The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart

By Jesse Bullington
Orbit, $14.99, 435 pages

One is never sure what to expect in a debut novel. With prepublication endorsement from the likes of Jeff VanderMeer, The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart, perhaps unfairly, has a high level of expectation. Fortunately for Jesse Bullington, he’s got the writing and storytelling chops to back up the expectations. His debut is a gruesome travelogue of Medieval Europe, chronicling the dastardly deeds of Hegel and Manfried, the titular brothers.  Bullington spares very little time introducing the violence and bloodshed that would go on to follow the brothers in their quest for riches in Gyptaland (Egypt). Although demons, witches, and man-beasts roam the countryside, they are not nearly the monsters the Grossbarts are. 

Hegel and Manfried have a strict moral code which amounts to death if you cross them.  More often than not, the form of death is violent and gory.  Contrasting the heinous acts committed by the brothers is their pious belief in the Virgin Mary as the holy being at the center of their faith.

There is more to the novel than the simple journey the brothers take across Europe and the ocean to Gyptland. Bullington’s knowledge and love for stories is apparent. The novel contains stories within the larger novel and along the Brothers’ entire journey, elements of folklore are evident. In many ways, I was reminded of Angela Carter’s fairy tales in The Bloody Chamber. In particular, Bullington’s rendering story of Nicolette the witch was powerfully engaging.

Another element that might be initially off-putting considering the novel is set in Medieval Europe is the speech pattern of the Brothers.  I was put in the mind of a backwater, uneducated redneck dialogue. However, it wasn’t long before I grew accustomed to, and enjoyed reading, their dialogue.

The novel is gripping, despite a relatively predictable outcome.  However, the path is well worth the journey if you can stomach protagonists who murder with the same ease as most people breathe, and with a calmness inversely related to the joy and amount of violence they inflict on their victims.  The novel can’t be easily categorized because it has flavors of fantasy and horror along with elements of folklore and historical fiction. Readers who can handle Hegel and Manfried as protagonists will be rewarded with an ultimately rich and entertaining reading experience, that is especially more impressive since it is the author’s first novel.

Reviewed by Rob Bedford