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The Sisters Brothers: A Novel
Narrated by John Pruden
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Start ListeningEditor's Note
Wonderfully weird…
The book is as wonderfully weird, subtly funny, and smartly written as its title. A quirky, stylized genre-bending Western filled with dark humor and a bit of gore, it channels old-timey pulp and Cormac McCarthy alike. John C. Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jake Gyllenhaal star in the movie adaptation.
Description
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.
Book Actions
Start ListeningBook Information
The Sisters Brothers: A Novel
Narrated by John Pruden
Editor's Note
Wonderfully weird…
The book is as wonderfully weird, subtly funny, and smartly written as its title. A quirky, stylized genre-bending Western filled with dark humor and a bit of gore, it channels old-timey pulp and Cormac McCarthy alike. John C. Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jake Gyllenhaal star in the movie adaptation.
Description
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.
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Reviews
“The creak of bed springs suffering under the weight of a restless man is as lonely a sound as I know.”The Sisters Brothers are after a man called Hermann Warm. “He has done something incorrect and we have been hired to bring him to justice.” But these brothers aren’t the law... Their story is a well written page turner, and so much better than the movie! Their journey is one filled with violence, loss, and self discovery, all set in the "wild" west of 1851. Charlie and Eli are, at the same time, both imminently likable, and completely despicable. As for me, I liked them!The epilogue is very satisfying, and wistful. And, to quote the very last line: "And might I say what a pleasing conclusion this was for me."Me too!p.s. - I don't know why, but I LOVE the book cover! Obsessively so!
Rating: 4Brother assassins lackadaisically wander from Oregon to California for a hit in this horseback road trip. The characters they meet aren't nearly colorful enough, females get extremely short shrift, and the end result is pretty pointless. The sad sack narrator sort of grew on me, however, as I imagined how John C. Reilly probably plays him in the movie. I'm hoping it's one of those adaptations that is better than the book.
Rating: 2A fun story, written with pervasive deadpan humor. The narrator's self-questioning, and constant conflicts between his values and actions, raise questions for all of us. The Western A, B, C, D, … plotting is not my usual cup of tea, but deWitt makes it enjoyable.
Rating: 4I'm a big fan of cowboy stories, so this book was a sure hit. The mix of back humour, philosophy and adventure is perfectly balanced, creating complex and unpredictable characters. The colourful and precise language helps to absorb, and even laugh at, some pretty unsavoury scenes, and the unexpected ending brings a salvation to what otherwise would be a grim novel. I loved the complexity of the characters, Eli especially, as an hot-headed but reflective man. An all around entertaining and powerful novel which will definitely make its mark.
Rating: 5The notorious hired killers, the Sisters brothers, set out on one last job to track down and kill a gold miner and inventor at the height of the California Gold Rush.I enjoyed this book quite a lot. The narrator, Eli Sisters, has a distinctive voice, and the dialogue between him and his brother is really snappy, almost cinematic. Their adventures getting from the Oregon territory to California and book are infused with a lot of dark humor. I wouldn't say there was much substance to this story, but it sure was entertaining.Read in 2015.
Rating: 4Set in the Wild West in 1851, The Sisters Brothers tells the story of Charlie and Eli Sisters, brothers and assassins who work for the powerful Commodore. We meet them as they are setting off to find Hermann Kermit Warm, who is panning for gold in California and owes the Commodore money, and we get to go along for the ride. I loved this book. The story is engaging. On the way to find Warm, Charlie and Eli meet up with a number of other interesting characters. deWitt's observations about the Wild West are wry and sometimes darkly humorous. But I was most impressed with his characterization of Eli. Eli is not your typical assassin. He is multi-layered and conflicted. He has a tender relationship with his horse, Tub (who is not the ideal mount for the situation). And although they are very different people, he has a tender relationship with his brother Charlie as well (although I'd hate to lay money on whether he likes Tub or Charlie better). This is not your typical Western. I'd recommend it for anyone who loves a good story and who likes a main character that lives and breathes.
