Real Life: Stories by Sharon Butala (review)

Bo o k R e v ie w s R e a l L if e : S t o r ie s. By Sh a r o n Bu t a la . Toron to: H arp erCollin s, 2002. 183 pages, $28.00. R e v ie w e d b y M e g a n R ile y M c G i lc h r is t Un iversity o f Derby, U n ited Kin gdom Life in an u n for givin g lan d scap e, am o n g t h e r elen tless r ealities o f d eath , d isease, v io len ce, p ain , an d loss, is t h e su b ject o f Sh ar o n Bu t ala’s m ost r ecen t co lle ct io n o f sh or t stories. En d u r an ce h as lo n g b e e n a t h em e o f w estern w rit­ in g an d exp er ien ce, an d Bu t ala’s st or ies tak e t h is t h em e from t h e w ild p lace s o f Sask at ch e w an t o t h e literary an d ar tistic salo n s o f T or on t o. T h e d ar k est st o ­ ries in t h is co llect io n are set in th e cou n try, b u t th e city set tin gs ar e fu ll o f r an ­ d o m cru elties, casu al bru tality, an d h id d en vio len ce. C it y p eo p le w h o v en tu re in to t h e d en se, eerie op en n ess o f t h e n or th er n p rairies d o so t o escap e e m o ­ t ion al trau m as b u t fin d th em selv es in a w orld w h ere th e sh eer p h y sical reality o f t h e p lace is t rau m at ic in itself. C o u n t r y p e o p le fin d t h em selv es w ou n d ed by t h e casu al callou sn ess o f th e city. R u b y A r an gu iz. M A C A R E N A R E A D IN G . 1979. P astel o n paper. 20" x 26". G alle ry 3 57 , Lagu n a Be ach , C alifo r n ia. M ar sh all G alle ries, H en d er son , N e v ad a. C o u rt esy o f t h e artist, r ar an gu iz@ ad elp h ia.n et . B o o k R e v ie w s 1 2 3 A ll b ad t h in gs h ap p en in w in ter in th ese stories. A n d w in ter is b ru tal in Bu t ala’s C an ad a. In “T h ie f o f So u ls,” a t e ach er ab an d o n s t h e city after h er h u sb an d ’s d eath , seek in g o b liv io n in a r em ote n or th er n set tlem e n t . H er e a grou p o f r eligiou s fu n d am en t alist s p r ed ict th e en d o f t h e w orld, an d a b lin d in g sn ow ­ stor m presages t h e even t . “N ig h t C la ss” r eveals th e life- th r eat en in...