Betsegaw’s Comments (group member since Sep 14, 2012)

Betsegaw’s comments from the ELEVEN READER'S CLUB group.

1.) A bottomless well of antagonism.

2.)• Catatonic - appearing to be in a daze or stupor (p.304)
• Immolated - To kill as a sacrifice (p.286)
• Consortium - An association, typically of business companies (p.270)

3.) Imagery - He was flat on his back, his eyes directed upwards at the crest of the tent. His chest was rising and falling unnaturally quickly, and he was wheezing and breathing heavily.
Simile - He opened his mouth widely and there come a foreign noise from deep within his insides, as though a solid piece of him had cracked or popped.

4.) The ending of the story really portrayed how after the death of Warm and Morris, everything really went downhill for the Sisters brothers. While reading the story, I really felt the pain and hatred that Eli had towards the Commodore.

1.) I found my lips quivering; my feelings were so deeply injured that morning, looking at my brother on his fine, tall horse, and knowing he did not love me the way I had always loved and admired him and looked up to him; my lip quivered and i found myself shouting like this so that people walking pas made comments and stared.

2.) • Caterwauling - to utter long wailing cries (p.215)
• Enshrouded - to shroud or conceal (p.216)
• Preeminent - eminent above or before others (p.218)

3.) Sarcasm - "Oh! Yes! Of course! The job! I nearly forgot about it! Out preeminent purpose! Let's talk about it some more! I will never tire of the subject so long as I am living!"
Paradox - "Yes i feel the same way. He is honorable. Even with this abandonment of his post he is."

4.) I like the way Dewitt creates the build up of suspense in the reader for when the Sisters brothers and Warm face each other. The story leads you on to believe that Warm was a man who committed unspeakable acts and must be killed for his actions, when in reality, the commodore is the real villain. The whole time he has been using the brothers for his own benefit. This has been the latest plot twist in the story and i don't think anyone could have seen it coming. So i admire Dewitt's creativity in thinking up a very grabbing plot twist.

1.) 'I didn't want to do this,' he complained. 'Jim thought he could lick you boys, and that he'd be able to tell everyone about it.'
'you should close your eyes and rest,' I said.
'Ch,Ch,ch.' Then the life hopped out of him and he died, and I returned to Tub, and the saddle.

2.) • Guttural - of or pertaining to the throat (p.145)
• Impotently - lacking power or ability (p.172)
• Penitently - feeling or expressing sorrow for sin or wrongdoing (p.206)

3.) hyperbole - "The whores are working fifteen hour shifts and are said to make thousands of dollars per day."
Imagery - "I wondered how we might possibly find one man in these labyrinthine streets and alleyways, where all was queer and dark and hidden."

4.) Personally, the story for me only seems to be getting more interesting. The way Dewitt explains the gunfights really paints a picture of how it could have happened in your head. Also, major plot twist came up while I was reading this part of the story, and it basically flipped everything upside down. Enemies are now working together.

1.) "My blood was pulsing ebulliently in celebration of the arrival of the heavy food, while my heart was struck dumb from this news of the hotel woman's character."

2.) • Engorged - to swallow greedily (p.127)
• Smoldering - to burn without flame (p.128)
• Plaintive - Sounding sad and mournful (p.132)

3.) Simile - "Your laughter is like a cool water to me."
Analogy - "She came forward and put her arms around me, resting the side of her face over my heart, listening to the organ's mad jumping."

4.) I am enjoying all the sub-plots that are included in book, such as the boy in the forest, Mayfield, and Eli's relationship with the bookkeeper. Even though the conflict between the main protagonist and antagonist haven't actually started yet, these side-stories are not only bringing up new and interesting characters, but it is also adding suspense for when they do confront Hermann Kermit Warm.

1.) "I've failed at straight business, I've failed at criminal enterprise, I've failed at love, I've failed at friendship. You name it, I've failed at it. Go ahead and name something. Anything at all."

2.) • Monotonously - lacking in variety (p.55)
• Perfunctorily - performed merely as a routine duty (p.55)
• Envisaged - to contemplate or visualize (p.31)

3.) Imagery - "It was a bright day and the horses stood in the distance,tied to the root of an upended snag."
Sarcasm - "'Tub!' I shouted into the wilderness. 'I am stuck inside the cabin of the vile gypsy-witch!' He raised his head, his jaw working on a mouthful of crunchy grass. 'Tub! Assist me in my time of need!'"

4.) So far the book is pretty good. I really admire how Dewitt jumps right into the story as if a chapter were missing. His unique writing style is nice and refreshing, as well as very original, and I can't wait to read further into the story.

When I was browsing through lists of books, I honestly didn't expect to find one that I would enjoy reading. But when I first saw the cover of this book it took me a moment to realize what the title was actually saying. After spending way to long figuring it out, I decided to give the book a chance and read the synopsis. After reading into it I learned that it is an 1850’s Western. When I first read this it drew up images in my head of scenes from classic westerns such as, The Good the bad and the ugly, Unforgiven, Rio Lobo, and my all-time favourite, True Grit. Since I have always had an interest in Western movies I felt like this might be a good choice of book for me. Since I don’t read as often as I probably should I was unfamiliar with the writer of this book Patrick deWitt, but after reading a few pages of the book online, I decided that I definitely wanted to read this book. I really like how deWitt shows that even though the two main characters are brothers, they are still opposites. Eli’s brother Charlie gets enjoyment out of drinking and killing whereas Eli himself doesn't, instead he does it for the money. Personally, I prefer stories with more than one protagonist. That way there is sometimes conflict in between them which makes the story all the more interesting. This is also one of the reasons I choose to read this book.