Rating: 5Quirky, creepy, droll, and touching. I love novels which not only takes you to another place and time, but also takes you inside the character's mind
Rating: 5An interesting account of Eli and Charles Sisters, notorious guns for hire in Gold Rush Oregon/California.Expected more, but an unusual "first person" account of their life and troubles.
Rating: 3This book won the Governor General's award for English literature in 2011. I'm not sure if I would have agreed with the committee on this because one of the nominees, Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan, is a book that I greatly enjoyed. It is darkly comic which explains why it won the Stephen Leacock Medal in 2012 but quite disturbing for the violence and general immorality.Eli and Charlie Sisters are in the employ of a businessman, called the Commodore. The Sisters Brothers are essentially guns for hire and they don't usually question their instructions. However when the Commodore instructs them to go to California to kill Hermann Kermit Warm because Warm has stolen something from him Eli has some doubts about the job. Their path from Oregon City to San Francisco becomes littered with dead and maimed bodies but Eli is tiring of the killing. He thinks he would like to run a trading post but Charlie pooh-poohs that idea. Since Charlie is older and Eli looks up to him it looks like they will continue to ply their trade. In San Francisco they find their quarry gone as well as the Commodore's man, Morris, who was supposed to keep an eye on him. They continue their search in the gold fields. The decadence of life in San Francisco appalls Eli but he is equally disturbed by the gold fever exhibited by the prospectors in the field. Even Charlie seems to be taking note. Will this be enough to turn both brothers from their life of crime? The characters are not likeable but I did feel somewhat sorry for them and the predicaments they faced. And yes, there are some funny sections. Not my cup of tea really but I can imagine some people would enjoy it.
Rating: 4I read this fairly quickly, savouring every page, and now that it is finished, I'm missing it. The characterisation was excellent, the plot strong and the end was very satisfying. Some unexpected and great vocabulary too.
Rating: 4Bought this and then regretted it almost by page 10. Once again made me wonder about the standards for Canadian literatire. I found the characters to be shallow and mean. THe story is violent and just plan stupid.
Rating: 1After starting this book I couldn't put it down, and read it in one sitting. A real page-turner in every sense. It's humorous (dry) and gory at the same time. Characterization and plot are excellent, and you see the world (very differently) through the exploits of these two very dangerous brothers, who kill people without a moments thought or afterthought. Some people have described this as a western, but to me it's a novel very much set in the time and location of the California gold rush.Also, to some it would make a great film. I hope not. It's far too good to be ruined.
Rating: 5That's quite something to say when you're talking about a pair of psycopathic brothers as the Sisters' brothers are. This book is written with a warmth and understanding that is not often found in modern literature. The setting is the mid 1850's and the story covers territory from Oregon to California and back. Eli Sisters is the narrator, and we see the world through his eyes. His brother Charlie is more violent and Eli often has trouble coming to terms with the scrapes that Charlie gets them into. They make their living as hired assassins, and money comes and goes through their fingers like sand on a beach. This book is so warm and so funny and all the characters are endearing. It was not at all what I expected, but what a pleasant surprise!
Rating: 5The Sisters Brothers is a tale of violence both angry and indifferent, both mercenary and spontaneous, both to people and to animals. It is also a tale of emotion, love, philosophy, friendship, family and gold mining. A word of warning, if you should happen to meet the Sisters brothers do not approach them unless you happen to be a lovely, sweet woman - and then only communicate with the fat one.
