The magnificent Annie Proulx adds to her legend with wonderful stories about Wyoming and cowboys and the grit and determination it takes to live in such a harsh glorious place. I absolutely bow down to her....her characterizations are flawless, her prose swift and sure, and her sense of place truly spectacular. There's not one false note anywhere within her stories..and each one could easily have been expanded into a novel itself. My favorite has to be the last story in the book...Brokeback Mountain..it's heartbreaking and stirring and an instant classic. This hardback version includes six watercolors that were created especially for the stories.

It's time for a bookring!

Players:

1) itsmejudy- Australia

2) Karinalyssa- Montreal, Canada

3) Shyann- Oakdale, Ca

4) Juliebarreto- Kamuela, Hi

5) Caligula03- Pacifica, Ca

and home to me! Enjoy!

Released on Friday, January 23, 2004 at Mailed to a fellow Bookcrosser in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

on it's way to the first person on our list...I am sending it slow mail...it'll get there eventually!

I received this book today which was perfect timing as I have just finished a book and was wondering what to read next. The book is a great looking book, nice hard back with some "old fashioned" pictures. I am looking forward to reading it. Will start it tomorrow and send it on to the next person on the list as soon as possible.

Unfortunately it has taken me longer to read this book than I thought it would and I apologise to the fellow bookcrosser that I am sending it on to. Annie Proulx certainly knows how to get into the soul of the people she writes about. As an Australian it was interesting reading and a great chance to compare notes on farm life. A good read. Am sending this on to a fellow bookcrosser in Canada, enjoy.

I thought I had received a gift in the mail from Australia and it was because Judy sent me Close Range: Wyoming stories. I'll start in 2 weeks, since I received another book from a ray. But it looks great thanks brookhavn for giving me the chance to read it.

UPDATE
I know it's been a while since I received this book, but I received 2 other rings at the same time and I was finishing my first year of college. I'm almost finished and should send this book, by the end of this week to Shy Ann. Sorry again

I must apologize once again for taking that much time to read the book. I hope you'll forgive me, but I stated most of my reasons in the other journal.

I had always wanted to read Annie Proulx because of the Shipping News, but I had been told that it was rather difficult to get into her world, so I thought short stories would be the best. Being a city girl, Wyoming, the farms and the life there don't really touch something. For me, it was like in a movie. I didn't feel anything most of the time except that I was glad I wasn't born in Wyoming.

On the plus side, I love her style. It's simple and complex at the same time, I really think that she knows the farm-life. The descriptions were great and in some stories, I could feel in a farm, but they ended and I had to enter into an other world altogether. Some stories touched me more than others, but overall I think it is a good book, although I haven't really enjoyed it.

I'm sending it off to Caligula03, because ShyAnn's no longer in the ring and that I can't send this book to Hawai, it's a lot more expensive to send there than California. Thank you a lot Brookhavn for letting me explore and enter a bit Annie Proulx's world by this book.

The book arrived safe and sound. I will read it as soon as I can. :)

Proulx's style of writing takes some getting used to. I was hoping to enjoy these stories as much as I had enjoyed Accordian Crimes but after a while the stories all started to sound the same to me. She seems to delight in taking a small moment in time (the six seconds to ride a bull at a rodeo) and expand that moment of time out with lots of internal monologue and flash back. While these techniques can be great tools for character development she just doesn't manage much of that in these stories leaving all the stories to bleed together like one disjointed stream of conciousness account of Wyoming.

Release planned for Saturday, August 21, 2004 at Brookhavn in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

Mailing on Saturday.

I received this back to me quite some time ago and with all the turmoil in my life quite forgot to journal that it had come back home. My apologies and thanks to everyone for participating.