The Sisters Brothers

A Novel

By: Patrick deWitt

Narrated by: John Pruden

Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Hermann Kermit Warm is going to die. The enigmatic and powerful man known only as the Commodore has ordered it, and his henchmen, Eli and Charlie Sisters, will make sure of it. Though Eli doesn't share his brother's appetite for whiskey and killing, he's never known anything else. But their prey isn't an easy mark, and on the road from Oregon City to Warm's gold-mining claim outside Sacramento, Eli begins to question what he does for a living - and whom he does it for.

With The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt pays homage to the classic Western, transforming it into an unforgettable comic tour de force. Filled with a remarkable cast of characters - losers, cheaters, and ne'er-do-wells from all stripes of life - and told by a complex and compelling narrator, it is a violent, lustful odyssey through the underworld of the 1850s frontier that beautifully captures the humor, melancholy, and grit of the Old West and two brothers bound by blood, violence, and love.

©2011 Patrick deWitt (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

“…gritty, as well as deadpan and often very comic…DeWitt has chosen a narrative voice so sharp and distinctive…it’s very narrowing of possibilities opens new doors in the imagination.” ( New York Times Book Review)

“Weirdly funny, startlingly violent and steeped in sadness… It’s all rendered irresistible by Eli Sisters, who narrates with a mixture of melancholy and thoughtfulness.” ( Washington Post)

“[T]here’s something cinematic about Mr. deWitt’s unadorned prose style, which at first made this reader do a double-take—can this be serious?—only to continue flicking the pages with pleasure.” ( Wall Street Journal)

a very good but unconventional western

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Weir funny

Was a great little book killers and whores and blood and and all that cowboy stuff. Strangely endearing and full of humor

Odd and Amusing

While I was not wowed by this book, I did enjoy it. The story is quirky and the wit dry as the high desert.

Some of it was rather predictable, some just not that interesting. But if you want a break from business books, self-improvement manuals or vampire novels (yawn), here you go. While not a page turner, it will keep you amused.

Recommend? Sure, I recommend it!

Entertaining and funny

I really loved this book, and the audio performance was outstanding. I would highly recommend it.

Best Western so far

I've read all of Louis Lamour and the lonesome Dove series many more best so far

Fabulous

This book reminds me why I used to love reading fiction so much. Fabulous writing and story. Great reading in audible version.

Good dialogue but falls short otherwise

This novel feels like a series of vignettes involving the Sisters brothers, two hired killers. The dialogue is amusing, and kept my interest, and I enjoyed many of the short scenes. But this novel does not make the location come alive as I had hoped, and the plot is thin. I smiled a lot but was not terribly engaged otherwise. The reader was good, though.

Don't let the word "western" stop you!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely. Simple, yet beautiful. Western in style, but covering timeless themes. Also perfectly narrated.

Which character – as performed by John Pruden – was your favorite?

The brother of the narrator. He is a complex character... Not unrealistically villainous, or unrealistically heroic... But an authentic man.

Any additional comments?

I'm not a fan of the western genre usually, but there was something stoic and modern about it. The complicated story of two brothers who are different on so many levels, but still brothers in the end, is a story we can all relate to on some level. Believe the hype on this one!

I enjoyed a "Western".

This book is charming in a strange hired gunslinger brothers kind of way. The first person perspective of the tale as relayed by Eli is what makes the story for me. How is it that a man who has killed untold numbers of men feels so genuine, naive and unwittingly funny? This is the appeal of The Sisters Brothers. I am quite certain if this tale were told from Charlie's perspective I would be writing a very different review.
If you don't think that this is your genre you should try going on a manhunt with Eli and Charlie Sisters. You too maybe pleasantly surprised.

Odd, violent, unhappy book - with great narration.

What was most disappointing about Patrick deWitt’s story?

The misery. Everyone, all the time.

Was The Sisters Brothers worth the listening time?

No, I'm sorry. Not my preferred style of read.