The New Yorker has published ANOTHER new Annie Proulx story ***SPOILERS***

[Jeff Wrangler]

Spoilers:

Well, over lunch today I finally got round to reading "Tits-Up in a Ditch," and I really enjoyed it, even when the story turned tragic.

I had a really good laugh over the part where Bonita thought about poisoning Verl, but then gave up the idea because they had no insurance for her to collect. 

I think I saw a faint echo of Jack in the description of the young Verl. 

[MaineWriter]

SPOILERS



I "sorta" read it yesterday. "Sorta" read it means I skipped around and then read the end carefully, which means I had to go back and read the beginning, but then I breezed through that because it wasn't that interesting which is why I was skimming it in the first place.

But once again, at the end we have a woman without an arm, a man without half his body, and the baby squished by the truck. I mean, come on. Can't anyone ever have a half-way happy ending in Annie Proulx's world?

I have come to realize that BBM is the only thing of Annie's that I ever read that I enjoyed. And I am also realizing that if I hadn't seen the movie, I might not have liked the story so much. I read the story (the first time) just a few weeks before I saw the movie--not back in 1997 when it first came out. Somehow I think that if I read it in 1997 I might not have liked it so much...but I might be wrong on that.

L

[Front-Ranger]

SPOILERS
Can't anyone ever have a half-way happy ending in Annie Proulx's world?

Well, you have to give her credit for truth-in-advertising. That's what I would expect from a story called "Tits-up in a Ditch"!

[Jeff Wrangler]

I mean, come on. Can't anyone ever have a half-way happy ending in Annie Proulx's world?

Probably not. Does anyone have even a half-way happy ending in her novels? I've never read them but I'd be surprised. She just doesn't seem like a happy-ending kind of a writer. More like a "Life is a bitch and then you die" kind of writer.

[Clyde-B]

Probably not. Does anyone have even a half-way happy ending in her novels? I've never read them but I'd be surprised. She just doesn't seem like a happy-ending kind of a writer. More like a "Life is a bitch and then you die" kind of writer.

Yeah, she calls it getting pounded by the hammer of life.

In "The Wamsutter Wolf"  the protagonist survives intact and gets lucky, and I laughed out loud at the ending of "Trickle-Down Effect."

"55 Miles to the Gas Pump" is one of the most amazing stories I've ever read.   It's a Wyomingized retelling of the Bluebeard fairytale in only 273 words, but it feels so complete.

I'm not crazy about how she treats her characters, but I love to read her just to see how she does so much with so few words.  It fits my rather taciturn personality.    

 

[Jeff Wrangler]

It fits my rather taciturn personality.    

You don't say much, Clyde, but you get your point across. 

[Front-Ranger]

Yeah, she calls it getting pounded by the hammer of life.

In "The Wamsutter Wolf"  the protagonist survives intact and gets lucky, and I laughed out loud at the ending of "Trickle-Down Effect."

"55 Miles to the Gas Pump" is one of the most amazing stories I've ever read.   It's a Wyomingized retelling of the Bluebeard fairytale in only 273 words, but it feels so complete.
 

This makes me want to read more short stories by Proulx! I would also love to talk about some of Annie's other unforgettable characters. Personally, I love Loyal Blood and the horse-haunched woman, for starters. Can anyone name the works these people appeared in?

[southendmd]

"55 Miles to the Gas Pump" is one of the most amazing stories I've ever read.   It's a Wyomingized retelling of the Bluebeard fairytale in only 273 words, but it feels so complete.

I have to agree with you there, Clyde.  One of my favorites; it's only three sentences, but what sentences!

I love the reference to "blue paint" in the story, slyly reminding us of Bluebeard. 

I read an equally brief review:  "Bluebeard, writ redneck."

[Clyde-B]

You don't say much, Clyde, but you get your point across. 

Thank you, kind sir!   

I have to agree with you there, Clyde.  One of my favorites; it's only three sentences, but what sentences!

I love the reference to "blue paint" in the story, slyly reminding us of Bluebeard. 

I read an equally brief review:  "Bluebeard, writ redneck."

Great review! 

Her typically gruesome references to desiccated and moldy corpses and my favorite: "one wrapped in newspaper nipple to knee."
I love the alliteration!

This makes me want to read more short stories by Proulx! I would also love to talk about some of Annie's other unforgettable characters. Personally, I love Loyal Blood and the horse-haunched woman, for starters. Can anyone name the works these people appeared in?

Loyal Blood was in Postcards and the horse-haunched woman was in "The Half-Skinned Steer"   a short story in Close Range, the first book of Wyoming stories.  Did I understand your question right?

[Shakesthecoffecan]

I have to agree with you there, Clyde.  One of my favorites; it's only three sentences, but what sentences!

I love the reference to "blue paint" in the story, slyly reminding us of Bluebeard. 

I read an equally brief review:  "Bluebeard, writ redneck."

I read that one aloud to an acquaintence once as an example of Proulx's style and I think I scared them.