Brokeback Mountain

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. andlt;BRandgt; 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. andlt;BRandgt; 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. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;Iandgt;The New Yorkerandlt;/Iandgt; won the National Magazine Award for Fiction for its publication of "Brokeback Mountain," and the story was included in andlt;Iandgt;Prize Stories 1998: The O. Henry Awards.andlt;/Iandgt; In gorgeous and haunting prose, Proulx limns the difficult, dangerous affair between two cowboys that survives everything but the world's violent intolerance.

"Sexy, sad and powerful, this is a beautiful, mesmerising tale." Elle

"This heartbreaking love story is as profound as it is relentlessly unsentimental. Life brings two young drifters together, sets them apart and their long agony begins. The genius of the story lies in its edgy dialogue and Proulx's depiction of a simple truth - powerlessness. It is her best work and also one of the finest American short stories yet written." Eileen Battersby, Irish Times

"Proulx's understanding is at its most remarkable in the astonishing 'Brokeback Mountain.' [She] knows what she could only know...by the infrared that allows a very few writers clear sight in the dark of the imagination." andlt;BRandgt; -- Richard Eder, andlt;Iandgt;The New York Times Book Reviewandlt;/Iandgt;

"'Brokeback Mountain' does some of the best things a story can do. It abolishes the old West clichand#233;s, excavates and honors a certain kind of elusive life, then nearly levels you with the emotional weight at its center." andlt;BRandgt; -- Gail Caldwell, andlt;Iandgt;The Boston Sunday Globeandlt;/Iandgt;

"A stand-out story...'Brokeback Mountain' is the sad chronology of a love affair between two men who can't afford to call it that. They know what they're not -- not queer, not gay -- but have no idea what they are." andlt;BRandgt; -- Walter Kirn, andlt;Iandgt;New Yorkandlt;/Iandgt;

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.

Annie Proulx is the author of eight books, including the novel andlt;iandgt;The Shipping Newsandlt;/iandgt; and the story collection andlt;iandgt;Close Rangeandlt;/iandgt;. Her many honors include a Pulitzer Prize, a National Book Award, the Irish Times International Fiction Prize, and a PEN/Faulkner award. Her story andldquo;Brokeback Mountain,andrdquo; which originally appeared in andlt;iandgt;The New Yorkerandlt;/iandgt;, was made into an Academy Award-winning film. Her most recent novel is andlt;iandgt;Barkskinsandlt;/iandgt;.andnbsp;She lives in Seattle.