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Brothers
David Clerson’s first novel won the Grand prix littéraire Archambault 2014. It is an original piece of fiction, steeped in myth and fable, a reflection of our own familiar surroundings in a distorting mirror.
This world of “monstrous creatures, bigger than anything they could imagine, two-headed fish, turtles with shells as huge as islands, whales with mouths big enough to swallow up whole cities” is seen through the eyes of two brothers, the elder brother missing an arm, the younger fashioned by his mother from that arm.
This world of “monstrous creatures, bigger than anything they could imagine, two-headed fish, turtles with shells as huge as islands, whales with mouths big enough to swallow up whole cities” is seen through the eyes of two brothers, the elder brother missing an arm, the younger fashioned by his mother from that arm.
- GenresFiction
150 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
3 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
David Clerson
7 books9 followersNé à Sherbrooke en 1978, David Clerson vit à Montréal. Il a été lauréat du Grand prix littéraire Archambault 2014 ainsi que de l’édition québécoise du Festival du premier roman de Chambéry pour Frères, paru chez Héliotrope en 2013 et réédité en format de poche depuis. En rampant, son deuxième roman, paraît à l'automne 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 14, 2018
Brothers will transport you into a bleak world that is truly captivating. David Clearson writes an amazing and unique story that is flawlessly translated by Katia that I recommend to anyone looking for something new and quick to read.
August 18, 2016
QC Fiction is set to release another translation of a Quebec novel (in November 2016) entitled Brothers by David Clerson. This novel (under its French title Frères) won the Grand prix littéraire Archambault 2014. The other two QC Fiction novels, Life in the Court of Matane and The Unknown Huntsman were exceptional in their content, very diverse and humorous in an off-beat way. Brothers is certainly no exception. Yet, providing a brief outline as to what the story is about is like describing colours to the blind or music to the deaf. Or rhyming "orange."
Myth or Dreamworld?
The time and place is unknown. In fact, this could be all a dream, or an oral narrative, handed down from generation to generation and often that seems to work best in coping with the narrative.
So, in a nutshell: there are two brothers, both unnamed except for the appellations "older brother" and "younger brother."The older brother has no left arm. His mother told him she chopped it off the day he was born so she could fashion it into a brother for him. This younger brother is 'whole' but his arms are too short for his body. (Sounds like phocomelia like that caused by thalidomide usage).
Are you with me so far? Good.
The two brothers live with their elderly, sight-impaired and senile mother who raises goats for food and keeps a small garden. They live close to the ocean, which is portrayed as a dwelling place of all types of creatures, loathsome leviathans and other nightmarish beasts. The ocean is always black, always washing up things animate and inanimate for the brothers to play with or sell in the village. Eventually, they repair an old boat and venture on an odyssey in search of their "dog of a father" who- yes- really is a dog. And a giant one at that.
Still with me?
Fantasy/Horror/Mtyhology?
Author David Clerson has cleverly constructed a story that could have been told hundreds of years ago by peoples living near the ocean. Similarly, there is no easy way to pigeon hole the time or place of the narrative, let alone the genre that Brothers could be filed under. There are moments of sheer horror, not of the demonic or spiritistic type, but that of vivid, untenable situations and eerie experiences. This is especially so when the older brother experiences life as a dog, eventually seeking vengeance on the family that abused him and the bitch he loved. One cannot really sum up the story in a paragraph or two. Brothers is a book that has to be read, or rather, experienced. When I first started reading it, I was fairly reminded of the H.P. Lovecraft novel The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, for Brothers appeared dreamlike to me; Lovecraft's novel was the only touchstone I had to interpret what I was reading and assessing the imagery appearing in my mind. Certainly, dreams figure prominently in the brother's lives (it is in a dream we are introduced to the dog of a father), and often I wasn't convinced that the story wasn't simply a dream that the older brother was having. Or was it reality? Did the younger brother ever exist? Was their father really a dog? Clerson's striking heroic story is there for the interpretation. Brothers would make for a very stimulating and lively book club discussion.
