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 fun read

Where does The Sisters Brothers rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The Sisters Brothers ranks among the top 10 of the last 100 or so books I've read.

What other book might you compare The Sisters Brothers to and why?

I don't know of another book I've read with which to compare it. It stands out because of its quirkiness.

Which scene was your favorite?

It's not so much the scenes that stand out but the seemingly out-of-place use of language.

Who was the most memorable character of The Sisters Brothers and why?

The main character is entirely dominant and therefore the most memorable. Thinking of any other character is only in context of him.

The journey, the narration, excellent

I'm only part way thru this Audible recording, but it is excellent. The story is the "journey" and the narration is great at taking us along. One can't help but identify with and participate in the journey of the "killers" as they meet various characters along the way. I can't help but compare this story to The Lord of the Rings ventures outward with Frodo and Bilbo. Things happen, good and bad, but the brothers keep on going, and their journey is compelling. Their naivete is endearing. The narration reflects this. I've seen the movie; the book is much better. Highly recommended!

Surprised

Any additional comments?

Very funny book if you enjoy black humor. The Cohen brothers should do the movie.

The Best Western I Ever Read

I don't have good luck with westerns and I was nervous to pick this up. Something about the idea of the story, and the awesome cover art, drew me to this book (I ended up listening to the audio book). I ended up really enjoying it.

Eli and Charlie Sisters area infamous killers for "The Commodore". They are just on another job when things begin to change for Eli. The story is told in Eli's voice as he and his brother travel on this errand from Oregon Territory to Sacramento. Eli has never really had the killer personality, in fact, he decides he wants to own a clothing shop. The brothers have a series of encounters on this journey that begin to drive a wedge between them, at least professionally, and Eli realizes he cannot continue the life he finds himself in. He finally understands that he has always done what his older brother needed him to do and never pursued his own desires.

I am not one to look for deep meaning or hidden symbolism in literature. I always hated the part of English class where we read a book and tried to decipher the authors intentions. I always wondered how many authors were pulling their hair out as they watched high school kids butcher their stories. I like a good read with characters that I can care about and an entertaining plot and story line. The Sister Brothers provided that. There are some truly laugh out loud moments and some excellent dialogue and in the end I was concerned for these two killers.

Beautiful, Absurd & Melancholic Frontier Noir.

Absurd, fantastic, and the narrative almost measures up to the cover art. A book about two frontier assassin brothers in search of the 'pot of gold' over the rainbow. Two killer angels seeking to "understand why, or how they might change things for the better." This novel is about that quest. A quest to change, to understand, to alter lots, cheat fate and better predicaments. Fundamentally, however, it is about the things that link us: blood, death, family, lust and greed. The book's absurdity lacks nihilism, its craziness exists without meanness, and the killings and murders seem to echo with a beautiful melancholic fatalism of Charles Portis and Mark Twain.

More tales of the wild west

I wanted to read this book after seeing the movie and reading and listening to True Grit this summer, and I was not disappointed. No, it's nowhere near as well written and engaging a tale as True Grit, but the characters' dialogue was similar (kind of high-falutin' elegant English for two criminal cowpokes to be using) and the adventures were entertaining. The narrator was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you're in a Western movie mood, like I've been, you'll enjoy it too. Next up for me: the movie Meek's Cutoff.

A really fun read and poignant too!

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

Yes I would recommend this book beucase I found it was laugh out loud funny. It was also dramatic and had an interesting plot. I liked some of the historical details about life in the West during the Gold Rush. It also was a poignant story about two brothers and their choices in life.

What other book might you compare The Sisters Brothers to and why?

One of the reasons why I really liked this book is I have never read anything else like it.

Have you listened to any of John Pruden’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No because I like to savor books.

Character-driven Western

Would you listen to The Sisters Brothers again? Why?

I rarely re-listen to books, but this one deserves it. Great narration by John Pruden ! He captured the characters with his voice and intonation perfectly.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The narrator, Eli, is of course the best.

Have you listened to any of John Pruden’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't listened to him previously, but based on this, I am looking for more books narrated by him.

Any additional comments?

This is reminiscent of a Joe R. Lansdale story, similar flawed but sympathetic characters and a dry humor that I found appealing. Loved it !

Excellent!

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

Absolutely! It is an engaging story and wonderfully narrated.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the "flowery" language. It completely set the mood and tone of the book in an effective way. It made the funny bits funnier and really helped me stay immersed in the story.

If you could take any character from The Sisters Brothers out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Eli. The duality of him was completely fascinating. He was loyal, and funny, and and thoughtful, and a killer.

Any additional comments?

I'd recommend this to anyone. Regardless of your genre preference, I think this is a story most people would enjoy.

Interesting and unexpected

I listened to this based on my brother's recommendation--he said it was one of the best books he had ever read. I jumped into listening without any idea of what it was about.

I will say that it was unexpected -- a very well written narrative exploring the lives of some potentially unlikable characters.

This was not a book full of building climax and resolution, but rather a steady path with a justified resolution.

It was not the book I usually trend towards but I enjoyed the journey.