--- product_id: 23680171 title: "Funny Girl: A Novel" brand: "nick hornby" price: "€ 35.21" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.de/products/23680171-funny-girl-a-novel store_origin: DE region: Germany --- # Funny Girl: A Novel **Brand:** nick hornby **Price:** € 35.21 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Funny Girl: A Novel by nick hornby - **How much does it cost?** € 35.21 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.de](https://www.desertcart.de/products/23680171-funny-girl-a-novel) ## Best For - nick hornby enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted nick hornby brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![Funny Girl: A Novel - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ddmEs9eBL.jpg) ![Funny Girl: A Novel - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31R7IyCYMIL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐ More like an outline than a novel. *by B***A on Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2015* I'm a big fan of some of Nick Hornby's past works, I've always loved the way he could bring what could be a one dimensional character to life. He made potentially dull stereotypes into interesting people, and told their stories in charming and respectful ways. But here, he takes characters that should be fascinating, and makes them completely boring. Written in a strangely removed, journalistic style, the reader is not allowed to know what makes these characters tick, and by the time you're halfway through, you won't even care. Half the characters are so interchangeable, you have to keep turning to the blurb on the book flap to remind yourself who's who, and the main character is so one dimensional, we only know she's fun and funny because the author keeps telling us she is. He never shows so much as a glimpse of it. That's writing 101- show, don't tell. All this book does is tell, and it's a real disappointment. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Lots of frosting, but very little cake... *by J***N on Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2015* There's a lot to like about "Funny Girl". It's a charming, breezy backstage story about an independent young woman in the early sixties making her way in the world of television comedy. The subject alone is enough to sell me, plus Hornby perfectly captures the nostalgic details of the time period, pairing them with the struggles of a younger generation shedding their innocence and past restrictions to the frustration of the generation before.And yet, halfway through the book I began to realize that charm and nostalgia will get you just so far, and I worried there wasn't enough depth or conflict to sustain me to the last page. Worries that soon proved themselves valid.A lot of the responsibility for this lies with our heroine, the aforementioned "funny girl". Her name's Barbara, soon to become Sophie, and...1. She's gorgeous- you will read a lot about this in a lot of ways. .2. Every one loves her- you will also read a lot about this, in the form of characters (mostly men)thinking how bewitching she is.3. She's very talented and focused on her craft.4. She's nobody's fool.And...there's not much else to her really. Part of the charm of a character who wants to be funny rather than beautiful is the implication that while others are focused on surface and beauty, she cares about making people laugh, giving them joy in their struggles, answering a call to something more meaningful. And yet, Sophie is mostly surface, and seems just fine with that. And so are all the men bewitched by her. And no, this is presented with a sense of irony or a peek at another time, but instead one gets the sense that the writer himself is in love with Sophie and needs her to be nothing more than pretty and agreeable. But readers may want more. And they may find a growing distaste for a character who is not only shallow, but pretty cavalier about dating married men and struggles very little to achieve her dreams before they are plopped down before her (presumably because of points 1-4 above) completely depriving the reader of any chance to empathize with her.Interestingly enough, one of the main issues the book seems to address is whether or not entertainment needs to be relevant and somewhat thorny to have true value. But it's the men in the story who wrestle with this question. Sophie is merely their muse. The Princess they all swarm around and whose favor they fight to win. As a result, each character has a kind of mini-climax, and a minor arc, because all the weight is spread amongst them rather than giving the heft to the person who should have it, Sophie. When Sophie's climax does come it drops in with all the foreshadowing and impact of a sun shower.Maybe the movie adaptation will work better (indeed, much of this book is structured in such a way that it feels like an easy reformat and a capable actress may be able to provide the depth that Hornby doesn't) but while "Funny Girl" is a wonderful piece of nostalgic escapism, reading it is akin to eating a lovely looking piece of candy, the filling of which is mostly air. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A blast from the past! *by V***N on Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2015* For me, this really was a blast from the past. I suppose it is helpful to have been in one's twenties in the 1960's, and also to have worked in television at the same time. Luckily for Nick Hornby I worked for Granada television in Manchester between 1964 and 1969 and totally related to the premise of this book. Having been around and dated vain actors, and observed bearded, bespectacled writers (Vince Powell, Jack Rosenthal, et al) in the studio canteen - I absolutely felt at home as I read this wonderful book. Yes, it is dated - but it's supposed to be. I quite liked the pace of the book and how we were able to see Sophie and Clive in 2014 - still alive, still wanting to work, still attractive older people - just like me and many of my contemporaries from that era.Barbara/Sophie's rise to stardom seemed inordinately fast, but I guess those things did happen in the past. Usually, actresses climbed the ladder of hard work to success - and beauty was not necessarily all one needed to become a superstar -- but this is a book, and I must say I enjoyed every page. I have just finished the lengthy and beautifully written epic, "Shantaram which, although stunningly written took forever to get through. Conversely, Funny Girl was a jolly romp, delivering nostalgic memories of a time when television and theater were coming into their own after the bleakness and prudishness of the fifties. I must say I would have liked to have read more about Sophie and Dennis's marriage - the jump forwqrd in time took me by surprise, but all in all it was a good read. I look forward to more of Mr. Hornby's work and thank him for this amusing, yet telling, look into television and theater as it was back in the day. Valerie Byron - author of "No Ordinary Woman": --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.de/products/23680171-funny-girl-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.de/products/23680171-funny-girl-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Germany* *Store origin: DE* *Last updated: 2026-04-24*