Close Range: Wyoming Stories by
Annie Proulx
Worth Every Penny, And Worth The Wait
Pulitzer Prize-winner E. Annie Proulx forays through the underside of
Americas beloved Wild West in Close Range, a collection of stories about
hardship and more hardship in Wyoming territory. Understanding that the
Wests infinite spaces tended to inspire neither introspection nor
contemplation, but a violent and insatiable restlessness, Proulxs eight
stories are dark reflections on the lives of a handful of characters striving
to define themselves against the unforgiving landscapes. The three
professional actors chosen to read the text give strong, resounding
interpretations of the macabre tales. (Running time: 6 hours, 4 cassettes) -
-Natasha Senjanovich
Personal Review: Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie
Proulx
I ordered this book after watching "Brokeback Mountain" for the umpteenth
time (I am an athiest conservative, but hold nothing against homosexuality
whatsoever.) So I bought that book, then Close Range which I cannot put
down!
I just got back from Wyoming last week, taking a gastrointestinal route of
that state (the entire interior.) Sure wish I'd read the book first, the people
in the state I would have paid more attention to. I did go to Ucross which
Proulx loves and where she wrote Brokeback; some areasof Ucross were
scouted as settings for Brokeback. I can see why anyone would love that
place.I sat in the road on a perfect morning while a cattle drive crossed,
then drove slowly on the road with the cattle close enough to touch,
impressed by the young "cowkids" driving the herd. Heady! However, like
Proulx, the winters make me shy away from ever living there (miles and
miles of snow fences bear testimony about winter!)
Proulx's metaphors, similies, descriptions are genius. Such as cigar
shaped clouds over a mountain and the moon coming up under a cloud
wearing a toupee. You say to yourself, why didn't I see that? And then you
start looking at nature and the world more intensely, as Proulx does.
Like others, I had trouble understanding some sentences, couldn't figure
out what the ancient cowboy/rancher jargon meant, even though I live in
Nevada cow country. Some sentences I had no idea what she meant. But
95% of the book is magnificent prose and narrative. Beginner writers, use
this woman to learn from.
Not only does she produce great writing, the big point of writing is
producing a book you simply cannot put down. I am addicted to Proulx and
am in the process of scarfing up all her books.
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