Canadian Book Challenge 5: The Sisters Brothers - Patrick deWitt
Thanks so much to Jessica and Unruly Reader for bringing this book to my attention. When Jessica said that it reminded her of O Brother, Where Art Thou? my interest was piqued, but then Unruly said the magic words: True Grit. And she was damn right. It's like Patrick deWitt ate True Grit every day when he was growing up and it's in his cells. I love when authors internalize a certain book and when they write their own it's so good and, as a bonus, you can see the other one shining up at you like a gift. It's not copying or being derivative; it's all about creativity, and there's something higher and purer at work. It's like Margaret Mitchell and Vanity Fair. It's like that guy who wrote The Laments, George Hagen. He seems to have slept with The World According to Garp under his pillow every night.
How to describe this delightful picaresque novel about two outlaw brothers so everyone will want to read it? True Grit meets Pulp Fiction meets The Coen Brothers. I'm so pleased that The Sisters Brothers has already received a lot of attention and awards. If it were up to me, I'd hand Patrick deWitt the Pulitzer for fiction right here and now. He's eligible, isn't he? Someone say yes!
I want everyone to read this book. Really, really, really, really. I'll gladly forego the niceties of conversation from here on out. This is what my sociolinguistics might sound like until I get what I want or until people start avoiding me:
Person: Hi, Susan. How are you today?
Me: Hi. Fine. Go read The Sisters Brothers.
Person: OK...what have you been up to?
Me: I just finished The Sisters Brothers. It's shit-hot good. You should read it.
Person: Err, OK. See you later.
Me: Call me after you've read The Sisters Brothers.
I'm guessing that there has already been interest in this novel as a movie project, and I can't wait. In the meantime, I'm going to seek out Patrick deWitt's first novel, Ablutions.
7 comments:
I've seen this one everywhere but, for some reason, have been so turned off by the cover art that I haven't really paid it much attention. Can't really explain that reaction...but thanks to your enthusiastic response to it it's going into my TBR stack immediately. Thanks for that.
I am first in line when my library finally gets it. I can't wait!
I love when reviews start off the way yours did, because then you know there are only good things to come. I definitely want to read this book at some point.
Shit-hot good, huh? That's pretty high praise. I might have to change my mind on reading it. Or not reading it.
Oh, I'm laughing so hard now! *Delighted* that you liked [loved] this book, too.
So, you liked it huh? Actually, not surprised. Of the reviews I've read, I could easily think, "sounds like a book Bybee might like."
:D
It really is worth the burbling and squeeing, I agree. And, so, it's doubly nice that he won the Governor General's Award for (English) Fiction today. I think it's quite hard for an author to make a book look so easy and natural; this one seems to practically read itself....I could NOT put it down.
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