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    The Sisters Brothers
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    The Sisters Brothers
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    The Sisters Brothers
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Sisters Brothers

    Written by Patrick deWitt

    Narrated by William Hope

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Oregon, 1851. Eli and Charlie Sisters, notorious professional killers, are on their way to California to kill a man named Hermann Kermit Warm. On the way, the brothers have a series of unsettling experiences in the landscape of Gold Rush America. And they bicker a lot. Arriving in California, and discover that Warm has invented a magical formula, which could make all of them very rich. What happens next is utterly gripping, strange and sad…
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherW. F. Howes Ltd
    Release dateOct 1, 2011
    ISBN9781407494524
    Author

    Patrick deWitt

    Patrick deWitt is the author of the novels French Exit (a national bestseller), The Sisters Brothers (a New York Times bestseller short-listed for the Booker Prize), and the critically acclaimed Undermajordomo Minor and Ablutions. Born in British Columbia, he now resides in Portland, Oregon.

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    Reviews for The Sisters Brothers

    4/5

    1,873 ratings192 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This was a 5-star read for me. It's about the Eli and Charles Sisters, assassins, who have been contacted to kill Hermann Warm on behalf of a fearsome man, the Commodore. They initially don't know why the Commodore wants Warm dead and they, especially Charles, doesn't care. On their way (this novel is set in 1851), they have all these adventures with different strange characters - which never feels dreary or repetitive. They'd eventually question their mission, and by the time they reach Warm, their minds would change about killing him.

      If you'd told me I'd love a novel about cowboys and horses, I'd have said, pfft, but this is one of my favourite books ever now. I look forward forward the film.

      I read this on audio: William Hope is a wonderful narrator.
    • 4/5
      I 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!
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book. I grew up when there were many westerns on TV and at the picture show (as we used to say), and I sometimes hunger for a good western. This is a bit of an early western, I think -- 1851 -- and I worried at times about Eli Sisters being a bit ahead of his time, both in his attitudes and in his language -- or perhaps it's a combination of the two -- his ability to verbalize his concerns so well. I remember hearing my dad grumble sometimes when his favorite western TV series presented episodes that reflected 1950s-60s issues and concerns. According to the dictionary, "catatonic" was not in use in the 1850s, though perhaps Eli didn't sit down to write out his memoirs until he was a very old man. The language used by Eli interested me in many ways -- I'm not enough of a student of such things to comment in any meaningful way, but it didn't bother me, in fact, may have increased my pleasure in the book. As much as I liked the book, I still wanted more from it -- and of course "more" of anything in it might have spoiled it completely. With a good western, for me at least, there's always the standard of the dime novel -- or the Saturday morning movie serials -- to consider. Charlie Sisters' view of things, in a way. No wasting time, not much talk, do what you have to do and get out, don't think about it after. Which is what makes Eli Sisters' voice so damned compelling.
    • 4/5
      Have gun(s) will travel! Brothers Charlie and Eli are hired to kill Hermann Warm. It's their job, but they approach it in different ways. Charlie is the shoot-and-ask-questions later type of gunslinger while our narrator, Eli Sisters, is a kinder, gentler sort. For a cold-blooded killer, he shows a warm heart for his old nag Tub, for some of the characters they cross paths with, and for all the "ladies" he meets.They meet up with some memorable individuals - and even a big red grizzly - on their journey to Sacramento to carry out their latest job. Charlie spends much of his time getting drunk while Eli embarks on a self-improvement program of oral hygiene and weight loss. It was good to have a little lightness in this book about a greedy time in our country's past where the lust for gold caused men to treat life cheaply and go to any extreme to strike it rich. They don't call it the Wild West for nothing! Although the book was often violent and sometimes bawdy, it was always entertaining.
    • 4/5
      Greatly entertaining Western. Will definitely end up a movie. Best part for me is the gold-panning camp mess, which is a smaller-scale but comparably powerful depiction of the commercial despoliation of the western outdoors as the bison slaughter in Butcher's Crossing.
    • 5/5
      Meet 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.
    • 5/5
      For me it was unusual and loved how vivid and beautiful the characters are.
    • 3/5
      Brothers Charlie and Eli Sisters, hired killers, are sent to California to track down a prospector named Herman Kermit Warm, but as the trip goes on, Eli's conscience gets louder and Charlie may just have to play second fiddle for the first time in the brothers' life. I enjoyed the characters - even if I didn't like any of them - and found them intriguing to follow. deWitt provides a slightly different spin on "Wild West" literature and it's an entertaining read, if not completely satisfactory. The voice of the main character clashes (intentionally) with the style of story, but I'm not really buying it as it is used as an indication that Eli is more emotionally sophisticated than his brother and I'm not sure that it is true. He's says he's more reluctant to kill, but when it comes down to it, he kills just as fast as his brother, so I'm not sure it's true - saying it does not make it so. Still, it's a story that is interesting to read - as long as you don't have anything against a bit of gore - and comes to a reasonably acceptable conclusion.
    • 5/5
      I thought the narrator did a great job of reading this . A fun listen
    • 4/5
      One can tell that the author of The Sisters Brothers loves language and worked painstakingly at every sentence, to give it meaning and flow. This story of two brothers who are hired killers in the Old West is a lean story, with little vignettes of experiences. One brother, Eli, the narrator, is more thoughtful, caring, and naive than his brother, Charlie. Charlie is a born killer (or was made a killer by their father). Yet the two plod on together, arguing and making up, through the story, until they reach a kind of peace and the beginning of a new life.I loved the design of this book as well. The cover and the illustrations between chapters added to the feel of the story. I recommend this one!
    • 3/5
      Low key and interesting. I loved Eli's voice and the way very little seemed to rattle him. The twists and turns the job took kept my interest and the author has some wonderful descriptions - particularly of the effects of the "solution" on the skin.

