Its the swinging 60s and the nation is mesmerized by sophie straw, a former blackpool beauty queen turned primetime sitcom star. Set in 1960s london, funny girl is a livelyaccount ofthe adventures of the intrepid young sophie straw as she navigates her transformation fromprovincial ingenue to television starlet amid a constellation of delightful characters. Nick hornby mines the hearts and psyches of four lost souls who connect just when theyve reached the end of the line. Book club questions for funny girl by nick hornby part of the richard and judy summer 2015 bookclub. A long way down by nick hornby reading guidebook club. Set, for the most part, in the midtolate 1960s, hornbys latest novel gives. Nov 06, 2014 funny girl is the sixth fulllength novel by british author, nick hornby. Its american and a bit different from the film, but still fun. Set in 1960s london, funny girl is a lively account of the adventures of the intrepid young sophie straw. As befits a novel about a popular sitcom, this novel packs in lots of laughs, but its also got more heft than mr. Funny girl is told through the voice of an omniscient narrator. Hornby s most recent novel, funny girl, about a sixties beauty queen determined to make her mark upon television comedy, was released in late 2014. Jan 23, 2015 nick hornby, author of the book funny girl.
From the bestselling author ofhigh fidelity, about a boy, anda long way downcomes a highly anticipated new novel. Nick hornby books list of books by author nick hornby. Insightful and humorous, nick hornbys funny girl does what he does best. Funny girl chapter 26 discussion question, 2, 8, oct 02, 2017 12. Nick hornby set out to reimagine british comedy history, by writing the history of the fictional barbara and jim tv series, and likewise a lucille ballesque british tv star in sophie straw. A brilliant novel from the bestselling author of high fidelity, about a boy, and a long way down. No, nick hornbys latest is not a retelling of the story made famous by the old barbara streisand movie called funny girl but the allusion to pop culture of the 1960s in this delightful novel is not coincidental.
Barbara parker is miss blackpool of 1964, but she doesnt want to be a beauty queen. Funny girl nicky hornby, 2014 penguin group usa 464 pp. Its the swinging 60s and the nation is mesmerized by unlikely comedy star sophie straw, the former blackpool beauty queen who just wants to make people laugh, like her heroine lucille ball. Hornbys most recent novel, funny girl, about a sixties beauty queen determined to make her mark upon television comedy, was released in late 2014. Nick hornbys new novel, funny girl, mocks and dismantles two retrograde beliefs common in 1960s london. With wit, optimism and gentle compassion, nick hornby summons up the zeitgeist of britain in the 1960s and 70s through the medium of tv comedy on the bbc. Funny girl by nick hornby meet your next favorite book.
Gentle, funny, compassionate book reading funny girl was like meeting an old friend and being reminded all over again why you liked them so much in the first place. As a quickwitted, unpretentious, highspirited, funny, curvy, clever, beautiful blonde page 257, sophie might. Set in 1960s london, funny girl is a lively account of the adventures of the intrepid young sophie straw as she navigates her transformation from provincial ing nue to television starlet amid a constellation of delightful characters. But you can add hornbys funny girl, barbara parker, a 21yearold blonde bombshell and lucille ball devotee who ditches her anointment as miss blackpool for a shot at a london acting career, to.
Struggling through a book out of a sense of duty, he argued, is reinforcing the. Nick hornby make them laugh and theyre yours forever. Nick hornby is the author of seven internationally bestselling novels funny girl, high fidelity, about a boy, how to be good, a long way down, slam and juliet, naked and several works of nonfiction including fever pitch, songbook and ten years in the tub. Feb 22, 2015 nick hornbys ingenue pursues her dream of fame in 1960s london.
Nov 06, 2014 funny girl the muchanticipated new novel by nick hornby, the millioncopy bestselling author of about a boy. Set, for the most part, in the midtolate 1960s, hornbys latest novel gives the reader an intimate look at the making of a tv comedy series. A thrilling debut novel about how far well go to protect. On the surface, this funny girl is about a working class english girl who comes of age as a tv star in the. Sign in or create your guardian account to join the discussion. Nick hornby set out to reimagine british comedy history, by writing the history of the fictional barbara and jim tv series, and likewise a. Funny girl by nick hornby booksamillion online book store. Funny girl funny girl the muchanticipated new novel by nick hornby, the millioncopy bestselling author of about a boy make them laugh, and theyre yours forever. Nick hornby, british novelist, screenwriter, and essayist known for his sharply comedic, popculturedrenched depictions of dissatisfied adulthood as well as for his music and literary criticism.
Art and life are intertwined in a novel about tv sitcoms set during the cultural sea change of the 1960s. Funny girl by nick hornby penguin random house audio. Do you have any thoughts, questions or discussions about funny girl by nick hornby. Funny girl may be read as hornby s latest defence of popular entertainment against highculture elitism.
