Join Patrick de Witt to talk about October's Book of the Month, The Sisters Brothers, Tuesday 6 November, 9-10pm

[TillyBookClub]

Another Booker-shortlisted masterpiece this month. THE SISTERS BROTHERS by Patrick de Witt was a 2011 contender, and the first ever western to make it onto the list. It is set in the 1850s, Gold Rush California, where the famous killers Eli and Charlie Sisters are on a job for the big boss, The Commodore. Eli is not your average hired gun. He unsuccessfully tries dieting, he's evangelical about his new toothpaste, he has complex loyalties to his horse, Tub. He's tenderhearted, protective and philosophical. He also has to watch out for his volatile brother, whose regular bouts of brandy-sickness and violence make their relationship somewhat fraught. But by the end of their madcap roadtrip, a strange kind of honour and truth emerges, far more precious than the gold that bewitches all around them.

If this novel were a movie, it would be directed by the Coen brothers: O Brother Where Art Thou? crossed with True Grit. But the strongest feeling that lingers after the last page is that it is just very much itself: blackly funny, exquisitely voiced, deeply human and completely original.

Our book of the month page has lots more about THE SISTERS BROTHERS and Patrick.

You can get a Kindle edition or a paperback copy of the novel here.

We are thrilled that Patrick will be joining us to discuss the book and answer any questions about THE SISTERS BROTHERS, the Booker and his writing career on Tuesday 6 November, 9-10pm. See you there...

[PatrickdeWitt]

TillyBookClub Tue 06-Nov-12 21:56:37
Yikes, we've only got 5 minutes left, so quickly flagging up Gerry's question too: If your book IS made into a film (which we're all assuming), do you have any strong feelings about the soundtrack?

I'd love to see some Moondog on there, and Michael Hurley.

[PatrickdeWitt]

Are we winding up? Well, thanks so much once again for having me. I'm sorry if I missed any questions. Best wishes to all of you. . . .

[Back2Two]

Bye. Look forward to reading more from you!

[ShellyBobbs]

Thanks Patrick

[TillyBookClub]

That's all we have time for, folks. As always, it has gone far too quickly and has been immensely enjoyable - thank you, everyone, for excellent questions and all your contributions

Most of all, Patrick - thank you very, very much indeed for giving your time and energy and wit and generosity. We really appreciate it.

And congratulations again on a stupendously good book. Can't wait to read whatever you write next (are you able to quickly tell us what your current project is?)

Good luck with the film option - we'll all be looking out for the posters soon.

[PatrickdeWitt]

That's all we have time for, folks. As always, it has gone far too quickly and has been immensely enjoyable - thank you, everyone, for excellent questions and all your contributions

Most of all, Patrick - thank you very, very much indeed for giving your time and energy and wit and generosity. We really appreciate it.

And congratulations again on a stupendously good book. Can't wait to read whatever you write next (are you able to quickly tell us what your current project is?)

Good luck with the film option - we'll all be looking out for the posters soon.

I'm working on another novel, this one inspired by Central European and Jewish fables, folktales, etc. No wanking as yet, but it's still pretty early in the game. . .
Cheers, all.
xo
PD

[PlusCaChange]

Thankyou Patrick and I hope the film gets made

[gazzalw]

Sorry, rather late to this discussion but I've just whizzed through this fantastic novel in a matter of days - it's the best page turner I've read for a long time and found the style and chapter lengths very accessible and easy to read on a commute with many changes.

I cannot quite put my finger on why I loved it so much but I was raised on cowboys films and this tapped into my psyche in a big way. It also really reminded me of that Johnny Depp film where everything that could go wrong for him on his travels does......

I did not find it graphically OTT at all. As others have posted, it was a very visual novel and any gruesomeness was really descriptive rather than being gratuitous! They were violent and rough times and nothing was saccharine, particularly in the 'Wild West'

I personally could not imagine Matt Le Blanc as Eli, but I see what the poster was getting at. One of the Bridges would be good but they've been there done that haven't they really?

DW also read it and really enjoyed it too - it was a picaresque novel and as such intriguing and you couldn't really begin to guess what would come on the next page...

I look forward to reading more of Patrick's novels!

[OatyBeatie]

I've just finished this excellent book. I'm sorry to have missed the discussion -- I was afraid to read in case of spoilers.

I enjoyed the book very much indeed. I loved the near-surrealism of it, which seemed partly achieved by the incongruity of the brothers' violence with the poetry of their thought and of the storytelling itself. Eli's gentleness and delicacy was wonderful, and achieved from the very first page.

It was very funny. (I am looking out on Amazon for a Conclusive Blanket) but so very sad. The black humour in the combination of violence and poetry seemed to convey what I think gets called incongruity of affect -- where we react with smiles to the most bleakly awful things because we are so overwhelmed and disorientated by them. It displayed just how lost Eli was.

I'm hoping my teenaged sons will read it now. I can imagine it appealing to them as much as to me, which is rare in a book.

I'll certainly look out for the film. I'll be worried, though, that so much of what is very original and beautiful in the book is close enough to some Western movie cliches to get coarsened in a film.

Poor Tub. I half expected his resurrection. RIP.

[SlubberMistressOfPain]

And RIP the beavers. Poor beavers.

Can't believe the formula was all made up! Was looking forward to a little chemistry essay at the end to explain what horrors were contained within.

Loved the book, well the audio book. The guy who reads it was absolutely sublime.

[gazzalw]

I assumed the formula contained mercury for some reason but just knew that it was going to turn out to be deeply toxic....;-(