Dec 26, 2009

The Half-Skinned Steer | Critical Overview

E. Annie Proulx’s ‘‘The Half-Skinned Steer’’ and Close Range: Wyoming Stories have received mostly good reviews from critics. The reviewer for Kirkus Reviews notes that the story is one of two in the collection that particularly displays ‘‘Proulx’s trademark whipsaw wit and raw, lusty language.’’ Likewise, in his article for Progressive, Dean Bakopoulos calls the story ‘‘one of the highlights of this wellcrafted collection’’ and says that the tale ‘‘sets up all the themes that dominate this volume: The struggle of hope against nature,...