Rating: 5Charlie and Eli Sisters are hired hands, travelling from Oregon to California at the bidding of the Commodore to kill a man named Hermann Kermit Warm.The brothers initially don't question their task, thinking only of the pay they'll receive, but as their journey progresses, Eli Sisters, being more portly and sensitive than his brother Charlie, begins to contemplate his future and finds that money isn't what he desires after all.The relationship between the brothers is brilliantly portrayed, and there is real warmth in this book. Eli's care of his horse Tub for instance, and his scarcely admitted need to be loved, make him quite an endearing character (albeit a murderous one). Charlie, on the other hand, is trying to prove something. The brothers are bonded by their tough childhood, and left home after Charlie killed their cruel father, seeking fortune as a way out of their unhappiness.I read this book quickly and enjoyed it very much. There is plenty of dark humour, violence and emotion here, and no hint of pretension, unlike many of the books nominated for this prize in the past. The Deadwood similarities are hard to avoid yes, but the book easily stands alone.And the cover design is fantastic.
Rating: 4The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
First off, I love the cover art by Dan Stiles!
In The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt, Eli and Charlie Sisters are notorious killers from Oregon working for "The Commodore" as guns for hire. They travel to California during the 1851 gold rush to kill their latest target, Hermann Kermit Warm. These two brothers are as different as night and day. Charlie is a cold-blooded killer who longs for power. Eli is a more sensitive type who would like to settle down to a simpler life. The book is narrated by Eli and his descriptions of random occurrences during their travels symbolize the deep misgivings he is having about his choices in life.
"My very center was beginning to expand, as it did before violence, a toppled pot of black ink covering the frame of my mind, its contents ceaseless, unaccountably limitless. My flesh and scalp started to ring and tingle and I became someone other than myself, or I became my second self, and this person was highly pleased to be stepping from the murk and into the living world where he might do just as he wished. I felt at once both lust and disgrace and wondered, Why do I relish this reversal to animal?"
This book is a violent and darkly funny romp through the old west. It's s not a book for everyone but it is fresh and different. Although I wasn't thrilled with the treatment of most of the animals in the book, I did enjoy the story. There were times while I was reading that I pictured a Quentin Tarantino movie. Chances are if you like those, you will like this book.
Rating: 4First off, I love the cover art by Dan Stiles!
In The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt, Eli and Charlie Sisters are notorious killers from Oregon working for "The Commodore" as guns for hire. They travel to California during the 1851 gold rush to kill their latest target, Hermann Kermit Warm. These two brothers are as different as night and day. Charlie is a cold-blooded killer who longs for power. Eli is a more sensitive type who would like to settle down to a simpler life. The book is narrated by Eli and his descriptions of random occurrences during their travels symbolize the deep misgivings he is having about his choices in life.
"My very center was beginning to expand, as it did before violence, a toppled pot of black ink covering the frame of my mind, its contents ceaseless, unaccountably limitless. My flesh and scalp started to ring and tingle and I became someone other than myself, or I became my second self, and this person was highly pleased to be stepping from the murk and into the living world where he might do just as he wished. I felt at once both lust and disgrace and wondered, Why do I relish this reversal to animal?"
This book is a violent and darkly funny romp through the old west. It's s not a book for everyone but it is fresh and different. Although I wasn't thrilled with the treatment of most of the animals in the book, I did enjoy the story. There were times while I was reading that I pictured a Quentin Tarantino movie. Chances are if you like those, you will like this book.
This is probably the book from the Booker short list that I would have thought I wouldn't have enjoyed, not usually reading westerns and having a low tolerance for violence in books, but it's the one that I actually enjoyed the most.Eli and Charlie Sisters are hired killers, paid by the 'Commodore' in Oregon City to kill a man named Herman Kermit Warm in San Francisco at the time of the California gold rush. Much of the book is taken up with their journey to San Francisco and their encounters on route, some of which are violent and some merely bizarre. The younger brother Eli narrates the story and initially seems a somewhat suprising killer: a thoughtful man who has dreams of leaving the violence behind and setting up a trading post, and who is concerned for his horse's welfare. I particularly enjoyed Eli's minor experiences en route: discovering the joys of tooth brushing or trying to order a low-fat meal in a frontier town. Eli as well as Charlie is an extremely efficient killer however, and I think for me this is what gave the book its strength, as by making him an attractive but at the same time extremely violent character the author opens up all sorts of questions about the causes of violence. The relationship between Charlie and Eli, characterised by constant bickering combined with their sense of responsibility for each other is also really well portrayed.
