"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." Groucho Marx



Monday, November 12, 2012

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt



One word summary: Violent. Everything about this book struck me as violent. The brothers are hired assassins so that part is obvious when you read the book jacket but EVERYTHING about it was violent. When they catch their lunch the focus seems to be on bashing the fish against a rock instead of just that the brothers stop for lunch. I don't consider myself overly sensitive but the constant brutality in this one left me a little sick. The acts of violence weren't more frequent or more grotesque than in other suspense/thrillers. It was the tone of writing that made it harder for me to handle. The voice of the book is very matter-of-fact and even monotone sometimes. The recounting of brutal acts with no feeling or inflection reminded me of those serial killer interviews you see on 48 Hours or 20/20. A number of reviewers found a lot of humor in the tale but I missed that element entirely. 

You will find an official plot line description at: 
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9850443-the-sisters-brothers

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