The Sisters Brothers: A Novel

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.

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!

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.

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'.???

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.

This was a selection by my book club. It's a quirky, dark book and I absolutely loved it. I found it to be rather funny and quite entertaining. The narrator was perfect.

It's not a tremendously deep book but everyone in the group had some questions and there were some conflicting responses which lead to some good discussion. One of our members found an interview with the author which answered some of the questions we had about the book.

This is not your typical book club book but I thought it was a good choice and I enjoyed it as did the rest of the members of my group.

Give it a try.

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.

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.

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!

This is an odd western, not traditional cowboy fare. It is the type of story that could become a Tarantino movie one day.

I think it will be a hit with a narrow slice of listeners, those who enjoy good writing but read/listen for more than entertainment. Those just seeking entertainment may be left cold.

Of course, the protagonist.

This is a Tarantino movie waiting to happen.

I would have given it 3.5 stars, if it were possible.