Close Range

Annie Proulx

I finished this collection about a month ago - been meaning to write a review but didn't quite get round to it. It is a good collection. The stories are all set in Wyoming and she does an excellent job in conveying the landscape and the people that inhabit it. The people live grim lives filled only with unending cycles of hard work. But in doing so, Proulx shows us the determination and the grit in these people, carrying on despite all odds. People who know the land, work it and love it. She writes very good dialogue and manages to bring across the local inflections and conversational habits and you think that yes, this must be how Wyoming people speak. I thought the last story was the best of all - a story of two cowboys who find friendship and love in an unexpected way. It's beautifully told, poignant and elegant. I think the entire collection was worth it for that last story alone.