Conclusion
QC Fiction has found some legitimate French-language gems and made them available to a wider English audience of readers. Their first two books were very entertaining, amusing and intriguing, and Brothers is no different. It may not be as accessible as the previous two releases, but it is a fantastical story that you are unlikely to forget anytime soon.
Myth or Dreamworld?
The time and place is unknown. In fact, this could be all a dream, or an oral narrative, handed down from generation to generation and often that seems to work best in coping with the narrative.
So, in a nutshell: there are two brothers, both unnamed except for the appellations "older brother" and "younger brother."The older brother has no left arm. His mother told him she chopped it off the day he was born so she could fashion it into a brother for him. This younger brother is 'whole' but his arms are too short for his body. (Sounds like phocomelia like that caused by thalidomide usage).
Are you with me so far? Good.
The two brothers live with their elderly, sight-impaired and senile mother who raises goats for food and keeps a small garden. They live close to the ocean, which is portrayed as a dwelling place of all types of creatures, loathsome leviathans and other nightmarish beasts. The ocean is always black, always washing up things animate and inanimate for the brothers to play with or sell in the village. Eventually, they repair an old boat and venture on an odyssey in search of their "dog of a father" who- yes- really is a dog. And a giant one at that.
Still with me?
Fantasy/Horror/Mtyhology?
Author David Clerson has cleverly constructed a story that could have been told hundreds of years ago by peoples living near the ocean. Similarly, there is no easy way to pigeon hole the time or place of the narrative, let alone the genre that Brothers could be filed under. There are moments of sheer horror, not of the demonic or spiritistic type, but that of vivid, untenable situations and eerie experiences. This is especially so when the older brother experiences life as a dog, eventually seeking vengeance on the family that abused him and the bitch he loved. One cannot really sum up the story in a paragraph or two. Brothers is a book that has to be read, or rather, experienced. When I first started reading it, I was fairly reminded of the H.P. Lovecraft novel The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, for Brothers appeared dreamlike to me; Lovecraft's novel was the only touchstone I had to interpret what I was reading and assessing the imagery appearing in my mind. Certainly, dreams figure prominently in the brother's lives (it is in a dream we are introduced to the dog of a father), and often I wasn't convinced that the story wasn't simply a dream that the older brother was having. Or was it reality? Did the younger brother ever exist? Was their father really a dog? Clerson's striking heroic story is there for the interpretation. Brothers would make for a very stimulating and lively book club discussion.
Conclusion
QC Fiction has found some legitimate French-language gems and made them available to a wider English audience of readers. Their first two books were very entertaining, amusing and intriguing, and Brothers is no different. It may not be as accessible as the previous two releases, but it is a fantastical story that you are unlikely to forget anytime soon.
January 24, 2017
I published this book in English translation (Brothers) with QC Fiction last year. It's pretty great.
“the best book I read all year” (National Post arts editor Dustin Parkes)
“By using timeless techniques to distill various traditions into a singular, satisfying story, Brothers offers a genuine example of literary innovation.” (Quill & Quire)
“Possibly the Quebec publisher’s most daring and impressive offering to date … The prose, beautifully translated by poet Katia Grubisic, is crystalline, spare, and unsentimental. The balance is just right… it holds you in awe. It is surreal, grotesque and beautiful in turn … This is not a human tale with a magic element—it is a magical tale with a human heart. Like a folktale for a post-apocalyptic future, Brothers, in all its grotesque surrealism, reflects a truth in which we recognize ourselves, with an equal measure of horror, sadness and shame.” (Joseph Schreiber, Rough Ghosts)
“Another gem from QC Fiction … one for the BTBA judges to take note of.” (Tony Malone, Tony’s Reading List)
“extraordinary … I don’t recall reading a novel with such visceral impact. The elemental imagery and saga ferocity are intense. Brothers packs a punch way above its 150-page weight.” (Simon Lavery, Tredynas Days)