      I definitely recommend the audio book for this one. I'd actually give it 3 1/2 but round down.
    • 2/5
      "It was OK" is probably a good summary of my reading the book. Cons: "Interesting" characters portrayed flatly. Weird portrayal of women. Plot wraps up (or doesn't) pretty weak in my opinion. I kept hoping for more than it was. Lack of motivation for anyone doing anything. Pro: Nice writing. Cowboy mercenary brothers. Meh?
    • 4/5
      Set in the Sierra Nevada, Oregon City, and San Francisco during the Gold Rush, brothers Charlie and Eli Sisters are hired killers working for mysterious “Commodore.” They are in search of their next assigned victim. As the story proceeds, it becomes obvious that Eli, the narrator, is simply following in his older brother Charlie’s footsteps and has misgivings about continuing a life of crime.

      “I was not an efficient killer. I was not and had never been and would never be. Charlie had been able to make use of my temper was all; he had manipulated me, exploited my personality, just as a man prods a rooster before a cockfight. I thought, How many times have I pulled my pistol on a stranger and fired a bullet into his body, my heart a mad drum of outrage, for the lone reason that he was firing at Charlie, and my very soul demanded I protect my own flesh and blood?”

      Frankly, I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I had a preconceived notion that it would adhere to the typical “western frontier outlaw” trope, but the narrative often moves in unexpected directions. Patrick deWitt is quite the storyteller – I found this book imaginative and expressive. It will not be for everyone. It contains sporadic gory scenes and brutal murders, offset somewhat by subtle dark humor, though I would not call it funny. It will appeal to those that enjoy picaresque tales.
    • 4/5
      What do the matches mean??? XD
    • 5/5
      Really dark and funny. I really liked the way Eli would describe things subtly but very wittily at the same time.
    • 4/5
      “He stuck his head in the room and said my name but I did not answer. He closed the door and moved to his room and I lay in the dark thinking about the difficulties of family, how crazy and crooked the stories of a bloodline can be.” — Patrick DeWitt, “The Sisters Brothers”The "difficulties of family" lie at the heart of the crazy and crooked story that is “The Sisters Brothers” (2011) by Patrick DeWitt.Professional hitmen weren't called that in the mid-19th century. Eli and Charlie Sisters are just hired guns, sent by a wealthy man to eliminate rivals and annoyances. They are good at their job, or at least Charlie is. He can kill easily and without remorse whether he gets paid for it or not. Eli, the novel's narrator, follows his brother because he is his brother, but his heart isn't really in it. He craves the love of a woman and the pleasure of staying in one spot for awhile.Most of the novel tells of their travails on the road to their target, a man who has discovered a seemingly magical, yet dangerous, way to extract gold from a river. Should they kill him as ordered or go into business with him?As with DeWitt's later novels, “Undermajordomo Minor” and “French Exit,” “The Sisters Brothers” has enough hilarity to make you think it is a comic novel, while the author actually delivers a serious story about the human struggle to cope with life.By the end of the novel, the Sisters brothers are quite different men and their relationship has changed dramatically. Reading their story is a pleasurable adventure.
    • 5/5
      True Grit meets Pulp Fiction meets Deadwood meets ... Don Quixote?

      That makes The Sisters Brothers sound derivative and unoriginal, but what it really is, is a "True Grit meets ..." for 2019. What begins as an ordinary mission of death and retribution to the enemies of their employer, the mysterious Commodore, results in the Sisters brothers, Eli and Charlie, learning things that begin to shake their loyalty, and wonder if they have been misled.

      Here's a hint, the Commodore has promised to make them all great again, basking in his reflected greatness. Here's a mild spoiler: he's not.

