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4.05.2012

A Review: The Sisters Brother by Patrick deWitt



"He was reaping the benefits, both monetary and spiritual, of his hard labors and intelligence, and it made me think of my own path, which by comparison was so much more the thoughtless and heartless one."

I didn't jump on the bandwagon with this one when it was first published for a number of reasons. The fact that it was a western was the least alluring component of all. And it's pretty big here. It's got men and guns and horses and dust and whores and liquor. And the whole not showering situation and drinking coffee brewed on a fire and all the other jazz you've seen on a TV during your life on the planet Earth. So, I was a bit hesitant. While I won't be shouting praises from the roof tops, I will say that it was a worthy read. I'd suggest it if you happen to be looking for something a little different in your life (unless you are a western fanatic...then I haven't a clue). I am also ignorant to the "beauty" of western genre in general, so I certainly wasn't picky.

Eli and Charlie Sisters are infamous killers traveling down the Pacific coast on orders from their boss, the Commodore. On a hunt for Hermann Warm, the creator of a deadly tonic that allows prospectors to obtain gold in the river beds more easily, the two encounter a number of interesting characters along the way. Traveling from one dusty town to the next, Eli expresses his discontent with his line of work, the dichotomy of his personality and the personal history of him and his brother. Gunslinging, brandy consuming, fire stoking entertainment is packed into this relatively short title. Sort of, anyway.

I think what impressed me most was my experience and reaction to our narrator, Eli Sisters. Despite his temper and capacity to snap a man's neck (or quick shot to the head) in a moment's notice, I could sympathize with his character.  Eli's been created to be introspective, a contrast to his bloodthirsty brother. Most of the novel is comprised of Eli's brooding, or I guess I should say the point of view is less focused on the action itself, and more on Eli's reaction to the violence and reflection on his capacity to be violent.  He explains his childhood with Charlie, Eli being the younger of the two, and offers an explanation as to how they developed these personality traits. While Eli may be tough, we also see a sensitive side that longs for his brother's affection and approval, and to do work that is honest. 

It's interesting, too, how deWitt manages to capture the lawless landscape where men loathe to be, but are, oddly enough, drawn to foolishly. The side effects of the wonder tonic that Warm has created, which promises to make a man rich, pollute the clean water supply and burn the flesh of those who stand in its way. I found this especially interesting as it displays this snapshot of time when people didn't adhere to safety and sanitation laws. A time when drugs were liberally given and taken with no thought to the consequences. Additionally, this western way of life is another definition of the later-in-coming American dream where riches, success and freedom are coveted.

All and all, it wasn't my favorite read of the year. I'll go so far as to say that there were times when I didn't think I was going to finish. However, after moving past the first half of the book, I was interested enough to discover the outcome of their adventure. Plus, there were some laugh out loud moments that I didn't really expect to encounter. I probably won't be picking up a western anytime in the near future, but I'm glad I gave this one a chance.



14 comments:

  1. Nice review! I keep seeing this cover pop up everywhere but I really knew nothing about it before reading your review (it's a Western??) I don't think I'll be actively looking for this book but at the same time I'm not going to avoid it either. It sounds interesting in a "if it falls into my hands" kind of way.

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    1. Yeah, I actually picked this one up when I saw it on the shelf of the recent releases at the library. It seemed interesting and I knew I'd only have a little while to finish (so no procrastinating). If you happen upon it, give it a go. I'd be interested to see your review.

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  2. I absolutely loved this book when I read it a few months ago and I've been pressing it on as many people as possible since then. I haven't run into anyone that flat out didn't like it - so far so good!

    I'm glad you enjoyed it despite your reservations of the genre. Does that mean I should try a romance novel now? :)

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    1. Brooks,
      I wouldn't quite venture to the romances just yet. I don't think I'll pick up westerns in the future, because I feel like this one was quite different than what you would normally expect. I think I enjoyed Eli's reflection much more than the action offered by the lifestyle of the cowboy or bandit. It was interesting and funny and smart. I've been selective in who I've been recommending it to.

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  3. Nice review, Beth. I've had my eye on this one since it won the tournament of books this year. I'm not normally drawn to Western books either but I could give this one a shot!

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    1. I think you'd enjoy it. It was certainly very different than many of the books I've read this year.

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  4. Hi Beth, I might be being stupid but I can't seem to find a way to contact you so I thought I'd comment here! I really like you reviews and was wondering about your policy on reviewing for other people? I blog at littlewordsreview.wordspress.com - check it out and click on 'Submissions' for my guidelines. Would be great to have you write something for Little Words Review! Thanks, Lizzi

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    1. I should probably make contacting me a little easier. Thanks for pointing that out! At the moment I've stepping away from reviewing as much, but I'd love to participate in the future. Thanks so much for the offer!

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  5. I'm glad you liked it even though Westerns aren't exactly your favourite books. I bought it recently and even though it'll be my first Western, I'm cautiously optimistic :)

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    1. Sam,
      I hope you enjoy this one. I think you will. The genre is certainly an area I've never really been interested in.

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  6. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this one. It made me realize I think I do actually like westerns because they seem almost dystopian to me. I laughed out loud quite a few times too! It wasn't one of my favorite reads of the year, but it was the perfect book to read in between the other, more serious Booker longlisted titles from last summer!

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    1. Yeah, I enjoyed it but agree that it wasn't one of my favorites of the year. I'm sure that it was a nice read in between all those Booker reads.

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  7. Thanks for this review - I have been wondering for ages if I would like this book or not... I am still wondering but am happy to know a bit more about it! I suspect my reactions would be similar to yours.

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    1. I think that it certainly has its moments. I did enjoy some parts but overall found it to be an entertaining but less than profound read. Hope you enjoy if you do decide to tackle it.

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