“gripping” (Jade Colbert, The Globe and Mail)
“Katia Grubisic’s translation of the text offers flowing, unadorned prose that sings with the depth and simplicity of the story. Clerson’s narrative charms lead us wilfully to unknown and unthinkable places. In the end, the reader is left with a single feather of hope, and the knowledge that beautiful monsters lurk at the fringes of CanLit.” (Montreal Review of Books)
“Brothers is a coming-of-age story that develops unusually, moving briskly and capturing the temporal and spatial shifting of a dream … The novel’s distinctive dreamlike flavour is strong and well-executed … a very open, very readable adventure.” (Dan Twerdochlib, The Winnipeg Review)
“one of those books I just want to shout about” (Stuart John Allen, Winstondad’s Blog)
“Brothers is quite simply a wonderful book, a story that sweeps you along … Clerson has produced a breathless tale.” (Tony Malone, Tony’s Reading List)
“A surprising blend of fairy tale and adventure story, Brothers is a violent epic that feels like an ancient legend. A remarkable first novel, anchored in the traditions of another age and carried along by modern language.” (Lettres québécoises)
“David Clerson is a master of the finely chiselled sentence and the disturbing world of the imagination.” (Dominic Tardif, La Tribune)
“Of a violence and beauty all its own, Clerson’s mythical prose is a genuine literary revelation.” (Jérémy Laniel, Les Libraires magazine)
“In barely 140 pages, Clerson manages to weave a tale of almost biblical dimensions.” (Daniel Grenier, Ma Mère était hipster)
“A first novel that is clever and risk-taking in equal measure.” (Les Libraires magazine)
“the best book I read all year” (National Post arts editor Dustin Parkes)
“By using timeless techniques to distill various traditions into a singular, satisfying story, Brothers offers a genuine example of literary innovation.” (Quill & Quire)
“Possibly the Quebec publisher’s most daring and impressive offering to date … The prose, beautifully translated by poet Katia Grubisic, is crystalline, spare, and unsentimental. The balance is just right… it holds you in awe. It is surreal, grotesque and beautiful in turn … This is not a human tale with a magic element—it is a magical tale with a human heart. Like a folktale for a post-apocalyptic future, Brothers, in all its grotesque surrealism, reflects a truth in which we recognize ourselves, with an equal measure of horror, sadness and shame.” (Joseph Schreiber, Rough Ghosts)
“Another gem from QC Fiction … one for the BTBA judges to take note of.” (Tony Malone, Tony’s Reading List)
“extraordinary … I don’t recall reading a novel with such visceral impact. The elemental imagery and saga ferocity are intense. Brothers packs a punch way above its 150-page weight.” (Simon Lavery, Tredynas Days)
“gripping” (Jade Colbert, The Globe and Mail)
“Katia Grubisic’s translation of the text offers flowing, unadorned prose that sings with the depth and simplicity of the story. Clerson’s narrative charms lead us wilfully to unknown and unthinkable places. In the end, the reader is left with a single feather of hope, and the knowledge that beautiful monsters lurk at the fringes of CanLit.” (Montreal Review of Books)
“Brothers is a coming-of-age story that develops unusually, moving briskly and capturing the temporal and spatial shifting of a dream … The novel’s distinctive dreamlike flavour is strong and well-executed … a very open, very readable adventure.” (Dan Twerdochlib, The Winnipeg Review)
“one of those books I just want to shout about” (Stuart John Allen, Winstondad’s Blog)
“Brothers is quite simply a wonderful book, a story that sweeps you along … Clerson has produced a breathless tale.” (Tony Malone, Tony’s Reading List)
“A surprising blend of fairy tale and adventure story, Brothers is a violent epic that feels like an ancient legend. A remarkable first novel, anchored in the traditions of another age and carried along by modern language.” (Lettres québécoises)
“David Clerson is a master of the finely chiselled sentence and the disturbing world of the imagination.” (Dominic Tardif, La Tribune)
“Of a violence and beauty all its own, Clerson’s mythical prose is a genuine literary revelation.” (Jérémy Laniel, Les Libraires magazine)
“In barely 140 pages, Clerson manages to weave a tale of almost biblical dimensions.” (Daniel Grenier, Ma Mère était hipster)
“A first novel that is clever and risk-taking in equal measure.” (Les Libraires magazine)
December 13, 2016
A very particular story, a top-notch translation.
