denesaur's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
bhsmith's review against another edition
4.0
The Sisters Brothers is two types of story wrapped up in one novel: a very cleverly written dark comedy, and also a laugh-out-loud absurdist comic travelogue through the landscape of the California gold-rush. Patrick deWitt does an excellent job weaving these two types of comic stories together into a very rewarding and engrossing tale.
The Sisters Brothers are assassins in the fever of the 1800s gold rush. The novel starts quite simply: the brothers get a new assignment of someone to kill. But, the journey to actually complete this job is where the fun really happens. They meet an odd cast of characters along the way and encounter some unusual obstacles just getting from one place to another. In fact, the bulk of this novel doesn't have anything to do with the murder they've been hired to commit, but rather just follows the brothers on their journey to take care of business.
Being assassins, there is plenty of death and killing and lack of respect for life in this book. Which is where the darkly comedic parts of the novel really shine. There is an undercurrent of death playing out in nearly every scene in the book, which very much fits the theme of the novel. These deaths often are a little grandiose or silly, but that plays nicely into the dark comedy... you laugh at the circumstances, but later feel a tad guilty you were laughing about death.
The absurdist comedy is also sprinkled throughout the whole book. In fact, each chapter is only a few pages long, and the entire novel really reads like a "set 'em up and knock 'em down" style of sketch comedy. The antics of the brothers and all the people they meet fit nicely into these tiny chapter-length anecdotes.
The Sisters Brothers is a quick, fun read with plenty of twists and turns and unexpected outcomes to keep things interesting all the way to the end.
The Sisters Brothers are assassins in the fever of the 1800s gold rush. The novel starts quite simply: the brothers get a new assignment of someone to kill. But, the journey to actually complete this job is where the fun really happens. They meet an odd cast of characters along the way and encounter some unusual obstacles just getting from one place to another. In fact, the bulk of this novel doesn't have anything to do with the murder they've been hired to commit, but rather just follows the brothers on their journey to take care of business.
Being assassins, there is plenty of death and killing and lack of respect for life in this book. Which is where the darkly comedic parts of the novel really shine. There is an undercurrent of death playing out in nearly every scene in the book, which very much fits the theme of the novel. These deaths often are a little grandiose or silly, but that plays nicely into the dark comedy... you laugh at the circumstances, but later feel a tad guilty you were laughing about death.
The absurdist comedy is also sprinkled throughout the whole book. In fact, each chapter is only a few pages long, and the entire novel really reads like a "set 'em up and knock 'em down" style of sketch comedy. The antics of the brothers and all the people they meet fit nicely into these tiny chapter-length anecdotes.
The Sisters Brothers is a quick, fun read with plenty of twists and turns and unexpected outcomes to keep things interesting all the way to the end.
st3lr0b's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
superharvedog's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
2.0
A wild west adventure that is darkly comedic. The characters are intriguing particularly Eli, who is not cut from the same rough-and-tumble cloth as his marauding brother. While intriguing, the characters fail to develop over the course of the story an the ending is rather abut. The movie is worth a watch in that it portrays and develops some of the other characters besides the brothers in a satisfying way.
ginbott's review against another edition
3.0
Another classic case of Goodreads rating issues. Really this is a solid 3.5 stars but I'm not allowed a more nuanced opinion...
Eli Sisters is a great narrator and it's a pleasure to be in his company for the duration of this novel. His contemplative nature, loneliness and the contrast between his profession and outlook on life are presented wonderfully melancholic and at times funny by deWitt.
The story itself is not spectacular, there are some interesting encounters, but the main focus is on the relationship between the brothers. You do get that classic 'western' feeling from the novel; plenty of guns being fired. They are men of few words and so is everyone they encounter. But the insight into Eli's character does make up for much of that, without him the novel wouldn't have held my attention for more than a couple of pages.
A fairly simple and quick, satisfying read.
Eli Sisters is a great narrator and it's a pleasure to be in his company for the duration of this novel. His contemplative nature, loneliness and the contrast between his profession and outlook on life are presented wonderfully melancholic and at times funny by deWitt.
The story itself is not spectacular, there are some interesting encounters, but the main focus is on the relationship between the brothers. You do get that classic 'western' feeling from the novel; plenty of guns being fired. They are men of few words and so is everyone they encounter. But the insight into Eli's character does make up for much of that, without him the novel wouldn't have held my attention for more than a couple of pages.
A fairly simple and quick, satisfying read.
afox98's review against another edition
3.0
Charlie and Eli Sisters are killers for hire in the Wild West, but Eli years for a better life. On a mission to kill Hermann Warm for their boss, the Commodore, Charlie and Eli encounter prospectors in the California gold rush, prostitutes, big bosses, and quirky characters in between. Some nice writing in a dark novel.
carodellynch's review against another edition
3.0
I found this story an engaging adventure. Struggling to stick with stories right now, but deWitt’s characters particularly kept me entertained.
writermattphillips's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent western... Look for the allusions to The Sound and the Fury... Great freaking read.
ojreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75