Brokeback Mountain
Ratings91
Average rating3.8
"Jack, I swear--"
this line gets me every time.
add The Wings by Gustavo Santaolalla to the mix and i'm crying my heart out.
I decided to read the original story to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Brokeback Mountain (the movie). And yes, I do feel old while typing this.
Proulx’s writing is sparse, but very captivating. The story keeps moving forward and intensifies every page. So much is said, with so little words. The plot is as amazing as I know from the movie.
And there lies the issue, because knowing the movie did ruin the experience for me. I’m really impressed by how the movie captured the essence of this short story, but it used almost every little detail from the book to get there. Everything is literally on these pages: iconic dialogues, scene descriptions, deep character work, emotions, …
The story of Ennis and Jack will always have a place in my mind and heart, but the movie is just a too perfect adaption of this little book.
+1 star for: “i wish i knew how to quit you” UGH reading it hurts way more than watching it
Book Review: Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Annie Proulx's “Brokeback Mountain” is a profoundly moving and beautifully written short story that leaves a lasting impact. Despite its brevity, the novel packs an emotional punch, capturing the deep and often tragic love between its two protagonists. The story is incredibly sad, and it resonated deeply with me, making me cry three separate times. The authenticity and raw emotion in Proulx's writing make it clear that this could have been a true story for many individuals, adding to the poignancy of the narrative. Reading “Brokeback Mountain” without having seen the movie meant the ending came as a surprise, which only heightened the emotional experience. The sense of loss and yearning is palpable, yet I find solace in believing that, in another life, these characters found each other again. Proulx's ability to convey such a powerful story in so few pages is a testament to her skill as a writer. “Brokeback Mountain” is a beautifully written and heart-wrenching read, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a deeply emotional and unforgettable story.
I picked this one up upon my daughter's recommendation. She read it in grad school recently and extolled the virtues of its stark, descriptive prose. It is 55 pages and yet tells an absolutely devastating story of forbidden love. I haven't seen the movie- of course I will now, having read this incredible work. I had an ulterior motive- I also knew it would fit one of my #52booksin52weeks prompts- Under 200 pages- check. brilliant, powerful storytelling- check. This is the gold standard of short stories.
I feel a bit like a philistine when it comes to “[b:Brokeback Mountain 1627 Brokeback Mountain Annie Proulx https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442919969l/1627.SY75.jpg 1795113]”: The relationship between the two farm hands, Ennis and Jack, made sense to me and felt real. Sadly, both the story this short story tells as well as the style in which it is told, fall somewhat flat for me.[a:Annie Proulx 1262010 Annie Proulx https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1219720509p2/1262010.jpg] laconically and unemotionally narrates her story and while there are some powerful scenes (the shirts...), I cannot help but feel that some of this story's potential hasn't been fulfilled.I'm late to to read this, though: First published in 1997 and the narrated time starting quite a bit earlier, western societies at least are changing: We're still farther from true equality than I had would have hoped for but at least in my native Germany, we're making progress:With Nyke Slawik und Tessa Ganserer we have two openly transgender people elected to the German parliament, the Bundestag.And there are more members of the German parliament who give me hope that the times of “tire irons” are over. If you're interested, read about Armand Zorn, Lamya Kaddor, Kassem Taher Saleh, Muhanad Al-Halak, Serap Güler, Ates Gürpinar (and my apologies in advance to those people whose names I've missed!).Three out of five stars for this novella.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam
I actually had a hard time reading this one, but it was quite short (novella, obv) so I finished it. I understand why it was such a sensation years ago. It was pretty sad.
Corta, concisa, directa al punto y capaz de hacerte sentir un poco de dolor por los personajes y la historia entre ellos.
Perfecta para leer de una sentada en una tarde donde lo que deseas es encontrarte con algo que no te imponga mucha mente, pero que te deje un buen recuerdo.
Story: 5.0 / 10
Characters: 6
Setting: 6
Prose: 4
Read this novella to prepare for the Story Grid Podcast's Masterwork Experiment.
Not recommended.
Why did I think this would be a good choice for my morning commute? Sweet baby Jesus! This was everything I remembered the movie to be and somehow more of a punch to the gut. I'm perpetually amazed at how a good writer can limn a whole lifetime of deeds and emotions in a few choice words. [a:Annie Proulx 1262010 Annie Proulx https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1219720509p2/1262010.jpg] is that kind of writer. As a bonus [a:Campbell Scott 251177 Campbell Scott https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] suffuses life into the characters of Ennis & Jack to point of making your heart bleed, reminding us he's a great actor. When Ennis says little darlin' I about bawled my eyes out on the train. It overshadows sheafs of ‘I love yous' in other stories. Is this a romance? Not in the genre sense. It is however a love story. A sad/tragic one given the state of who we are/have been as a species/society, but also touched by small moments of grace and companionship, which is all we ever wish for in the end.I'll definitely be doing this again and getting a print copy, just as soon as I recover.
Molto probabilmente ora mi toglierete dagli amici, scusatemi :')
Comunque non so, mi è sembrato un Harmony scadente scritto da una dodicenne :/ (ora sarei proprio curiosa di sapere che età aveva l'autrice lol)
Per quanto riguarda i dialoghi e lo svolgimento degli eventi (forse dipende dall'edizione che ho letto?) non mi hanno trasmesso nulla, probabilmente se ci avesse messo in mezzo la lista della spesa non me ne sarei accorta. Deludente!! :S
The prose felt so effortless, but incredibly sad and realistic. I ached for Ennis and Jack.
Beau, simple, sans fioritures, très brut à l'image des deux protagonistes. Une histoire d'amour qui va au delà de l'orientation sexuelle, touchante et triste à la fois.
