▁queen . ▁She ▁heads ▁for ▁London , ▁determined ▁to ▁make ▁her ▁mark ▁as ▁a ▁television ▁com ed ian , ▁inspired ▁by ▁her ▁id ol ▁Luc ille ▁Ball . ▁After ▁finding ▁a ▁job ▁on ▁a ▁cos met ics ▁counter ▁in ▁a ▁London ▁department ▁store , ▁she ▁meets ▁a ▁the atr ical ▁agent , ▁Brian ▁D eben ham , ▁who ▁finds ▁her ▁an ▁aud ition ▁for ▁a ▁television ▁sit com ▁pilot ▁based ▁around ▁the ▁domestic ▁life ▁of ▁a ▁newly wed ▁couple . ▁T aking ▁the ▁name ▁Soph ie ▁St raw , ▁she ▁becomes ▁a ▁star ▁thanks ▁to ▁the ▁leading ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁fiction ▁Barbara ▁( and ▁Jim ). ▁ ▁Re ception ▁The ▁Guardian ▁pra ised ▁the ▁consist ency ▁of ▁the ▁light heart ed ▁tone ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁with ▁the ▁style ▁of ▁British ▁comedy ▁television ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁which ▁Horn by ▁def ends ▁resol utely . ▁Similarly , ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁comments ▁posit ively ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁the ▁author ▁towards ▁pop ▁culture , ▁defining ▁Horn by ▁" comp et ent ▁and ▁hum ane ". ▁The ▁Independent ▁critic ized ▁the ▁change ▁of ▁focus ▁in ▁the ▁novel , ▁stating : ▁"[ ...] ▁it ' s ▁a ▁shame ▁that ▁Horn by ▁ab and ons ▁his ▁fun ny ▁girl ▁half way ▁through ▁for ▁more ▁of ▁his ▁ha pl ess ▁men ." ▁ ▁Both ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁and ▁the ▁Library ▁Journal ▁report ▁a ▁level ▁of ▁flat ness ▁in ▁the ▁writing . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁Fun ny ▁Girl ▁at ▁Nick ▁Horn by