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annie_brewer's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Capturing such deep passion and devastation in such a short piece of writing is truly remarkable.
As a sublime deviation from the brash and stoic stylization of rural men, Ennis and Jack are complex characters with raw experiences that bolster their genuinity.
The momentum of this story provides a streamlined focus on the tenderness and constraints of the relationship, yet allows the reader to understand that the romance is destined to be weak to societal intolerance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death and Death of parent
jeannekilcullen's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The third person pov is so important for making the setting come to life and be an active component of the story. So sad. Love the gay cowboys. Just finished crying
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime and Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse and Death of parent
megelizabeth's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
5.0
(Review from February 2021 copied from previous edition)
"...there was no real scent, only the memory of it, the imagined power of Brokeback Mountain of which nothing was left but what he held in his hands."
This is a hard one to judge because the movie adaptation is one of my all-time favourites and so I couldn't help mentally filling in all the extras that the movie adds while I was reading. I don't know how much I would have connected to the characters if I didn't already adore them from the movie, as there's not really a ton of character development and you get much more insight into Ennis's live than Jack's so Jack especially I feel like you don't end up getting to know massively well.
I'm still really glad, though, that I read the original story behind one of my favourite movies. It's vivid and devastating and explores homophobia and the way it shapes and ruins lives - in different ways, as seen by the tragic outcomes for both Ennis and Jack - so, so well. The sense of place created and the portrayal of poor, rural life are incredible. Part of me wishes it had been longer, but part of me also really appreciates the fact that it is such a short story and the choices made to focus on certain details in order to portray messages about love and relationships and queerness and trauma and pain (though I wouldn't have minded slightly shorter passages about Jack's rodeoing, as these pretty much went right over my head!)
**********
Edit - June 2022
After my second read of this book, I'm bumping it up from 4.5 to 5 stars. I still stand by my previous comments, but reading this again just reminded me how completely I adore this story and its characters and the nuanced discussions it sparks and how much it packs in to so few pages. I therefore ultimately don't mind that the characters and relationships aren't as developed as they are in the movie. Both versions of this story have my whole heart, and after all, the movie wouldn't exist without this quiet, tender, haunting, brutal masterpiece.
"...there was no real scent, only the memory of it, the imagined power of Brokeback Mountain of which nothing was left but what he held in his hands."
This is a hard one to judge because the movie adaptation is one of my all-time favourites and so I couldn't help mentally filling in all the extras that the movie adds while I was reading. I don't know how much I would have connected to the characters if I didn't already adore them from the movie, as there's not really a ton of character development and you get much more insight into Ennis's live than Jack's so Jack especially I feel like you don't end up getting to know massively well.
I'm still really glad, though, that I read the original story behind one of my favourite movies. It's vivid and devastating and explores homophobia and the way it shapes and ruins lives - in different ways, as seen by the tragic outcomes for both Ennis and Jack - so, so well. The sense of place created and the portrayal of poor, rural life are incredible. Part of me wishes it had been longer, but part of me also really appreciates the fact that it is such a short story and the choices made to focus on certain details in order to portray messages about love and relationships and queerness and trauma and pain (though I wouldn't have minded slightly shorter passages about Jack's rodeoing, as these pretty much went right over my head!)
**********
Edit - June 2022
After my second read of this book, I'm bumping it up from 4.5 to 5 stars. I still stand by my previous comments, but reading this again just reminded me how completely I adore this story and its characters and the nuanced discussions it sparks and how much it packs in to so few pages. I therefore ultimately don't mind that the characters and relationships aren't as developed as they are in the movie. Both versions of this story have my whole heart, and after all, the movie wouldn't exist without this quiet, tender, haunting, brutal masterpiece.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Death of parent
zombiezami's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I heard this was sad, but it was really sad. I was in high school when the movie came out, and I never saw it. I really wish people had not made fun of this deeply human story the way they did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Outing
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent, War, and Classism