The Sisters Brothers

The Sisters Brothers
by Patrick DeWitt
2011 HarperCollins
Rating: 5/5

     I read a starred review of this title in Publisher's Weekly around the beginning of the year and added it to my list of books to read. I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy a short time later. If this does not end up being my favorite fiction title of the year, it will certainly be near the top.
     "The Sisters Brothers" is an excellent Western novel featuring two professional gunmen named Eli & Charlie Sisters. They do the dirty work for a man known only as the Commodore. They are sent on a quest to track down someone in San Francisco who crossed the Commodore. The book was both touching and laugh out loud funny, it felt more like a Coen Brothers film then anything else I can think of. The story is narrated by Eli, who seems to be somewhat of a buffoon to start out with, but grew to be someone I really liked and cared about. I was genuinely sorry when this was over. The Washington Post said “Weirdly funny, startlingly violent and steeped in sadness… It’s all rendered irresistible by Eli Sisters, who narrates with a mixture of melancholy and thoughtfulness.” It is no wonder to me that this wonderful novel has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.