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Every once in a while, I finish reading a book, and I don’t know how to react. All I can say is, “Hmmm…” Show World was a Hmmm… Book for me. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t exactly love it, either.
Show World tells the story of Samantha Flint, an aspiring writer and recovering redneck who finds herself at an all-girl New England college. That’s where she meets Mimi, an abrasive New Yorker (and aspiring artist). The story covers the three main parts of Sam’s adult life —her college days and early post-college life with Mimi in New York City, her career as a Washington, D.C. staffer, and her life in Hollywood, which is divided between AA meetings and big Palm Springs parties.
I flew through Show World, for some reason. Barnhardt places his characters in fascinating situations, which is probably why I stayed up much later than I should have, reading “just a couple more pages.” But, in the end, as I finished the last page and closed the book, I didn’t exclaim, “What a great book!” Instead, I just said, “Hmmm…”
Show World is a captivating book. Barnhardt creates interesting (though somewhat far-fetched) characters, and his smooth style makes it easy on the reader. But while the book may be seen as somewhat motivational—in a don’t-let-this-happen-to-you sort of way—when it all comes down to it, it’s just plain depressing. Interesting, yes. But depressing. I guess that made it just a bit of a let-down for me.
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