doing the same thing.

'What I resent, though' - Natasha was looking all sort of twitchy and distorted
as if she were in an Oxbridge debating society - 'is this, this sort of, arrogant
individualism which imagines each new generation can somehow create the
world afresh.'

'But that's exactly what they do, do,' said Mark Darcy gently.

'Oh well, I mean if you're going to look at it at that level said Natasha
defensively.

'What level?' said Mark Darcy. 'It's not a level, it's a perfectly good point.'

'No. No. I'm sorry, you're deliberately being obtuse,' she said, turning bright
red. 'I'm not talking about a ventilating deconstructionalistic freshness of vision.

I'm talking about the ultimate vandalization of the cultural framework.'