June 29, 2017
It was okay. It was compelling. I did not understand it. But it was enjoyable?
July 12, 2017
This is a great read! A true thriller!
June 29, 2024
2 1/2 ⭐️
March 11, 2017
4.25 stars
March 28, 2021
I published this book in translation with QC Fiction last year. It's pretty great.
“the best book I read all year” (National Post arts editor Dustin Parkes)
“By using timeless techniques to distill various traditions into a singular, satisfying story, Brothers offers a genuine example of literary innovation.” (Quill & Quire)
“Possibly the Quebec publisher’s most daring and impressive offering to date … The prose, beautifully translated by poet Katia Grubisic, is crystalline, spare, and unsentimental. The balance is just right… it holds you in awe. It is surreal, grotesque and beautiful in turn … This is not a human tale with a magic element—it is a magical tale with a human heart. Like a folktale for a post-apocalyptic future, Brothers, in all its grotesque surrealism, reflects a truth in which we recognize ourselves, with an equal measure of horror, sadness and shame.” (Joseph Schreiber, Rough Ghosts)
“Another gem from QC Fiction … one for the BTBA judges to take note of.” (Tony Malone, Tony’s Reading List)
“extraordinary … I don’t recall reading a novel with such visceral impact. The elemental imagery and saga ferocity are intense. Brothers packs a punch way above its 150-page weight.” (Simon Lavery, Tredynas Days)
“gripping” (Jade Colbert, The Globe and Mail)
“Katia Grubisic’s translation of the text offers flowing, unadorned prose that sings with the depth and simplicity of the story. Clerson’s narrative charms lead us wilfully to unknown and unthinkable places. In the end, the reader is left with a single feather of hope, and the knowledge that beautiful monsters lurk at the fringes of CanLit.” (Montreal Review of Books)
“Brothers is a coming-of-age story that develops unusually, moving briskly and capturing the temporal and spatial shifting of a dream … The novel’s distinctive dreamlike flavour is strong and well-executed … a very open, very readable adventure.” (Dan Twerdochlib, The Winnipeg Review)
“one of those books I just want to shout about” (Stuart John Allen, Winstondad’s Blog)
“Brothers is quite simply a wonderful book, a story that sweeps you along … Clerson has produced a breathless tale.” (Tony Malone, Tony’s Reading List)
“A surprising blend of fairy tale and adventure story, Brothers is a violent epic that feels like an ancient legend. A remarkable first novel, anchored in the traditions of another age and carried along by modern language.” (Lettres québécoises)
“David Clerson is a master of the finely chiselled sentence and the disturbing world of the imagination.” (Dominic Tardif, La Tribune)
“Of a violence and beauty all its own, Clerson’s mythical prose is a genuine literary revelation.” (Jérémy Laniel, Les Libraires magazine)
“In barely 140 pages, Clerson manages to weave a tale of almost biblical dimensions.” (Daniel Grenier, Ma Mère était hipster)
“A first novel that is clever and risk-taking in equal measure.” (Les Libraires magazine)
“the best book I read all year” (National Post arts editor Dustin Parkes)
“By using timeless techniques to distill various traditions into a singular, satisfying story, Brothers offers a genuine example of literary innovation.” (Quill & Quire)
“Possibly the Quebec publisher’s most daring and impressive offering to date … The prose, beautifully translated by poet Katia Grubisic, is crystalline, spare, and unsentimental. The balance is just right… it holds you in awe. It is surreal, grotesque and beautiful in turn … This is not a human tale with a magic element—it is a magical tale with a human heart. Like a folktale for a post-apocalyptic future, Brothers, in all its grotesque surrealism, reflects a truth in which we recognize ourselves, with an equal measure of horror, sadness and shame.” (Joseph Schreiber, Rough Ghosts)
“Another gem from QC Fiction … one for the BTBA judges to take note of.” (Tony Malone, Tony’s Reading List)
“extraordinary … I don’t recall reading a novel with such visceral impact. The elemental imagery and saga ferocity are intense. Brothers packs a punch way above its 150-page weight.” (Simon Lavery, Tredynas Days)
“gripping” (Jade Colbert, The Globe and Mail)