      It's as if two members of Ned Pepper's gang had begun to question their life choices. As if Vincent and Jules had moved on from their earnest discussions of McDonald's Royales to wonder aloud about their motivations, and question their loyalty to their employer. It's as if Don Quixote and Sancho Panza had started to realize that the windmills weren't the only things they they had to worry about.

      I enjoyed this immensely. I enjoyed the dynamic between the two brothers, the gentle and uncharismatic Eli, who falls in love with every lady who speaks to him politely and doesn't immediately make fun of him, and who would like to give up killing on behalf of the Commodore, the way a regular person would like to give up candy for Lent (ie, with good intentions, but without much hope of success). And stone-cold killer Charlie, who fancies himself a Commodore-in-training, and considers the trail of bodies that he leaves in his wake to be the natural by-product of that ambition. And the rag-tag assortment of humanity that they encounter during their latest mission on behalf of the Commodore: the fakes, the self-deceived, and the blindly optimistic. One man, who repeatedly crosses their path, is crying so hard, he can't catch his breath long enough to explain why he is crying.

      In 2019, I can relate to that.
    • 4/5
      Adult fiction; western humor. I'm not huge into westerns but I did enjoy this quite a bit--it lives up to the hype and I would certainly recommend.
    • 4/5
      The story is good, but the telling of it is magical. You get to know the characters intimately through the main character. The writing is incredibly descriptive and carries you along as if you are floating leisurely in a row boat down a stream.
    • 3/5
      I'm waffling between a two and three star rating, because I think this book was a solid 2.5 stars for me. There's a genuinely interesting commentary about the nature of greed and the illusion of the American Dream, but it comes in about 250 pages into the book. The first 100 pages is a slog, and it takes a long time for the plot to really come together. What didn't help was that the book reminded me a lot of the film Hell or High Water. This wouldn't be a problem if I had read the book first, but because I saw the movie first, I kept making comparisons and that took away from the book's potency.
    • 3/5
      This is a millennial take on the western and features a cowboy with a conscience. Eli Sisters and his brother Charlie are professional killers, but Eli has a heart and is beginning to reconsider his profession. He and Charlie are on a mission for a shady character known only as the Commodore: They must find Hermann Warm, steal his secret formula for finding gold, get rid of him and get the money/info back to the boss. However, trust is a commodity on both sides and the Sisters Brothers are not known for their morality. Eli is having a personal crisis in this regard as he looks for love in all the wrong places, re-thinks his profession, and fantasizes about opening a little shop and leaving the violence behind. The violence is brutal, but strangely muted by the humor in the story - mostly conveyed through the brotherly relationship and the wide range of wacky characters they encounter and dispatch on the trail. Their journey takes them from Oregon City to Sacramento and their plan goes awry, but given the time period and setting, (wild west in the gold rush era) any plan seems ludicrous - there is a lot of double-crossing and easy-come/easy-go. Only complaint is that this feels like a sequel -- lots of backstory revealed that could almost stand on its own -- maybe there'll be a prequel? I could totally see this as a movie played by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck or whatever buddy duo is more up to date. It begs for visualization and deadpan looks at the camera - the audience would feel so smart in comparison! Ultimately the Sisters Brothers end up back where they started with everything different, but nothing changed.
    • 5/5
      I'm sorry I haven't read this book before. The writing style was so carefree that it made the book so easy to zoom right through. But the story was unique about the Sisters brothers. I loved their differences and their escapades and Eli was certainly the brother with the soft touch. Great read.
    • 4/5
      The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt Loved the off beat pulse of this book, never predictable, a breath of fresh air.

