Unabridged Audiobook
Annie Proulx is an incredibly talented writer. She literally paints pictures with words. That being said, I did not enjoy this book. The stories are very dark. Don't look for happy endings. Don't look for likable characters. I did like two of the stories in the book. Brokeback Mountain was a sad story, but I was prepared for it, having seen the movie. The Blood Bay is the best story in the book, and actually made me laugh. I was not familiar with the folk tale on which it is based. I appreciated The Mud Below because Ms. Proulx portrayed a vivid picture of a rodeo rider. That's about it. During my two brief visits to Wyoming, I spoke to some friendly people at a museum, the motel I stayed at, and the restaurants I ate in. None of them or anybody like them will be found in this book. As to the audio, maybe it was me, but the stories were not narrated in the order they appear in my kindle or softcover versions, and two or three of the stories appear not to be on the audio at all. As to the stories that are on the audio, which I think claims to be complete, all three narrators are excellent, doing good voices to their characters, and acting their roles well. If you like dark western tales with sad or somber endings, expertly crafted with excellent writing, this book is for you. If you like your westerns with heroic characters and happy endings avoid this book.
~~tag-text~~