Rating: 5A good read with an ending I found a bit of a let down. I enojoyed the travels and adventures of the Sisters brothers as they searched for and found their latest victim. I enjoyed the existential crisis which Eli Sisters underwent through their travels. I enjoyed the character interaction and the humour present throughout the book. But at the end of it all I found myself thinking 'oh is that it'. I'm not sure why I was expecting a more profound conclusion as it was probably obvious throughout the book that this was not going to be the case, but I wanted something more. With a more satisfying ending it would have been given a better rating, but overall it was still an enjoyable read.
Rating: 3The strength and charm of this book, just like that of True Grit and I Capture the Castle is found in its narrative voice - that of Eli Sisters, the younger half of the Sisters brothers duo. This is a tale that holds everything that one would expect of the old West: brutality, ugliness, cynicism, and greed. The Sisters brothers are no innocents, they are hired killers, but when we view their actions through Eli's eyes we are treated to some of the things that we forget to think about when we think about gunslingers. For example, what happens when a hardened criminal is treated to the minty delights that can be found when he is shown how to use a toothbrush and given one of his very own? What do you do when your horse is not cut out for a life of crime but you love him anyway? Eli's conscience reveals his heart and his ruminations as he struggles to find his own voice while remaining in Charlie's shadow. I loved the interaction between the two brothers - Charlie who is a bully and a thug belittles his younger brother, but does not begrudge him. Eli loves his older brother but does not wish to emulate him. He recognizes what Charlie is but also understands why he is that way - like most relationships in life, it is complicated."I had in the last year or so given up whores entirely, thinking it best to go without than pantomime human closeness; and though it is unrealistic for a man in my position to be thinking such thoughts, I could not help myself: I saw my bulky person in the windows of the passing storefronts and wondered, When will that man there find himself to be loved?""...let's say that she wasn't all bad, but the good was there in such measly quantities you had to keep a sharp watch lest you miss it entirely."
Rating: 4I read this book as part of my local library book group selections. I thought some of the violence and cruelty was gratuitous and that the plot meandered a bit. I enjoyed Eli's insights into his own nature and his relationship with his horses.I thought there was nothing redeemable about Charlie. Some parts like the ending with their mother seemed just tacked on for not apparent (to me) reason.
Rating: 2This darkly comic western is a stylish foray into an old genre. From the eye-catching cover art to the strong interior graphic design, this book shouts for attention. Cleverly written, deWitt tells the story of Eli and Charlie, the infamous Sisters Brothers, as they travel from Oregon territory to San Francisco during the Gold Rush. They are killers-for-hire, although one of the brothers is decidedly less blood-thirsty than the other. Eli is worried about his weight and he discovers the joys of dental hygiene along the way. He longs to settle into a quiet life, with a wife and a store to tend, and to leave his current life far behind him.My attitude about this decision was that it would be the last bit of bloodshed for my foreseeable future, if not the rest of my life; I told Charlie this and he told me that if the thought brought me comfort I should embrace it. "But," he said, "you're forgetting about the Commodore.""Oh, yes. Well, after him then."Charlie paused. "And there will likely be some killing related to the Commodore's death. Accusations leveled, debts owed, that sort of thing. Could be quite bloody, in fact."I thought, Then this will be the final era of killing in my lifetime.The Sisters Brothers is full to the brim with colorful characters and situations. There's certainly never a dull moment as the brothers make their bloody way south. My only quibble with this book is that it lacked depth and substance, but the shiny outer layer was sure pretty.
Rating: 3A beautifully written story that almost approaches that effervescent magic of a timeless fable, "The Sisters Brothers" starts off as a picaresque Western yarn but ends as a great American novel (written by a Canadian) about greed, morality and family. With moments thrilling, funny and plaintive, the story is reminiscent of some of the Coen Brothers' finest films in its skillful ability to weave together so many heady themes with visceral entertainment into a masterpiece of frontier literature.