“Katia Grubisic’s translation of the text offers flowing, unadorned prose that sings with the depth and simplicity of the story. Clerson’s narrative charms lead us wilfully to unknown and unthinkable places. In the end, the reader is left with a single feather of hope, and the knowledge that beautiful monsters lurk at the fringes of CanLit.” (Montreal Review of Books)
“Brothers is a coming-of-age story that develops unusually, moving briskly and capturing the temporal and spatial shifting of a dream … The novel’s distinctive dreamlike flavour is strong and well-executed … a very open, very readable adventure.” (Dan Twerdochlib, The Winnipeg Review)
“one of those books I just want to shout about” (Stuart John Allen, Winstondad’s Blog)
“Brothers is quite simply a wonderful book, a story that sweeps you along … Clerson has produced a breathless tale.” (Tony Malone, Tony’s Reading List)
“A surprising blend of fairy tale and adventure story, Brothers is a violent epic that feels like an ancient legend. A remarkable first novel, anchored in the traditions of another age and carried along by modern language.” (Lettres québécoises)
“David Clerson is a master of the finely chiselled sentence and the disturbing world of the imagination.” (Dominic Tardif, La Tribune)
“Of a violence and beauty all its own, Clerson’s mythical prose is a genuine literary revelation.” (Jérémy Laniel, Les Libraires magazine)
“In barely 140 pages, Clerson manages to weave a tale of almost biblical dimensions.” (Daniel Grenier, Ma Mère était hipster)
“A first novel that is clever and risk-taking in equal measure.” (Les Libraires magazine)
March 19, 2014
L'histoire a une atmosphère intriguante mêlée à l'étrange. Au début du roman, j'avais l'impression d'être dans la mythologie grecque, c'est un peu loin comme lien, mais l'enfant qui nait du bras de son frère, ça me rapellait la mythologie. C'est une belle aventure, à lire pour les lecteurs concentrés.
September 8, 2014
On commence le roman en se disant : «Quoi!? Wtf.» Après avoir lu le roman, on se dit: «Qu'est-ce je viens de lire?! Wtf.» C'est pas mal ça.
October 21, 2021
Excellent book, quick read with vivid and disturbing details
March 30, 2017
Really really weird one, enjoyed it a lot.
April 14, 2017
We published this translation in November 2016. It was #21 on the National Post Top 99 Books of the Year 2016 list. We love it (obviously). Here are a few nice things people have written about it so far:
“the best book I read all year” (National Post arts editor Dustin Parkes)
“By using timeless techniques to distill various traditions into a singular, satisfying story, Brothers offers a genuine example of literary innovation.” (Quill & Quire)
“Possibly the Quebec publisher’s most daring and impressive offering to date … The prose, beautifully translated by poet Katia Grubisic, is crystalline, spare, and unsentimental. The balance is just right… it holds you in awe. It is surreal, grotesque and beautiful in turn … This is not a human tale with a magic element—it is a magical tale with a human heart. Like a folktale for a post-apocalyptic future, Brothers, in all its grotesque surrealism, reflects a truth in which we recognize ourselves, with an equal measure of horror, sadness and shame.” (Joseph Schreiber, Rough Ghosts)
“Another gem from QC Fiction … one for the BTBA judges to take note of.” (Tony Malone, Tony’s Reading List)
“extraordinary … I don’t recall reading a novel with such visceral impact. The elemental imagery and saga ferocity are intense. Brothers packs a punch way above its 150-page weight.” (Simon Lavery, Tredynas Days)
“an exhilarating collision of genres … this intelligent and urgently written tale is likely to earn a cult following.” (Publishers Weekly)
“gripping” (Jade Colbert, The Globe and Mail)
“Katia Grubisic’s translation of the text offers flowing, unadorned prose that sings with the depth and simplicity of the story. Clerson’s narrative charms lead us wilfully to unknown and unthinkable places. In the end, the reader is left with a single feather of hope, and the knowledge that beautiful monsters lurk at the fringes of CanLit.” (Montreal Review of Books)