So does page after page of perfectly timed and delivered humor, the subtle and understated kind, that starts with the first line. From the bestselling author of high fidelity, about a boy, and a long way down comes a highly anticipated new novel set in 1960s london, funny girl is a lively account of the adventures of the intrepid young sophie straw as she navigates her. On the surface, this funny girl is about a working class english girl who. An amazon best book of the month for february 2015. The biggest facebook fan page for nick hornby follow nick hornby directly at. Screenwriting edit hornby has also developed a career as a screenwriter, and has said that he enjoys the challenge of working in film as opposed to writing novels. As befits a novel about a popular sitcom, this novel packs in lots of laughs, but its also got. Nick hornbys charming, light yet thoughtful tale of the creative team behind a fictional bbc sitcom in the 1960s takes the. About a boy by nick hornby bythe honest bookclubmarch 25, 2016. He has written screenplay adaptions of lynn barbers an education, nominated for an academy award, cheryl strayeds wild and colm. His notable books included the novels high fidelity and about a boy and the autobiographical fever pitch. From the bestselling author of high fidelity, about a boy, and a long way down comes a highly anticipated new novel set in 1960s london, funny girl is a lively account of the adventures of the intrepid young sophie straw as she navigates her transformation from provincial ingenue to television starlet amid a constellation of delightful characters.
Book club questions for funny girl by nick hornby whsmith blog. And this is the premise from which nick hornby built funny girl and the character of sophie straw once, barbara from blackpool. From her girlhood days in workingclass blackpool, barbara parker idolizes lucille ball and dreams of emulating her. Hornby s fluency in scriptlike breeziness and crisp banter makes funny girl a pleasurable read. Nick hornby is an expert storyteller who reveals the nuances of his characters lives, and in the process, allows readers to understand a world unlike their own. In funny girl, nick hornby uses the story of a reluctant beauty queen from blackpool as the hook for a rambunctious cultural history of british television comedy 50 years ago. Insightful and humorous, nick hornby s latest does what he does best.
As a quickwitted, unpretentious, highspirited, funny, curvy, clever, beautiful blonde page 257, sophie might strike some readers as almost too good to be true. Sophie is a comic genius and a bombshell to boot she might just have it all. Nick hornby set out to reimagine british comedy history, by writing the history of the fictional funny girl tv series, and likewise a lucille ballesque british tv star in sophie straw. Really want to read more nick hornby, funny girl was good too. The boston globe hornbys fluency in scriptlike breeziness and crisp banter makes funny girl a pleasurable read.
Funny girl the latest novel from nick hornby, the millioncopy bestselling author of about a boy make them laugh, and theyre yours forever. Shes just become the reigning pageant winner of blackpool england. May 07, 2015 book club questions for funny girl by nick hornby part of the richard and judy summer 2015 bookclub. Set in 1960s london, funny girlis a livelyaccount ofthe adventures of the intrepid young sophie straw as she navigates her transformation fromprovincial ingenue to television starlet amid a constellation of delightful characters. Insightful and humorous, nick hornbys latest does what he does best. Nick hornby has 75 books on goodreads with 974982 ratings. Funny girl in libraries worldcat catalog this article about a european novel is a stub. Spectator i loved this hymn to the 1960s, their infinite creative possibilities.
Set in 1960s london, funny girl is a lively account of the adventures of the intrepid young sophie straw as she navigates her transformation from provincial ingnue to television starlet amid a constellation of delightful characters. Funny girl by nick hornby yes, you read that right. Why do you think nick hornby chose to narrate the book this way. Buy funny girl by hornby, nick from amazons fiction books store. Set in 1960s london, funny girl is a lively account of the adventures of the intrepid young sophie straw as she navigates her transformation from provincial ingenue to television starlet amid a constellation of delightful characters. Watch the animated teaser and listen to penguin uks extended audio interview with nick. What a fabulous, spirited, inyourface defence of popular entertainment this book is. His latest novels are slam 2007, juliet, naked 2009 and funny girl 2014. Forster award by the american academy of arts and letters. As the story opens, barbara parker is a small town beauty queen. Nov 05, 2014 funny girl by nick hornby 352pp, viking, telegraph offer price. Nick hornby s charming, light yet thoughtful tale of the creative team behind a fictional bbc sitcom in the 1960s takes the. Insightful and humorous, nick hornbys latest does what he does.
Journalist and bestselling novelist nick hornby is best known for his portraits of dysfunctional peter pans clueless postmodern males in various stages of arrested development who discover, often to their chagrin, that growing up is a process involving far more than the passage of time. Funny girl is the sixth fulllength novel by british author, nick hornby. See all books authored by nick hornby, including high fidelity, and juliet, naked, and more on. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Funny girl the muchanticipated new novel by nick hornby, the millioncopy bestselling author of about a boy. His book the complete polysyllabic spree 2006 is an account of his reading and a. Funny girl by nick hornby 352pp, viking, telegraph offer price.
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