Book Review: Brokeback Mountain

 

Brokeback Mountain, Annie Proulx

My rating: 3/5

2021 TBR: 6/25

 

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is set in the beautiful, wild landscape of Wyoming thirty years ago where cowboys lives as they had done for generations. Hard, lonely lives in unforgiving country. Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar are two ranch hands – ‘drop out country boys with no prospects, brought up to hard work and privation, both rough-mannered, tough spoken’ – glad to have found each other’s company where none had been expected. But companionship becomes something else on Brokeback Mountain, something not looked for, something deadly.

 

I didn’t even realise this story was in prose. I’ve seen the film, years ago, and now then I found a tiny copy of the short story and here we are. It’s 58 pages of large writing – I read it in less than an afternoon.

Brokeback Mountain (1997) is a short story by Annie Proulx, originally published in The New Yorker, set in the countryside of Wyoming. Our story revolves around ranch hands Jack and Ennis, and their companionship.

 

Proulx writes the story in a very matter-of-fact way. She describes things as the occur, in an unintrusive omniscient narration. Proulx sets up our world, and effectively portrays the harsh, hostile landscape of the Wyoming mountains, and this reflects the unemotive voice that tells us of it.

The lack of emotion in the voice reflects the setting, and the way of life of the people that live there. Straight to the point, living means surviving, you just have to get on with it. Although this can feel odd to read at times, and can feel very cold, not quite passive but almost, it does work well with the story to create the emotion and the bond set up between our two protagonists.

I think it’s actually very impressive that Proulx still manages to portray the deep bond and desire between the two men in such a short story. The matter of fact narration doesn’t add any extra flair to the description of Jack and Ennis’ relationship, but in being so direct we just simply learn that the two of them are, in fact, inseparable.

 

We hear stories of their family lives when they see each other. The divide between their family lives and their lives together is so clear cut. The story is focalised on Ennis, so we hear more about his family through the narration, but we only hear Jack’s when he tells Ennis about it. This so clearly shows their own internal struggles between who they want to be with, and who they have to be.

The story is heart wrenching. The physical discomfort in the way the two act when apart is so interesting. The first time they’re apart after Brokeback, Ennis immediately feels the need to throw up. That kind of visceral element is so striking in portraying their connection. In that summer, a bond for life is made, and when it’s taken away, Ennis’ body doesn’t know how to react. This is shown so well in the film too.

 

It feels weird to count this as a book I’ve read this year, because it really was just so short. I reckon it took me less than an hour to read. It’s really well written, and I think the movie is an excellent adaptation. I did read it though, and it was book number 6 out of 25.

I’m giving it three stars because it is really well done, but it’s shortness – though excellent as a short story – means you can’t grip your teeth into these characters in quite the same way as in novel form. I do think this is also due to the way the characters are themselves. Even in navigating this world-altering relationship-love-bond-connection they are repressed and passive and awkward about it. It makes sense that they are, it’s just something notable. In this way, the shortness of the story actually compliments this. If the story was in novel length, we’d probably be frustrated by how little emotion the characters provide. They reserve their emotion for each other, and that’s just the way it’s meant to be.

 

I love this story and think it’s a very important one. I’d definitely recommend it – especially if you’re looking for something short that you can read quickly!

As always you can follow along the reading adventure on Instagram @artawaytheworld and I occasionally post reading related vlogs over on YouTube: Ellen Victoria.

 

Ellen Victoria