The
journey
Part
of the America 1850 reading journey
How
it got on the shelf
My sister and I have this unspoken 20 year
tradition whereby when December comes the question is not what to buy him/her
for Christmas, but which book should I buy him/her. The difficulty is choosing one unlikely to
have been read previously, and so one way to go is for a recently published
paperback and hope you are one step ahead of your sibling. The minor miracle is that we have so far
avoided in any year swapping the very same book.
The 2011 arrival was The Sisters Brothers. Intriguingly titled with an eye catching cover
(two gunmen silhouetted against a rising moon - but symbolic to me of a skull)
I had fondled it once or twice in Waterstones, so was very pleased to unwrap it
on Christmas morning.
The Review
Starting in Oregon City in 1851, two hired
gunslingers Eli and Charlie Sisters, set off on their latest assignment,
requiring a journey to California in pursuit of their mark.
Their mission is narrated by Eli, in
language that has a period feel and displays a sensitivity that belies his
profession. In truth it is his brother
who is the natural born killer, and Eli is constantly torn between his own
sensibilities and his loyalty to the hard as nails Charlie.
The brothers’ complex relationship is
splendidly explored and the pioneer west is vividly depicted showing a bizarre
mixture of brutality, comedy and humanity. Episodes along the way are described
with cinematic clarity, whether in a saloon cum whorehouse, in gold crazy San
Francisco, or at the final showdown.
The setting is fascinating, and the story is
engaging, but it is the contrasting characters of Eli & Charlie and their
complex, changing relationship that gives the book its tremendous appeal. You have to feel for Eli and through him you
grow to care for his brother, so that eventually you find yourself rooting
happily for what is, at the end of the day, a murderous gang.
A must read.
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