The Sisters Brothers
3.9
186
5
1
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780062041289 |
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| Publisher: | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Publication date: | 02/14/2012 |
| Edition description: | Reprint |
| Pages: | 336 |
| Sales rank: | 45,128 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d) |
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The Sisters Brothers
3.9 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
186 reviews.
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I really like this book, but towards the end it gets kind of . . . eh. It sets up an interesting relationship between two brothers employed as wild west hit men. We meet interesting characters and situations on a long journey. Moral dilemmas are explored. But then it turns kind of western sci-fi and everything goes to heck in a hurry until it ends kind of . . . eh. Everything feels kind of rushed through once the premise is crafted. I think this should have been a longer book, or better yet a series of books. Too late now, and what do I know anyway? So, I kind of wishy washy recommend it.
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What a peculiar story this was. At first, I won't lie, the western theme was not a huge selling point for me. Hesitation was rampant. As soon as I started reading, however, I fell in love with the entire setting.
The book is mainly an adventure story. Since the characters are killers hired by a mysterious man call the Commodore, the reader expects lots of action, lots of gun-slinging scenes, but there aren't many of those at all. If any. And that's what makes this book work so well, it breaks away from every stereotype. The characters are rugged yet vulnerable, with a penchant for depression and melancholy. Eli, the narrator, has a soft spot for his handicapped horse and Charlie, Eli's brother, has a need to be the leader at all times.
Their misadventures were hilarious. Nothing seemed to go right for the two brothers. The bond between them is well developed, with the usual ups and downs that siblings experience, only with guns and horses added to the mix. Some scenes had me laughing out loud at the madness. At moments it felt like a comedy skit.
Don't make the mistake of not picking this book up because of the seemingly cowboy-ish theme, this is definitely a book to own and enjoy.
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In 1851 the Commodore directs his vicious hired guns Charlie and Eli Sisters to kill prospector Hermann Kermit Warm. The siblings head from Oregon City through San Francisco to Sierra foothills where Warm has a Gold mining claim.
Their trek south is wrought with danger and adventures whether it is in the wilderness or the saloons. From a witch who curses the duo to drunken females who entice them, The Sisters brothers are starting to understand human existence is more than just birth and death as they elude a horde of fur trappers out to kill them.
This is a strong pre Civil War western thriller starring two interesting brothers. The key to the insightful look at the underbelly of the Pacific coast circa 1850s story line is how the readers' attitude towards the Sisters changes through the course of the tale. Initially, the siblings seem like brutal cold killers (Liberty Valance comes to mind). Soon as their back story becomes known; as well as the affectionate caring for one another and Eli's tenderness to a woman surface, fans realize there is more to the brothers in this super mid nineteenth century Americana.
Harriet Klausner
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I read this book as an early summer read, and as that it does not disappoint. The narrator is a complex, some-what sympathetic killer whose burgeoning compassion and self-awareness gives the story much humor and depth. One review likened the story to "The Odyssey" and I find that very fitting. The brothers come across a whole range of interesting characters and episodes that all leave a lasting impression on the reader. If anything, I wish some of the characters and episodes were flushed out more, because the short scenes are sometimes too quick for my taste. The dialogue came off a little affected, but I got used to the style. The ending felt a little sprawling and I'm still not sure how to feel about it, but overall the book is a quick, enjoyable read that feels like a modern story set in the Old West. I could see it being made into a film by the Coen brothers.
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This book was very gripping but also very comical. I would definetely recommend this book. I enjoyed every page from the beginning to the end. I've heard this book being compared to the works of Cormac McCarthy. Being a very devout McCarthy fan, it is somewhat similar in areas such as the theme ( Western ) and the voilence, but overall deserves no more comparisons than those. I am in no way taking away from the book at hand because it is a great and interesting read. Worth your time.
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No wonder this book was a candidate for the Mann Booker Award. If you like Zane Grey you won't like this book but a better western you haven't read. The characters are well drawn and the story line is not at all what you'd expect. The books dialogue fits the characters to a T.
If I said anything else it would spoil it for the reader. Pick it up; you won't put it down until the end.
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This is probably one of the best books I have ever read. It might not be the deepest or most formal novel ever but there is something about it that makes you want to read it again and again. I would definitely recommend this book to pretty much anyone!
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The Sisters, Charlie and Eli, are killers by trade. Make no mistake, when people in the Old West hear that they are talking with the Sisters brothers, they quake in terror. Currently, they have been hired by The Commodore, a shadowy powerful man, to kill Hermann Kermit Warm. Why? The Commodore says Warm stole from him. What he stole makes no difference to the brothers, nor if he stole at all. They have been hired to kill him, and kill him they will.
They set out to find him where he was last reported to be, California. This is California in the Gold Rush days, and the fever has every man desperate to hide what he’s found or to take another man’s stash. That means it is a shoot first, ask questions later environment, and that suits the Sisters brothers just fine. The book follows them on their journey to find their prey, telling of their adventures along the way.
