The Sisters Brothers

By: Patrick deWitt

Narrated by: John Pruden

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

A trip in to the Wild West

Would you consider the audio edition of The Sisters Brothers to be better than the print version?

Funny, and witty and wonderfully insightful. The story line was entertaining and left you guessing right to the very end. I've never rooted so hard for a bad guy.

unexpected but enjoyable.

If you could sum up The Sisters Brothers in three words, what would they be?

Unexpected. Surprising. Fascinating.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The narrator is my obvious choice. He is the younger brother, and a bit of a sheep sometimes, but the story told from his perspective is effective.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

This is an interesting question, because as I read this book, I had the thought that it felt like it could be a Quentin Tarantino film.

Any additional comments?

Western genres are not typically my genre, and it's only because the reviews that stated it 'was not your typical western' intrigued me. The characters were memorable for sure, and I did enjoy the book, although I'm not sure I'd read any more of this genre again.

Very peculiar story performed exceedingly well

I had previously read this book while on a trip through thailand, which as one might imagine provided for a thoroughly interesting atmosphere. Nonetheless I thought I would give it a listen, see what kind of narrative another took. I really must say the performance far exceeded my expectations and to an almost obscurely coincidental note matched the narrative I had developed in my mind while reading the book. Very interesting story and an even better performance.

I have enjoying every minute of the book.

I have enjoying every minute of the book, the story and especially performance.
Will highly recommend.

Quite macabre

I enjoyed the narrator, I felt he added to the story but it was a strange unsatisfactory tale. Quote blood curdling in parts but also quite funny.

Great listen with a great performance.

Found this tale very intersting from start to finish, with the author producing good western gun slinging while still connecting you to the characters and the world they inhabited. And the narration is some of the best I've ever heard in a fiction book.

Solid western, not the best choice of narrator

Solid western. Narrator is fantastic at exposition but a bit weak on voices for the characters. This might sound picky but I felt it distracted from the nature of the characters when the dialogue is read. I think he'd be excellent for non-fiction but his performance of the dialogue feels half baked in that he goes for distinctive voices for different characters but delivers the same deadpan performance for them which seems to have maybe altered the tone of the book - but to be fair I'm saying that having not read it in print.
The book makes for good character studies and shows reverence for the genre while taking steps to bring something new to the table. Refreshing to read a relatively new entry in the genre.

Not my cup of tea

What disappointed you about The Sisters Brothers?

The story seemed to ramble. It seemed as though the author was trying to be "profound", but instead was in turns violent and boring.

Would you ever listen to anything by Patrick deWitt again?

If it is similar to this, no.

What about John Pruden’s performance did you like?

Narration was clear and precise. Too bad the script was not up to the narrator's skills.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

I dreaded having to continue reading. Had to read it for a book club meeting, otherwise I would not have bothered finishing it.

I just don't get it.

I kept waiting to have a eureka moment while reading this book - wondering if, like when I read Lord of the Flies in high school, I had missed an underlying message.
After much book club discussion, I've decided I didn't miss anything - the book was just a miss for me - I still am not sure what I was meant to get out of it.