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The Sisters Brothers

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The Sisters Brothers

By: Patrick deWitt
Narrated by: William Hope
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Oregon, 1851. Eli and Charlie Sisters, notorious professional killers, are on their way to California to kill a man named Hermann Kermit Warm. On the way, the brothers have a series of unsettling experiences in the landscape of Gold Rush America. And they bicker a lot. Arriving in California, and discover that Warm has invented a magical formula, which could make all of them very rich. What happens next is utterly gripping, strange and sad…©2011 Patrick deWitt (P)2011 W F Howes Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Comedy
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OK you already know its a book about hired killers on a job and that it has some squeamish bits. This is not a familiar genre to me but what a wonderful listen this was. The Sister Brothers narrate and squabble through their journey using the sparse humour filled language familiar to brothers. It was so beautifully read that it was easy to feel like the third, silent brother. Similarly descriptions of the landscape were so sparse that my imagination muscles were exercised and looking back it is difficult to remember if parts were a book or a movie. The story always moves along with purpose and the unexpected turns are gentle and (generally) quite plausible, the characters are original and you just take them as they are for many have suddenly truncated lives. The brothers journey is ultimately to realise their own place in the scheme of things. Dammit, I miss them.

One of my favourite books list

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The Sister's brothers are a pair of ruthless assassins on a mission to kill. They roam the old Wild West encountering a strange and fascinating mix of characters and committing random acts of violence when the mood takes them.. Despite their psychopathic tendencies there is something comical and almost loveable in the way they constantly bicker and undermine each other. Eli is the underdog and the narrator of the story and his description of their final adventure and his relationship with his poor old horse Tub is almost magical. There is no doubt that there are some parts that are utterly horrible but I couldn't help thinking that this is a reasonably accurate reflection of what the Wild West was all about.

Almost as soon as I started listening to this I realised I was in for a real treat and I certainly wasn't let down. I agree with other reviewers who say this is a bit like a Coen brothers film and if you are a fan of their films then you will love this.

The reader conveys the conversations between the brothers brilliantly. I obtained this on the recommendation of other reviewers and am very grateful for their excellent taste.

How the West was run

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The Sisters Brothers are killers and expert with their guns. Not my normal Audible fare but other reviews made me try it and I'm delighted I did. Eli the narrator is a totally credible character - overweight, desperate for love, caring of his horses and painfully aware of what he is. Charlie his elder brother is more your typical gunfighter but even he is capable of thoughtful discussions with Eli. Their escapades on the trail of a gold prospector in California are engrossing and vivid and manage to avoid all the usual Western cliches: the gunfights are necessary evils on their way but not the main events which are far more intriguing. The pivotal scenes on a remote river will stay with me for a long time. The narrator is excellent and brings the characters to life very well. Even if you hate Westerns, this is definitely worth a listen.

A thinking listener's Western

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What made the experience of listening to The Sisters Brothers the most enjoyable?

Engaging and engrossing characters

What did you like best about this story?

Sense of place and people

What about William Hope’s performance did you like?

Very easy to listen to

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Just enjoyed the book, there are both funny and sad moments

Thoroughly enjoyable and engaging from the first

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I enjoyed the book from start to finish, it was hard to put down. The narration was excellent. I believe a lot of authors of today’s pulp fiction would benefit reading this book. Excellent

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