Review of "Brokeback Mountain"

So I read this one by Annie Proulx. And cried. And cried. And cried. My advice to you; watch the movie first. Okay formal review:

I picked up this novella from the shelf off of the library after seeing the movie and read it in about ten minutes. To be completely honest, I thought the movie was much better than the novella because there was more character development all around but I still enjoyed the book. In a bittersweet my-heart-hurts-forever kind of way.

Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar were two gruff, dare-I-say manly cowboys who fell in love. And that’s basically everything that happens in this novella but it’s so heartbreakingly beautiful. The reason that I thought it was such a great story was because it didn’t matter that the people who fell in love were two men, it didn’t matter that they were breaking taboos, it didn’t matter whether they were gay, straight, bi or whatever else, they fell in love and it was a wonderful love. This story goes to show that love isn’t something that can be controlled by anyone; it happens whether you want it to or not.

Jack and Ennis didn’t start off liking men, and I doubt that either one of them was gay even by the end. They simply fell in love and it didn’t matter about anything else. The plot is just that and it’s so simple yet beautiful at the same time. The writing wasn’t really anything special but it was good enough. The two main characters—Jack and Ennis—were really the only ones with development in the book but they were fantastic, loveable characters. Neither one of them was stereotyped as the “girl” of the relationship and that’s how it should be.

The thing that struck me most about this short novel was the meaning behind the simple, sad quotes and the depth of just how much Jack and Ennis loved each other. You can say that two men together have nothing on people like Jack and Rose from “Titanic,” Romeo and Juliet from Shakespeare’s play, even Tarzan and Jane, but if you’re saying that then you’ve never read or seen “Brokeback Mountain.” I truly believe that these two people are soulmates just as much as Jack and Rose, Romeo and Juliet, Tarzan and Jane.

I wouldn’t have a problem recommending “Brokeback Mountain” (the movie or the novella) to anyone looking for a short read about true love and soulmates, be it a straight man, a woman or anyone at all. Even if you’re the most homophobic person on the entire face of the earth, you can’t deny that what these two cowboys have is real, true love, because they have absolutely nothing to gain from being together (in fact, they have so much to lose it’s crazy that they continue to see each other).

One final thing; the ending. I’m sure many people have heard about what happens in the end but I’m not inclined to spoil it. I will say that it made me cry after the movie and my heart ached after the book. Whether it was a happy ache and tears of joy or a sad ache and tears of sadness I won’t say, but even if you’re a toughie it’s still hard not to cry at the end of this one.

Also, R.I.P Heath Ledger. ♥

Warning: don't watch or read if you don't like crying. I happen to enjoy things that make me cry because it means I cared enough to cry over them. And ouch. My heart still hurts. The movie I'd give an 8.9/10. But anyways. The book.

Final Verdict: 6.8/10

Happy Reading!

~Amber