 First edition | |
| Author | Nick Hornby |
|---|---|
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Penguin/Viking |
Publication date | 6 November 2014 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 342 (hardcover edition) |
| ISBN | 978-0-670-92280-2 |
| Preceded by | Juliet, Naked |
Funny Girl is a 2014 novel by the British writer Nick Hornby. [1] The book was adapted for television as Funny Woman , broadcast by Sky Max in 2023 starring Gemma Arterton. [2]
The novel is about Barbara Parker, Miss Blackpool of 1964, who decides to abandon the idea of becoming a beauty queen. She heads for London, determined to make her mark as a television comedian, inspired by her idol Lucille Ball. After finding a job on a cosmetics counter in a London department store, she meets a theatrical agent, Brian Debenham, who finds her an audition for a television sitcom pilot based around the domestic life of a newlywed couple. Taking the name Sophie Straw, she becomes a star thanks to the leading role in the fictional Barbara (and Jim).
The Guardian praised the consistency of the lighthearted tone of the novel with the style of British comedy television in the 1960s, which Hornby defends resolutely. [1] Similarly, The New York Times comments positively the position of the author towards pop culture, defining Hornby "competent and humane". [3] The Independent criticized the change of focus in the novel, stating "it's a shame that Hornby abandons his funny girl halfway through for more of his hapless men." [4]
Both the Los Angeles Times and the Library Journal report a level of flatness in the writing. [5] [6]
The novel was adapted for screen by writer and comedian Morwenna Banks as the six-part Sky Max series Funny Woman (2023), starring Gemma Arterton as Barbara Parker. [7]
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis is a British screenwriter, producer and film director. One of Britain's most successful comedy screenwriters, he is known primarily for romantic comedy films, among them Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Notting Hill (1999), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Love Actually (2003), Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), About Time (2013), and Yesterday (2019). He is also known for the drama War Horse (2011) and for having co-written the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean, and The Vicar of Dibley. His early career saw him write material for the BBC's Not the Nine O'Clock News and ITV's Spitting Image.
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