Charlie is the leader. He has the confidence of the Commodore and is a stone cold killer. Eli will also kill in a second, but has more emotions. He longs to make a human connection and is capable of surprising kindnesses. The brothers fight among themselves but there is never any doubt that they are a cohesive team.
Once they get to California, they discover what it is that the Commodore believes was stolen from him. Warm is an engineer and has developed a method to make finding gold easier. His crime? He refused to cut the Commodore in on the formula or the profits. Will the brothers cut him down or will they hesitate when they discover Warm is not a thief?
Patrick DeWitt has written an unsentimental look at the gunslingers, card sharps, prostitutes and prospectors of the California Gold Rush. The reader is immediately transported back to that time, and begins to see how the brothers view the world, even having a sneaking sympathy for them. Although the subject is a bit gruesome, DeWitt actually writes in a humorous fashion, making the horrific seem matter of fact. It was longlisted in 2011 for the Mann Booker prize. This book is recommended for readers of modern fiction and those interested in a fascinating tale.
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The narrator is entertaining in a subtle way. The author builds a character that's endearing and dangerous and not at all fussy. His relationship with his brother is interesting. It takes a while to get consumed by the story, but it turns into a spirited read. I wouldn't hesitate to read again and again.
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Exciting and humorous
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Just don't miss it. Not gonna blow your hair back, but the best slow burn in a long while.
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Great book.
Highly recommended.
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A great read. The "voice" and syntax grabbed me straight from page one on through to the mixed bag of a "magic beans" sort of ending, which seemed to come from some other story altogether. DeWitt was doing so well, and then tried to do too much. I would recommend the book, and I think he is one of the writers who is developing the western novel into the noir frontier.
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What a pair of misfits. Fun reading...but different
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Cormac mixed with true grit. Good story.
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This book is haunting and sharp, full of lingering imagery and disjointed, whimsical dialogue (some conversations reminded me of Waiting for Godot, I mean.) Charlie and Eli Sisters are both wonderfully well developed, and they contrast each other in an intriguing, thoughtful way. I haven't read anything this fresh in a long time; tragic, stark and dreamlike, The Sisters Brothers grabbed me right from the beginning, like so many people here. In fact, there were lots of other books I was meant to be reading on a deadline when I figured I would try just the first few pages of The Sisters Brothers. Not to be. I finished up with Charlie and Eli's adventure before properly getting to anything else.
It's a western about restlessness and greed, loyalty and self-worth, villainy and pity. In the opinion of this internet stranger, it's well worth your time.
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REALLY ENJOYED THIS QUIRKY WESTERN.
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This is a book I would not usually choose. But I'm so glad I tried it. It was interesting, funny, thought provoking and so much fun. The genre is something I would have chosen for my dad not myself, but I so enjoyed it. An entertaining journey indeed.
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The narrative voice is enthralling, the characters are wonderfully developed, and it's a rollicking adventure of anti-heroes. Prepare to be blown away. Seriously.
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I normally do not read this type of book however I did enjoy this.
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Little Big Man, Lonesome Dove and now The Sisters Brothers...told with great respect to the characters and the reader...
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This book was a very quick read for me. Just enough gritty love/manipulation between brothers. I enjoyed this book more than "Ablutions: Notes for a Novel" another deWitt book. "The Sisters Brothers" was much less depressing.
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Fantastic book. A gritty western with spirituality and cadence. Distinct voice without pretention. Close to perfect.
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I'm not normally a fan of westerns. That said, if there were ever a book that would convert me to the genre, The Sisters Brothers is it! From the very clever cover, to the head-turning title, I was drawn in. The narrator of the tale, Eli Sisters and his brother Charlie are hired guns. They have been sent by "The Commodore" to find someone, get back what was stolen from him, and of course, make sure this thief is not left in a position to steal again. (Or so we believe). The actual tasking is only slowly revealed as the brothers go from place to place looking for their prey, and defending their honor and lives in the meantime. Their adventures bring us a panoply of characters at once dastardly, colorful, and utterly lovable. They are just so much fun!
Yes, there is violence, and much of it is probably gratuitous, but it is told from the viewpoint of the times. The dashing, daring-do of their antics and the wild-west scenarios are splendid. There's definitely a movie buried in here. Yet, while the action scenes are well written, with just enough detail to paint clear pictures, but not too graphic to sicken, it is the dialogue between the brothers, their victims, and their cons, that is either "roll on the floor laughing " funny, or so philosophically sophisticated that you almost have to stop and say "Wait.....did they really talk like that?" I reflected that many educated men of that era had the "classics" as their text books, so the rather archaic and complex grammar and vocabulary did in fact come naturally to them. It just sounds a bit over the top at first.
It's definitely a book about violence, about vengeance, and about revenge, but it is also a book about self-knowledge, reflection, and forgiveness. I'm not sure I'd call the ending redemptive, but it certainly was more than appropriate to the story. Even if you've never been a western fan, give this one a try. Think Hawaii 5-0 in the gold mining territory of Northern California.
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A friend of mine with dubious taste recommended this to me so I gave it a read and I'm glad that I did.
It's a little harsh at times, the content, not the writing, but I really enjoyed it.
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