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Cover of The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWittThe Sisters Brothers
Modern · Fiction, Adventure, Historical Fiction

The Sisters Brothers

by Patrick deWitt
2011 · 344 pages · Fiction
Critics' pick
≈ 9 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

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

Good to know

It's violent but often very funny. It became a 2018 film.

By the numbers

63.3Must-Read Score
  • 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

Why it made the list

Shortlisted
Booker Prize finalist (2011)

Reads as

Adventurous, Moving

How we rank

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Explore 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.