Having read The Shipping News I was keen to try something else by Annie Proulx. Close Range: Wyoming Stories is a completely different kettle of fish.
I was immediately struck by how hard, brutal, and coarse the stories are. Whilst this is undoubtedly a reflection of the subject matter, it would have been easy for Proulx to fail reflect that in her handling of the material. She certainly does not – and indeed in some places the harshness of the stories’ lexicon can bring you up short.
Perhaps this is nowhere more striking than in ‘Brokeback Mountain’.
Ian Gouge - Writer & Publisher 