Will I love The Sisters Brothers?

When I cracked the spine on Patrick deWitt’s book, I knew I was in for a treat. Contract killers, endless bloodshed, and belly laughs? How could you go wrong? The novel is technically a Western, but represents a revisionist and darkly comedic pivot in the genre, following two brothers, Eli and Charlie Sisters, from Oregon to San Francisco during the Gold Rush on their quest to murder a man called Hermann Kermit Warm, accused of stealing from their client.

One brother, Eli, questions his purpose in this world, while Charlie cannot satiate his blood lust, all with deadpan humor,… show more.

Dewitt’s book is a rethinking of the classic Western. It is ugly, violent, romantic, and hilarious almost at the same time. I loved the interplay between Charlie and Eli Sisters, hired killers heading off on what may be “one last job.” 

I love books where you start on the surface of characters, but their true selves are revealed through dialogue and their actions. Like a good writer should, Dewitt flips things on their head—who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? 

I strive for this in writing novels—flipping genre cliches on their heads and letting characters—flaws and all—come… show more.

In The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt pulls off the difficult task of making hired killers captivating. The sibling antiheroes go on a journey across the western landscape while contemplating their inner selves. In many ways weird, The Sisters Brothers ties a sometimes sad story together in a neat package. The book is a fascinating take on the traditional western.