Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx (review)

b o o k r e v ie w s ______ Close Range: W yoming Stories. By A n n ie P r o u lx . N e w Y o r k : Sim o n & Sc h u st e r , 2 0 0 0 . 2 8 5 p a g e s, $ 1 3 .0 0 . R e v ie w e d by H al Crim m el Gustavu s Adolph us College, St. Peter, M in n esota Pulitzer Prize w in n er A n n ie P rou lx’s fifth b ook , Close R an ge: W y om in g Stories, is a st u n n in g co lle c t io n o f e le v en sh or t st or ie s ab o u t t h e h ar d ed ge o f W yom in g life. U n lik e G r et e l Eh r lich ’s 1987 co llect ion T h e Solace o f O p en Sp aces, w h ich pays lyrical tribu te t o life o n th e ran ge, t h e r om an ce o f o p en cou n try d oes n ot d ist ract P rou lx from h er flin ty-eyed view o f ru ral W yom in g life. T h r ou gh th e t h em e s o f loss, despair, an d resilien ce, C lose R an ge d elivers an u n sen t im en t al look at p eop le an d p lace t h at w ill p rovok e t h ou gh tfu l read ­ ers at every step. T h e stories, w ith th eir ru in ou s lu st an d q u ick violen ce, t est th e read er’s ap p e tit e for t h e grotesqu e. P r ou lx’s d ark ch ar acter s are n ecro p h ilic ran ch ers M art i Esplin . B IR D B O O K . 1997. M ixe d m ed ia. 10" x 7.5". BOOK REVI EWS 321 an d e n viro n m en t alist s w h o bu y u n d erage In d ian girls for a w eek en d o f p le a ­ sure. T h e y are w h orish rod eo grou pies lo ok in g for r om an ce, m an ip u lat ive tatt oo-covered drifters, disfigu red exh ibit ion ists, an d cru d e w om an izers. P rou lx also in tr o d u ce s us t o failed en tr ep re n eu rs an d p ar t -t im e w ait resses, rod eo rid ers an d sh eep h erd ers, all tryin g t o w rin g fu lfillm en t from h ard sh ip . D an gerou sly careless w ith th eir lives an d th ose o f oth ers, th ese ch aract ers are d istu rb in g yet com p ellin g. “T h e M u d Below ” is a grip p in g accou n t o f th e p rofession al rod eo circu it ’s ab u sive grin d, w ith its b on e- cru sh in g in ju ries, “b u ck le b u n n ies,” an d all-n igh t drives. Bu t it is m ain ch ar acter D iam o n d Felts’s dark com p u lsion t o ride t h at gives th e story its pow er. Felts is ad d icted t o th e ru sh o f bu llridin g, w h ich sh oo ts h im “m ain lin e w ith crazy-ass e latio n ” (6 7 ). Fam ily, frien...