The response to Close Range: Wyoming Stories and especially “Brokeback Mountain” was overwhelmingly positive. Dean Bakopoulos, in The Progressive, considers Close Range a “well-crafted collection” claiming, “this is powerful fiction, and somehow Proulx manages to give each story the plot, depth of character, sense of setting, and thematic weight of an entire novel.” Rita D. Jacobs in an article for World Literature Today praises the collection's “luscious prose” and “evocative descriptions” that make “a strong impression” on the reader.

A reviewer for Publishers Weekly considers the book a “breathtaking compilation of Proulx's short fiction” that contains “an amazing, exhilarating range of mood, atmosphere and theme. Every one boasts prose that is smart, lively and fused with laconic poetry” and “her dexterity with striking images creates delights on every page.” The reviewer claims that her stories are “focused by an immaculate eye and ear” and “every detail...