Funny Girl: A Novel by Nick Hornby A 15-minute Summary & Analysis Preview: Funny Girl is a novel by writer Nick Hornby set in Blackpool, England in 1964. It tells the story of twenty-one year old Barbara Parker, a beautiful blonde, who wants to become a comedic actress like Lucille Ball. Barbara wins the Miss Blackpool beauty pageant. Barbara wants more than anything to get out of Blackpool. When she realizes the title of Miss Blackpool commits her to a year of hospital visits and charity eve