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)

unusual story. the reading could have been better

the reading could have been better. I bought the book and enjoyed the story more from the written word.

Great book, unfinished

The beginning of this book had me excited, but the ending was not done well. This could have been a great story if the author had weaved the earlier scenes into the ending of the book

fun listen!

I'm not generally a fan of Westerns, but I do like different and quirky and "The Sisters Brothers" is both. It might be a little light on plot at times, but it's still enjoyable because of the language (great dialogue!) and all the odd/funny things that happen and Eli's philosophical thoughts. I also liked the relationship between Eli and Charlie...it was pretty deep and touching. They are both likeable characters even though Charlie doesn't have as many morals as Eli.

The biggest problem I had with the book was the two intermissions. I wasn't sure what they meant (or if they were supposed to mean anything).

Good, unique, fun story. The reader also did a good job and was well-matched to the story.

extremely refreshing western

if you love westerns but need something fresh this is the book. great story earlier in American history than most westerns with a great narrator. this book tripped my trigger and I'm willing to bet it will yours too.

Ok story but definitely not funny

I purchased this audio book because it was advertised as funny. It’s not. It’s a somewhat interesting story about 2 outlaws during the California gold rush, but it is not funny.

Be aware: the dialogue is true to the times, This means that like the book “True Grit”, the dialogue is very wordy. I generally listened to the book at 1.3 to 1.5 speed, which helped some.

Incredibly mid

By no means too boring to finish, but not at all gripping. The writing style is good, but in no way beautiful or unique. If it weren’t for the many adult themes, I would’ve thought this a young adult book, as it is in no way challenging .The performance was fine, though the variation between characters was lacking.

The Cruelty To Animals is Hard to Take

Great narrator, I would say perfect for this story. The prose is enchanting, that's why I stuck with it. The Sister Brothers have no regard for human life, so it is hard to like them. The treatment of animals in the story is abhorrent. I realize this may have been realistic for the period, but if that bothers you (and it should,) you may want to avoid this book. The dialogue is glorious, and for that reason I recommend it.

Oddly compelling!

I loved this book, despite my general avoidance of stories featuring this much violence. But the viiolence is so embedded in the context of the times that it seems, if not okay, at least understandable. This is a perfect Coen brothers story--I would love to see it filmed. The dialogue is pitch perfect and the narration is sensational. I truly could not stop listening--got lots of extra exercise in just to have an excuse to keep listening. Enjoy!

P. S. 10/11/18 And now it IS a movie. Haven't seen it yet but glad that Hollywood took my advice .... :)

#Mindbending #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

If you liked "True Grit"...

And I mean the book, "True Grit", you will find much to like in this story. I don't, as a rule, read in this genre. But the folks at "Books on the Nightstand" recommended this, so I listened.

First of all, the language is wonderful! Again, if you've read the book "True Grit", or watched the Coen brothers version of that tale, you will find pleasant similarity. However, this book is not for children. Sensitive adolescents may find the violence too much.

The reader is amazing! He reads each character with real style.

The story is a bit predictable. But its a western! All happens as is should, with just a few twists to keep things moving along.

I'm glad I found this little gem of an audiobook. I smiled all the way through, and I'll bet you will too.

Coen Brothers-esque

Two brothers roam the Gold Rush-era Old West on their latest mission as hired killers. Both have done bad things, but one, who tells the story, is a little less bad than the other. The Sisters Brothers feels like the literary equivalent of a Coen Brothers movie (could the title be a homage?): quirky, slightly surreal, and mixing moments of violence and droll humor. The pair go from one picaresque misadventure to another, encountering mountain men, self-important gold barons, little girls with strange visions, and dentists, and getting into comic arguments with each other. I enjoyed the protagonist and his earnest-minded view of the world -- we learn that this gunman has a temperament not unsuited to his grim work, but also harbors tender feelings for his less-than-impressive pony, Tub, worries about his expanding belly, and enjoys a thorough tooth-brushing.

My only real complaint is that, at times, I found the author???s insistence on having his characters speak with precise, formal-sounding diction to be odd to the point of the distraction. It also makes some of the side characters seem similar. Did rough people on the frontier in the 1850s really talk like that? Still, even if this novel might be heavier on style than realism, it???s so witty and well-written, I didn???t mind.

I mean, how can you not appreciate a line like this (thought by Eli as he checks in on his injured brother): ???Charlie was asleep on his back, with his eyes wide open, and a full erection pressing against the front of his pants, which, despite my not wanting to know about the thing, I took as a sign of wellness. I thought, 'who knows in what extraordinary form good tidings might arrive'.???