Sophie, nee Barbara, grew up in Blackpool with her father. Her mother ran away with another man when she was young and it wasn’t long before she came to idolize Lucille Ball and I Love Lucy. Everything she did took her one step closer out of the stifling seaside town. Her first few months in London were disheartening and she had started considering actually giving up and going back when she met the man who would become her agent. When she auditions one day for a BBC Sunday Comedy Playhouse episode, she finds kindred spirits in Dennis, Tony, Bill and Clive. And the rest, as they say, is history.
I found myself dithering on whether to give this 3 or 4 stars. 3 and a half maybe? See, it’s not that the book was badly written or boring or in some other readerly way offensive. I spent an amiable afternoon and evening on the couch with a cat, a glass (or four) of wine and this book. I was entertained and engaged, whisked away to London in the Swingin’ Sixties as Barbara transformed into Sophie Straw, the new comedic It Girl. It’s just that now, three days later, I am having trouble conjuring up any real emotion about the whole thing (except for the wine, which was a birthday gift from a friend. That was splendid). The people did and said things, many of them amusing or insightful but I can’t say I will ever think about it again once this review is done. Do with that what you will.
I know that the book is light entertainment, but I also thought that it was in itself a defense of light entertainment, which gave it some resonance with me. I’m admittedly in the tank for Nick Hornby though.
I really liked Sophie Straw (is there a British Blake Lively available for the film version?) and the writers too. It might not have staying power but I thoroughly enjoyed it.