      Loved it.
    • 3/5
      Moments of brilliance but largely underwhelming sadly, really wanted to enjoy it more than I did
    • 5/5
      I don't think I've ever read a western before and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The level of humor and compassion the author creates through simple language really impressed me. Highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      Stylistically, this novel owes a lot to Charles Portis' "True Grit," but it is its own tale of a man questioning his violent life and his ties to his brother. A great noir Western.
    • 3/5
      The man known only as the Commodore, has ordered that Hermann Warm must die. He has sent his two thugs, Charlie and Eli Sisters, to make sure that this happens. Hermann Warm is a number of days ride away across the desert at his gold mining claim near Sacramento.

      Loading up their horses, they set off after him. America in the 1850s was in the grip of gold fever, and the lands that they were crossing were lawless, harsh and unforgiving. As they move from town to town meeting with whores, losers and others from the underbelly of frontier America. There are gunfights, shady dealings and other shenanigans, but slowly they close in on their target.

      On the route, Eli begins to question exactly why they are going there, he has never been a fan of the violence as Charlie is, but always helped him as they fought back against their tyrannical father. Their victim is not someone who has killed many people, but just an inventor of something that the Commodore wants.

      This was a swift, enjoyable read in lots of ways. It is a unusual view of the gritty American Western, normally seen through films, because you are actually seeing the point of view of the nasty guys. deWitt manages to get across just how seedy these towns were, from the whores, the gunfight in the stable, the way that they treated death too. There is black humour too; pretty graphic violence and great atmospherics of that time and place. What let it down for me was the plot, it was a touch predictable, and didn’t really have the big twist that I hoping for.
    • 4/5
      If you liked the HBO series Deadwood, you will like DeWitt’s The Sisters Brothers. Both are genre-bending Westerns, both dark and comic in turn, both character and plot rich. I haven’t read a fiction book this good in quite a while. It not only captured my attention, it held it to the very end. As an aside, I loved the cover artwork and thought it was a perfect representation of the content within.
    • 5/5
      Do yourself a favor and read this book. It original and entertaining and dark and wonderful.
    • 3/5
      If the title of the Sisters Brothers doesn't attract your attention, the cover graphic certainly will! Charlie and Eli Sisters are brothers, bounty hunters in Gold Rush days in California. Their immediate task is to find one Hermann Kermit Warm, who has devised a formula that when dumped into water enhances the color of gold making it easy to pluck the pieces out. As they travel from Oregon City to the banks of the river near Sacramento they encounter a cast of colorful figures (and animals), escape many tight spots, and gain and lose lots of money.

      It's a little like a comic-western movie. They may remind you of Abbott and Costello - one with a strong personality, the other with a softer side. Charlie may bring Owen Wilson to mind for a leading role. The repartee is snappy and the adventures keep you turning the pages. Not usually my kind of book, but I enjoyed it.