The Sisters Brothers
April 29, 2019 11:58 AM - by Patrick deWitt - Subscribe
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.
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.
I really loved this book. I read it during a tough patch—okay, a very, very dark time—in my life, and it just broke my heart in a wonderful sort of way.
I don’t really have anything of critical interest to say. Yes, the writing is a little obvious, but it’s simple and pretty and good, too.
posted by Don.Kinsayder at 5:55 PM on April 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
I don’t really have anything of critical interest to say. Yes, the writing is a little obvious, but it’s simple and pretty and good, too.
posted by Don.Kinsayder at 5:55 PM on April 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
I just finished the book a few minutes ago, and it's really beautiful.
The writing is amazing, especially the dialogue. All the characters are so startlingly natural. And the writing is lyrical and has a beautiful rhythm regardless of that naturalism.
I'll have to think a little more about what anything in the book might mean. But just wanted to say here that it's well worth reading.
posted by rue72 at 5:08 PM on May 1, 2019
The writing is amazing, especially the dialogue. All the characters are so startlingly natural. And the writing is lyrical and has a beautiful rhythm regardless of that naturalism.
I'll have to think a little more about what anything in the book might mean. But just wanted to say here that it's well worth reading.
posted by rue72 at 5:08 PM on May 1, 2019
I love this book. I read it just after True Grit and it hit a similar spot for me. I was wondering if deWitt's other books are worth checking out - anyone read any of them?
posted by communicator at 4:47 AM on May 2, 2019
posted by communicator at 4:47 AM on May 2, 2019
I've read Undermajordomo Minor. It was well written and i liked it, but not really memorable. I kinda felt that way about the Sisters Brothers too though, so YMMV.
posted by OHenryPacey at 8:00 AM on May 2, 2019
posted by OHenryPacey at 8:00 AM on May 2, 2019
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posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:08 PM on April 29, 2019