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A review by tits_mcgee
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A version of the Western genre I didn’t know I needed in my life, until now. I’m referring of course to deWitt’s deadpan black humour, a form of satire that plays nicely with the cruelty of Ye Olde West.
“Here is another miserable mental image I will have to catalogue and make room for.”
The two brothers, Eli and Charlie, are an entertaining yin-yang of cruelty versus blind loyalty. The narrator, Eli, is the heart and soul of the book; polite, self conscious and naive, yet deadly toward anyone Charlie deems an enemy – which is most people.
Eli’s sweet disposition is the perfect tool for bringing the humour out in the cruelty of the world, he is dragged through bloody hell and yet his concerns are with his handicapped horse and with finding a wife to settle down and open a store.
Charlie on the other hand wishes nothing more than to leave a trail of horror on his path to infamy and wealth. His gritty Marlboro Man attitude worthy of Clint Eastwood is the quintessential Western trope of hard-nut gunslinger; his role is an important one, for it is the relationship between Charlie and Eli that creates this darkly hilarious masterpiece.
The plot is episodic, every chapter brings with it a new quirky character or strange incident. I liked this strategy, it allowed what is essentially quite a slow story to feel fast, it allowed Eli to contemplate on all of the tropes of The West as the main plot ticked slowly along.
I don’t reckon this book will ever become a literary classic, and I don’t reckon this will be anyone’s favourite book – BUT it was refreshing to read deWitt’s personality, of which I believe is strewn on the pages of this book in quite a revealing way. While I could drown in Cormac McCarthy’s writing all day long, I think I would rather hang out with deWitt – drinking beer and whisky, and laughing at the absurdity of life.
The film was utter dog shite though. Damn shame, I love much of the cast but it just didn’t capture the feeling of the book in any way.
9/10
“Here is another miserable mental image I will have to catalogue and make room for.”
The two brothers, Eli and Charlie, are an entertaining yin-yang of cruelty versus blind loyalty. The narrator, Eli, is the heart and soul of the book; polite, self conscious and naive, yet deadly toward anyone Charlie deems an enemy – which is most people.
Eli’s sweet disposition is the perfect tool for bringing the humour out in the cruelty of the world, he is dragged through bloody hell and yet his concerns are with his handicapped horse and with finding a wife to settle down and open a store.
Charlie on the other hand wishes nothing more than to leave a trail of horror on his path to infamy and wealth. His gritty Marlboro Man attitude worthy of Clint Eastwood is the quintessential Western trope of hard-nut gunslinger; his role is an important one, for it is the relationship between Charlie and Eli that creates this darkly hilarious masterpiece.
The plot is episodic, every chapter brings with it a new quirky character or strange incident. I liked this strategy, it allowed what is essentially quite a slow story to feel fast, it allowed Eli to contemplate on all of the tropes of The West as the main plot ticked slowly along.
I don’t reckon this book will ever become a literary classic, and I don’t reckon this will be anyone’s favourite book – BUT it was refreshing to read deWitt’s personality, of which I believe is strewn on the pages of this book in quite a revealing way. While I could drown in Cormac McCarthy’s writing all day long, I think I would rather hang out with deWitt – drinking beer and whisky, and laughing at the absurdity of life.
The film was utter dog shite though. Damn shame, I love much of the cast but it just didn’t capture the feeling of the book in any way.
9/10