Bad Dirt: Wyoming Stories 2
by Annie Proulx
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Book Summary Information
Author: Annie ProulxEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-09-20
ISBN: 0743260147
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Scribner
Book Reviews of Bad Dirt: Wyoming Stories 2
Book Review: Proulx Lite with a Dash of Grimm
Summary: 4 Stars
Proulx's "Bad Dirt" captures the size, dryness and dust-blown reality of the Wyoming setting and throws a range of modern-day characters into the scene, complete with (her signature) odd names and even odder behavior. There are good guys and bad guys, heroes and protagonists. And in case the reader gets bored with things, she throws in a few fables to keep things interesting - something I had not seen in previous work.
While this book is not as realistic as the first in the trilogy, it makes up for that fact with more colorful writing and more desperate situations. I was reminded of Proulx's "Postcards" in many of the stories, the writing has that same isolated, haunting tone. Proulx knows what it's like to live on a wind-blown prairie or a rocky scrub. She also reads human behavior well and is a keen observer. Taking both of these ingredients and carefully paring them down to their most salient elements is what she does best. The writing is spare and the dialogue even more so.
One can't help but also sense of Proulx's own personality, dislikes and likes. Careful reading between the lines shows that while she respects many Wyoming residents' livelihood and history, she also knows it may be best to keep them at an arm's length. Her penchant for wacky names, laundry lists and spare dialogue show a peculiar - if not interesting - take on life and it's one that this reviewer finds intriguing enough to come back for more.
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(The following review is for "Just Fine the Way It Is", the last of the three Wyoming Stories. Amazon will not allow my review to appear on the actual product page, stating I bought them as a set and cannot review them separately, even though this is not the case, I bought each as a separate purchase)
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While still excellent writing, of the three books which make up the series "Wyoming Stories", this is easily the least cohesive and suffers from a few Twain-esque additions which mark an odd departure from the whole.
Most of the stories are standard Proulx fare; evocative, timely and unique. I was particularly drawn to the final novelete, "Tits Up in a Ditch" because it covered the most ground and encompassed 3 generations of the Listers, a ranch family of lower economics and backward ways, making them both embarrassing and endearing. Another gem is "Testimony of the Donkey", which reveals the writer's own pith through the character of Catlin, a fiercely independent, modern boheme, who shows us that independent traits can be both rewarding and deadly.
When Proulx stumbles, she does so with flair. "I've Always Loved This Place" and "Swamp Mischief" are both stories featuring the Devil, and - while interesting and slightly humorous to read - are both polished coal in an otherwise unique collection of fine stones. They're good efforts, but Mark Twain she ain't. As well, "Deep-Blood-Greasy-Bowl" lopes in to paleo-historic territory and diverges into a writing meter that didn't hold my interest as well as Proulx's familiar, homespun style. When I buy Proulx, I expect Proulx.
These low points don't exactly ruin the whole, but they dent a good fender on the vehicle which Proulx drives beautifully around her beloved state of Wyoming.
Summary of Bad Dirt: Wyoming Stories 2
Annie Proulx's new collection is peopled by characters who struggle with circumstances beyond their control. Born to ranching, drawn to it, or desperate to get out, they inhabit worlds that are isolated and often dangerous. Trouble comes at them from unexpected angles, and they drive themselves through it, hardheaded and resourceful. No one writes better than Proulx about the American west and about lives that may no longer be viable. This is a stunning collection by one of the most vivid and exhilarating writers of our time.Short Stories Books
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