Brokeback Mountain

Written by:
Annie Proulx
Narrated by:
Campbell Scott

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
98
Narrator
8
Release Date
December 2005
Duration
1 hour 4 minutes
Summary
A stand alone edition of Annie Proulx’s beloved story “Brokeback Mountain” (in the collection Close Range)—the basis for the major motion picture directed by Ang Lee, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger, screenplay by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana.

Annie Proulx has written some of the most original and brilliant short stories in contemporary literature, and for many readers and reviewers, “Brokeback Mountain” is her masterpiece.

Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist, two ranch hands, come together when they’re working as sheepherder and camp tender one summer on a range above the tree line. At first, sharing an isolated tent, the attraction is casual, inevitable, but something deeper catches them that summer.

Both men work hard, marry, and have kids because that’s what cowboys do. But over the course of many years and frequent separations this relationship becomes the most important thing in their lives, and they do anything they can to preserve it.

The New Yorker won the National Magazine Award for Fiction for its publication of “Brokeback Mountain,” and the story was included in Prize Stories 1998: The O. Henry Awards. In gorgeous and haunting prose, Proulx limns the difficult, dangerous affair between two cowboys that survives everything but the world’s violent intolerance.
Reviews
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Andrew H.

This story is so beautiful and heartbreaking ❤️

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Anonymous

I listen each time to this story in tears as I to, once, long ago, had my own Jack as well.

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Mendel G.

Powerful. Touching. Much more gut wrenching than the movie. Very well narrated.

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Anonymous

The language used is simple, yet so vivid and dramatic. I liked the realism of the setting, the consequences, the development. Everything flows to naturally and keeps you hooked. Speaking of hooked, Campbell Scott has amazing an amazing intonation and buttery smooth voice. Loved it!

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Jean M.

Great book, great narrator. Wish it was a thousand times longer :(

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Anonymous

Touching, and beautifly narrated.

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Mark in VA

For sucha short story the raw emotion is unreal. Good read

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Tim M

Sure, it's thin and not well developed and we have a movie with top quality stars to compare to. Still, I was moved to tears on multiple occasions in a read that was finished almost before I got started. I would recommend. You could spend an hour or so on much worse...

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Michelle Keller

Good listen. Rather descriptive. Definetly not for the faint of heart.

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Oma

I usually like the book better than the movie, but in this case, the movie was definitely more enjoyable. The book was rather raw and felt incomplete.

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MJJ

I have not seen the movie, so had no preconceptions about the story. It is basically an engagingly written and creatively set tragic love story, with emphasis on the love story. So much so that for me the ick factor faded into the distance. But I have heard that the author was upset over the movie interpretation and people who saw the movie felt the book did not meet their expectations. You could see exactly where the story would have been Hollywoodized to emphasize the violence and gay bashing. It didn't seem to me that the story was about that. So if you've seen the movie, be prepared, the story is different (and short, it's a short story), but I think well worth a listen. Proulx is brilliant.

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Christy Anderson

The story pretty much went along with the movie. I am not sure if I would have grasped the "whole" story had I not watched the movie. The audio version leaves a little to be desired as far as understanding what goes on.

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Anonymous

Very dissapointing. I'm not quite sure what all they hype is about.

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Anonymous

This short story is part of a compilation written by Annie Proulx, named Close Range. The written Original story showed Ennis DelMar in a poorer light than he isportrayed in the film. The film allows us to view the two main characters DelMar and Quick on somewhat equal footing as the movie opens. To reference the book in order to make my point, the first page portrays DelMar in an opening passage (in part) "He (DelMar) gets up, scratching the grey wedge of belly and pubic hair, shuffles to the gas burner, pours leftover coffee in a chipped enamel pan; the flame swathes it in blue. He (DelMar) turns on the tap and urinates in the sink, pulls on his shirt and jeans..." In a very contrary note to my usual review, I must admit that I did truly enjoy the movie over the book. The book did indeed go into more depth and range of their relationship- the way their bonds were formed over the passing years, and many subsequent visits returning to Brokeback Mountain.

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Anonymous

The audiobook was too short and too abridged, although the narrator did a good job.

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Courtney

I did not understand enough about the main characters of the story. For example, the reasons they got married. Was it for convenience or did they care about the women they married? Did Ennis del Mar discover that he is really a homosexual or did he just happen to fall in love with Jack Twist? I am a person that likes to try to understand why people do the things that they do, but this book leaves me confused.

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Gabi

I couldn't keep focused, it bored me. The characters lacked depth, for a while I couldn't figure out who is who. I was glad it was short and over soon. There also was no real ending to this story, it was almost like a bad short story.

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Doc

There are great literary works that stand the test of time and then there are works that are popular only because of their shock value. This thinly weaved novel does not have the literary value to stand the test of time. I recently listened to Capote's In Cold Blood. The writing of Capote is like Major League Baseball as opposed to this work which is strickly little league.

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Nicole

This book is very short, only 1 cd. It was pretty good, but I didn't get to know the characters well enough to feel anything for them and their situation. It probably would've been much better if it were longer, I can't help but thinking I was sent the Cliff's notes instead of the entire book.

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Anonymous

Annie Proulx again shows how a great author can tell a truly moving story in a series of finely drawn moments and details. It reminded me of the Shipping News because it's not exactly plot-driven, though there are a few unexpected twists and scenes. Ultimately, it's not about what happens, it's about the people it happens to. Ms Proulx is really great at making her characters seem like real people-- I don't think even the most prejudiced person could listen to this without feeling genuine compassion for characters who pretty much are just struggling with their own path just the same as the rest of us. I haven't seen the movie, but I'm already pretty sure I prefer the book/audio book... I love Campbell Scott's narration.

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Anonymous

Deeply moving and sad. A true love story. One of the best tragic romances since Romeo and Juliet.

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Dale

Wrenching to read of a love that might have been expressed but was not allowed to in the "big country" culture of 1963, maybe not even today. I have read it and reread it over and over to absorb the atmosphere and there is still mystery to tantalize me. Proulx's bare bones venacular writing style is of the time and place and really puts you there.

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