Sin Killer

Volume 1 of The Berrybender Narratives

By: Larry McMurtry

Narrated by: Alfred Molina

Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

It is 1830, and the Berrybender family - rich, aristocratic, English, and fiercely out of place - is on its way up the Missouri River to see the American West as it begins to open up.

Lord and Lady Berrybender have abandoned their palatial home in England to explore the frontier and to broaden the horizons of their children, who include Tasmin, a budding young woman of grit, beauty, and determination, her vivacious and difficult sister, and her brother.

As they journey by rough stages up the Missouri River, they meet with all the dangers, difficulties, temptations, and awesome natural scenery of the untamed West.

At the very core of the story is Tasmin's fast-developing relationship with Jim Snow, frontiersman, ferocious Indian fighter, and part-time preacher. Known up and down the Missouri as "the Sin Killer," he's the handsome, silent Westerner who eventually captures her heart.

Against the immense backdrop of the American West, Larry McMurtry tracks this engaging family as they make their way up the great river, surviving attacks, discomfort, savage weather, and natural disaster. Sin Killer is an adventure story full of incident, and suspense, as well as a charming love story between a headstrong and aristocratic young Englishwoman and the stubborn, shy, and very American Jim Snow. As big as the West itself, this is the kind of story that only Larry McMurtry can write.

Listen to the other books in Larry McMurtry's Berrybender saga.

©2002 Larry McMurty. All rights reserved. (P)2002 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. AUDIOWORDS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"The Great Western Novel is alive and well, thanks in no small part to McMurtry." (Booklist)

Shocked by the Reviews!

I am surprised at the negative reviews. Maybe people are expecting Lonesome Dove, but this is a different story. It is a fantastic story, tragic and hilarious! I have listened to the Berrybender Narratives three times over the past ten years and loved them every time! Leave behind expectations of a Lonesome Dove repeat and give it a good listen.

Outstanding subject

As I cross the Missouri river everyday on my way to work, I loved this storyline. Although there were many characters in the story, I didn't have any trouble figuring out who they were thanks to Alfred Molina's narration. The story covers alot of ground in 7+ hours, so at times I thought that I was listening to an abridged version, but overall I would highly recommend this book.

great

A terrific story written by a brilliant writer and , performed well. I am eager to continue with the series.

The Old West comes alive!

The Sin Killer is a terrific entry into the Berrybender trilogy, but as fascinating as the characters are and as interesting as their relationships become, each subsequent book in the trilogy gets even better and better. Fans of McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, Commanche Moon, and others will be very pleased they started on this series as well. No western genre writer does it better. The quirky characters all come alive, however self-centered and selfish they may be, and the groundwork is laid for a tremendous read. You won't miss the next two books in the series, guaranteed. The dialogue is just terrific!

Sin Killer

Larry McMurtry does an excellent job of detailing this saga. However, it would not be half as interesting if it were not for the gentleman reading the book. He is absolutely sensational in the way he is able to change dialects and do it instantaneously and keep them all the same throughout the book. It brings the whole adventure alive and personal. Five stars all the way.

POMS GO WEST!

I loved the Berrybenders. A big rowdy quite eccentric family wandering around the west. I particularly loved Lord Berrybender and the reader did a wonderful accent. I laughed out loud at his obnoxious attitude, but people must realise that is how the English upper class did really think about their servants. It is a great laugh now, but it wouldnt have been much fun. He was a wonderful character. After all of the adventures, they probably should have stayed home in their castle. Worth a listen!

Very entertaining

McMurtry is a great storyteller. He can transport the reader to the reality of the old west.

Not what I expected

This title is not like the Lonesome Dove series at all. The narrator does a good job but just as the story is ready for act two it was over. I do not recommend this title.

Unemotional characters are brutally honest

As a huge fan of Lonesome Dove I looked forward to reading Sin Killer. This very well-written story failed to grab me as Lonesome Dove did, but was still very engaging. Sin Killer is the 1830's Midwestern America's answer to Tarzan. As the Berrybender family, the richest noble family in England, tries to wind its way up the Missouri river in a large steamboat towards Yellowstone before winter sets in, their oldest daughter Tasmin (see Jane) becomes separated from her family and is rescued by the rugged frontiersman Jim Snow. Snow is nicknamed Sin Killer due to his need to punish anyone, even Tasmin herself, he sees committing a sin.

What I found appealing about this story is the sharp contrast between the supposedly civilized Berrybender family and mid-western Americans. The Berrybenders are the most self-centered and non-emotional bunch I've ever read about. When Tasmin's sister and tutor are abducted by Indians, Tasmin is upset because she fears her seduction of the Sin Killer will be interrupted. Also, as her sister Mary notes, she is more upset that her tutor is missing than her sister because the tutor is the only one who can style her hair the right way. The family only came to America so that their father, Lord Berrybender, could kill different types of animals. He even endangers the entire family and his servants in order to hunt buffalo during a severe winter storm. The American frontiersmen they encounter along the way work very hard to help the Berrybenders without much compensation. And yet they are very much looked down upon by the family. Lord Berrybender ignores any and all advice given to him in order to fulfill his own desires. He is use to having his own way, and will have it at all costs.

I believe McMurtry's self-centered characters are intentionally placed, and perhaps their emotions will develop better in the next installment. I will be reading the next one.

Great reading of fairly good novel

Alfred Molina's reading of McMurtry's novel is worth the purchase. The story itself is curiously interesting but never fully engaging. One never really manages to care about the passel of oddball characters whose actions are always unpredictable. But Molina never faulters in his rendering of everyone from the flighty young Tasmin to the Jesuit priest who loves nice fashions.