The Sisters Brothers

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The Sisters Brothers
Patrick DeWitt
2011

The Summary
Patrick DeWitt chronicles the unfortunate misadventures of Eli and Charlie Sisters, the infamous Sisters Brothers who have made a name for their work as professional murders.

Now, working for a man known simply as Commodore, Eli and Charlie are headed for Sacramento in search of Hermann Kermit Warm, in order to kill the man and bring back what he's stolen from the Commodore.

But Eli has begun to question their journey and his brother's motives for wealth and fame - and he wonders whether his life is the one he wants or the one he has been forced to take.

The Good
DeWitt's novel, to say the least, is not your typical western.  (Perhaps, "spaghetti western" would be a more appropriate term?)  Strangely compelling and slightly absurd, The Sisters Brothers has a ring of oddity and truth to it that makes it simultaneously humorous and dark.

More than merely fashioning an odd tale about a pair of bickering and violence-prone brothers, DeWitt's books explodes with unique and off-kilter characters that are strangely likeable, Eli included.  Seemingly the sanest individual of The Sisters Brothers, Eli is a compelling and heart-warming narrator with a story to tell and a hatchet to bury and a life of his own.

The Bad
To be honest, The Sisters Brothers is absurd to the degree of being almost annoying.  Sometimes, it's just plain weird and strangely melancholy - and you have to wonder whether this pair of unfortunate brothers will ever catch a break.

Arguably, DeWitt's novel is very well-written, nicely paced, and enjoyably suspenseful with intricate, if unusual, characters.  But, personally, I didn't find this story spectacularly compelling or addictive.  It's a fine read, but not particularly exceptional.

The Ugly
Murder, insanity, bloodshed, mayhem, cursing and swearing, and death.  I think it's fair to say that there is a disproportionate amount of misfortune and death - of humans and animals alike - within the brothers' lives.  In short, they don't exactly escape unscathed.