“Brothers is a coming-of-age story that develops unusually, moving briskly and capturing the temporal and spatial shifting of a dream … The novel’s distinctive dreamlike flavour is strong and well-executed … a very open, very readable adventure.” (Dan Twerdochlib, The Winnipeg Review)
“one of those books I just want to shout about” (Stuart John Allen, Winstondad’s Blog)
“Brothers is quite simply a wonderful book, a story that sweeps you along … Clerson has produced a breathless tale.” (Tony Malone, Tony’s Reading List)
“My favourite book of 2015 was Ivan Repila’s The Boy Who Stole Attila’s Horse, a story of two brothers trapped in a well, which burns throughout with the fierce anger of a post-crash Europe – the same anger which has since led to Brexit (and Trump). David Clerson’s Brothers, written in the same year (2013) on the other side of the world (Canada) and now available to us thanks to translator Katia Grubisic and new publishing house QC Fiction, not only tells a similar tale of two brothers, but is illuminated with the same rage … Whereas The Boy Who Stole Attila’s Horse ends on the verge of apocalyptic vision, Brothers goes beyond it … The older brother’s rage comes from his poverty and humiliation. Once freed it is indiscriminate. This dark fable tells the story of our times.” (Grant Rintoul, 1streading blog)
“the best book I read all year” (National Post arts editor Dustin Parkes)
“By using timeless techniques to distill various traditions into a singular, satisfying story, Brothers offers a genuine example of literary innovation.” (Quill & Quire)
“Possibly the Quebec publisher’s most daring and impressive offering to date … The prose, beautifully translated by poet Katia Grubisic, is crystalline, spare, and unsentimental. The balance is just right… it holds you in awe. It is surreal, grotesque and beautiful in turn … This is not a human tale with a magic element—it is a magical tale with a human heart. Like a folktale for a post-apocalyptic future, Brothers, in all its grotesque surrealism, reflects a truth in which we recognize ourselves, with an equal measure of horror, sadness and shame.” (Joseph Schreiber, Rough Ghosts)
“Another gem from QC Fiction … one for the BTBA judges to take note of.” (Tony Malone, Tony’s Reading List)
“extraordinary … I don’t recall reading a novel with such visceral impact. The elemental imagery and saga ferocity are intense. Brothers packs a punch way above its 150-page weight.” (Simon Lavery, Tredynas Days)
“an exhilarating collision of genres … this intelligent and urgently written tale is likely to earn a cult following.” (Publishers Weekly)
“gripping” (Jade Colbert, The Globe and Mail)
“Katia Grubisic’s translation of the text offers flowing, unadorned prose that sings with the depth and simplicity of the story. Clerson’s narrative charms lead us wilfully to unknown and unthinkable places. In the end, the reader is left with a single feather of hope, and the knowledge that beautiful monsters lurk at the fringes of CanLit.” (Montreal Review of Books)
“Brothers is a coming-of-age story that develops unusually, moving briskly and capturing the temporal and spatial shifting of a dream … The novel’s distinctive dreamlike flavour is strong and well-executed … a very open, very readable adventure.” (Dan Twerdochlib, The Winnipeg Review)
“one of those books I just want to shout about” (Stuart John Allen, Winstondad’s Blog)
“Brothers is quite simply a wonderful book, a story that sweeps you along … Clerson has produced a breathless tale.” (Tony Malone, Tony’s Reading List)
“My favourite book of 2015 was Ivan Repila’s The Boy Who Stole Attila’s Horse, a story of two brothers trapped in a well, which burns throughout with the fierce anger of a post-crash Europe – the same anger which has since led to Brexit (and Trump). David Clerson’s Brothers, written in the same year (2013) on the other side of the world (Canada) and now available to us thanks to translator Katia Grubisic and new publishing house QC Fiction, not only tells a similar tale of two brothers, but is illuminated with the same rage … Whereas The Boy Who Stole Attila’s Horse ends on the verge of apocalyptic vision, Brothers goes beyond it … The older brother’s rage comes from his poverty and humiliation. Once freed it is indiscriminate. This dark fable tells the story of our times.” (Grant Rintoul, 1streading blog)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews