Funny Girl cover art

Funny Girl

Now The Major TV Series Funny Woman Starring Gemma Arterton

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Funny Girl

By: Nick Hornby
Narrated by: Emma Fielding
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER SOON TO BE A TV SERIES STARRING GEMMA ARTERTON AND RUPERT EVERETT

Make them laugh, and they're yours forever . . .

Barbara Parker is Miss Blackpool of 1964, but she doesn't want to be a beauty queen. She wants to make people laugh.

So she leaves her hometown behind, takes herself to London, and overnight she becomes the lead in a new BBC comedy, Sophie Straw: charming, gorgeous, destined to win the nation's hearts.

Funny Girl is the story of a smash-hit TV show and the people behind the scenes. But when life starts imitating art, they all face a choice. How long can they keep going before it's time to change the channel?

'Simply unputdownable' Guardian

'Hilarious' Daily Telegraph

'Highly entertaining' Sunday Times

'Warm, funny, touching . . . winningly perceptive about human relationships and changing social trends' Daily Telegraph

'Like all Hornby's best work, it is both hugely enjoyable and deceptively artful' Spectator

'A beguiling, thoroughly enjoyable read' Sunday Times

'Hugely enjoyable' Sunday Mirror

'Resolutely, winningly light-hearted' Observer

'Hornby's sunniest novel' Metro

©2014 Nick Hornby (P)2014 Penguin Audio

 Literature & Fiction Women's Fiction Comedy Heartfelt Funny

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Critic reviews

Highly entertaining . . . a beguiling, thoroughly enjoyable read
Simply unputdownable
Warm, funny, touching . . . winningly perceptive about human relationships and changing social trends
So simple, so easy to read and yet so sensitive and profound at the same time. This is a world that feels real and one you don't want to leave
Like all Hornby's best work, it is both hugely enjoyable and deceptively artful
Everything Hornby writes is addictively readable and clever, but with Funny Girl he has surpassed himself
Hornby's sunniest novel
Nick Hornby is pretty much always poignant and hilarious
All stars
Most relevant
Didn’t match up to the reviews or summary. Very disappointing as was expensive and I just can’t listen to any more….

Couldn’t finish…

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What did you like most about Funny Girl?

Certainly not the narration!

Probably the banter which Barbara shared with the sitcom writers, director and actors. That added real humour.

I also appreciated all the details and locations in London and it brought back some lovely memories when I spoke to my parents about this.

What other book might you compare Funny Girl to, and why?

Rather unique really.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Couldn't really engage with the narrator. Despite thoroughly enjoying this book the lack of feeling and emotion from the narrator dragged this one down. Towards the end my attention was wandering.. Didn't do justice to a great book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Sadly not.

Any additional comments?

For me this didn't quite hit the mark and this was purely due to the performance and delivery.

Magical story - poor narration,

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Not going to change the future of mankind but this was a nice story and a getaway from the blood and gore of the last book I listened to

Back to form

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Excellent vocal performance of a very entertaining book. Not his finest work by any means but as ever it's warm, sharp and insightful. The amazing Nick Hornby conveys incredible personality complexity from such a wide range of characters. it's truly impressive.
For me, it nearly loses something of its early charm towards the end but manages to wrestle it back just in time.
I'm genuinely never disappointed with any book by nick hornby. There's a consistency so assured that I know I'll enjoy it irrespective of any interest in the subject matter or character type.
Recommended

Top half

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I very entertaining listen from Mr Hornby, the story line rang like an autobiography, so much so I had to google it to make sure, The character were real and engaging, and very well read, highly recommended

So good I thought it was true

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