Rating: 5A great yarn, certainly pulls you along, but fairly vapid in terms of deep characterization. Reminds me of a well-paced video game. The ending just sort of peters out and you can see the conclusion coming for a good 100 pages. Still, it was engrossing and highly entertaining. Reminded me a bit of Wells Tower in the prose, but without the emotional impact (although Wells has a tendency for going over-sentimental in a New Yorker kind of way).
I found the whole use of alchemy to find gold pretty lame, and saw the poisonous outcome as pretty obvious. six months later, I can barely remember the end of the book, which sort of makes sense, since I found the book to really lose its power when the Brothers find Warm.Then I remember that Charlie loses his gunhand in the acid (oh the symbolism!) and they kill the Commodore in some tricksy manner.
7/10
Rating: 3I found the whole use of alchemy to find gold pretty lame, and saw the poisonous outcome as pretty obvious. six months later, I can barely remember the end of the book, which sort of makes sense, since I found the book to really lose its power when the Brothers find Warm.Then I remember that Charlie loses his gunhand in the acid (oh the symbolism!) and they kill the Commodore in some tricksy manner.
7/10
a old day westerm about two hitmen. good tempo. very honest. not everything is black and white but lots of shades between. sweet and charming. you cant help yourself but have to like the two brothers.
Rating: 3I found this kind of slow going at the start, and if it hadn't been a choice for my book club I may have given up. But I'm glad I stuck with it, and I enjoyed it more than anticipated. I don't mean to give it such faint praise -- it's just a very unconventional story and it took me awhile to get into what it was doing.
Rating: 4Characters you will laugh at and cherish. Ended too soon.
Rating: 4Meet Charlie and Eli Sisters, two hired gunmen working in the goldrush era of the Old West. Not that they're indiscriminate killers, mind; they're employed by "The Commodore" to do various jobs, most of which involve killing.Eli Sisters, the gentler and more philosophical of the two, is the narrator, and his voice is perfect. Slightly formal in language (I believe there's only one contraction used in the book), slyly humorous, and quietly observant of the vagaries of men and women, Eli quickly endears himself to the reader. Seen through his eyes, the lives of the brothers seem unfortunate but nevertheless interesting, exciting, and full of complicated characters.The plot involves the brothers' search for Hermann Kermit Warm (now there's a name to conjure with), whom the Commodore wants killed. On the way, they have many adventures, at least one of which is stomach-turning. But the evolution of their characters, the resolution of the main plotline, and the careful exploration of motive and minor characters make this book well worth reading. The book demands, and makes easy, a complete suspension of disbelief--not a simple accomplishment. Highly recommended.
Rating: 5Very smart, very witty, and an entertaining cast of characters. If you like your westerns with a modern Coen Brothers feel, you'll love The Sisters Brothers.
Rating: 5This was one of the more fun books I read all year. It is set in the Old West during the time of the California gold rush and follows the exploits of Charlie and Eli Sisters, two hired guns with a reputation for dirty killings. These two brothers are out doing the bidding of a very powerful man when things start to change for them and they start plotting how to best ensure their survival with all of the double and triple-crossing going on.No bones about it - this is a violent book. But then how could the lawless West be any different? What's interesting are all of the tender and contemplative moments that the author has peppered the story with to help draw the characters' changing lives out and the readers in.The whole way through you never know how it's going to end. Ride of in the sunset? A duel at sunset? Gunned down in the back, payback for any one of the dozens of murders these two have committed?It was a brutal time and these guys were neck deep in it. But it's worth following all of the way through, to the end, to see just how far their killer instincts and brotherly allegiance will get them.A very unique story for 2011 and I'm glad I read it. I am giving this one 3 out of five stars and recommending it to people I know.
Rating: 3I have to say that I really loved this book and found myself liking the 'brothers' - This is well written and uniquely original and far removed from your typical western. Really good and different and thoroughly enjoyable!
Rating: 4