One of the most well-known, classic queer stories, spawning a hit film of the same name, may be a highly regarded tale, but the original story of Brokeback Mountain remains a confusing and inaccessible title that is sure to leave many scratching their heads. Split between approximately eight smaller stories, each building up to the final Brokeback Mountain, the book struggles to form engaging exposition and bring its various individual tales together in a satisfying manner, leaving readers lost in Wyoming’s long grass.
Each of the shorter tales links into the wider overarching story, but very few leave you satisfied, and often, muddling through stories to get to the next is the best way forwards, with strange and dark dynamics appearing out of nowhere and to little effect on the wider story. Besides the final Brokeback Mountain, every other story left me hoping to get to the end quicker, and even the final one was only palatable as I had already seen the associated film. The use of connections between the stories felt crucial yet tenuous, with occasional references to previous stories that largely went over my head.
Its needlessly dark themes that build out of nowhere have no reasonable grounds for inclusion and add a much more sinister layer to these tales, further alienating unsuspecting audiences. The repeated use of sexual assault and harassment as nothing more than a plot device, often in the lives of minor characters, feels like an unnecessary use of story space that could be better spent making the overall plot better and the articulation more understandable. Including subject matter such as this does nothing to add to the story being told, other than further pushing away viewers who’s attention has been captured by the worst possible turn of events that could be included for simple story filler.
Brokeback Mountain broke new grounds in queer literature, film, and sadly, also in my attention span. This was not an enjoyable read by any stretch of the imagination, with each turn of the page bringing me closer to the sweet relief of the book being over. I struggled to follow every single story in this collection, and was pleased when the final cover was turned, knowing I would never have to return to the book again. Whilst it would certainly be a captivating read for some, this book had no such effect on me!
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Brokeback Mountain & Other Stories (ISBN: 0-00-720558-9) was published in 2006. A copy is available to borrow from the LGBTQ+ Lending Library in the LGBTQ+ Lounge
