The Sisters BrothersThe Sisters Brothers
Score Modern
What it's about
Eli and Charlie Sisters are notorious hired guns, and Patrick deWitt's novel follows them on a violent, lustful, hung-over and hilarious odyssey through the underworld of the 1850s frontier.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Booker Prize finalist. It's a darkly comic Western unlike any other.
You'll love it if you liked
Lonesome Dove
True Grit
Blood MeridianGood to know
It's violent but often very funny. It became a 2018 film.
By the numbers
- Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics32 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller34 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz1 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #101 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #1114 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2056 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Moving
If you like this, read next
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HamnetExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →Quick answers
Is The Sisters Brothers worth reading?
Yes. It was a Booker Prize finalist. It ranks #2,056 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 63.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Sisters Brothers about?
Eli and Charlie Sisters are notorious hired guns, and Patrick deWitt's novel follows them on a violent, lustful, hung-over and hilarious odyssey through the underworld of the 1850s frontier.
How long does it take to read The Sisters Brothers?
About 9 hours (344 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Sisters Brothers?
If you liked it, try Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, True Grit by Charles Portis or Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.

















