Demon Copperhead
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- Create Date：2022-10-18 08:21:42
- Update Date：2025-09-14
- Status：finish
- Author：Barbara Kingsolver
- ISBN：B09QMHZ53K
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Amanda Taft
，
“Demon Copperhead is set in the mountains of southern Appalachia。 It’s the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer， with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-coloured hair， a caustic wit and a fierce talent for survival。 In a plot that never pauses for breath， relayed in his own unsparing voice， he braves the modern perils of foster care， child labour， derelict schools， athletic success， addiction， disastrous loves， and crushing losses。 Throug “Demon Copperhead is set in the mountains of southern Appalachia。 It’s the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer， with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-coloured hair， a caustic wit and a fierce talent for survival。 In a plot that never pauses for breath， relayed in his own unsparing voice， he braves the modern perils of foster care， child labour， derelict schools， athletic success， addiction， disastrous loves， and crushing losses。 Through all of it， he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favour of cities。Many generations ago， Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society。 Those problems have yet to be solved in ours。 Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel， but he provided its inspiration。 In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South， Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens’ anger and compassion， and above all， his faith in the transformative powers of a good story。 Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys， and all those born into beautiful， cursed places they can’t imagine leaving behind。”I read this book on the Pigeonhole app， one stave per day over 10 days， commenting along with other readers。 This book resonated with me for personal reasons and for that reason I found it quite a difficult read; it really tugs at your heart strings。 I found myself wanting to jump into the book and save that little boy。 I had just read David Copperfield by Charles Dickens prior to reading this book and it was interesting to see the parallels between the books be it the storyline， characters or even some direct quotes。 Although this is a modern day take on a Victorian storyline， it is sad to see that for some children， not much has changed and inequalities are still rife。 。。。more
Ash Houghton
，
This was a truly beautiful， thought provoking book with a MC full of resilience。 This did take me a little bit of time to get into and had a slow start， which is why I gave it 4 stars but I truly enjoyed this overall。
Jennie Godfrey
，
I can remember reading The Poisonwood Bible and being mesmerised by it。 That was 24 years ago now。 I had the same experience with Demon Copperhead and then some。 It’s as near perfect as you can get for me。 This re-telling of David Copperfield， set in an opioid hit town in the US is just incredible。 It tells the story of a time， and while swathes of the US， through one boys eyes and is as personal and universal as the original。 There aren’t enough superlatives。 My book of the year。
Kathryn
，
This is a wonderful novel - tragic and comic and what you would expect from Kingsolver combined with a twist of Dickens。 Reading this novel again proves that over the centuries many things never change and the David and Demon both struggle through life with people to help and hinder along the way。 It is an important novel in the context of the emerging awareness of the opioid crisis and as important a social commentary as was Dicken;s Copperfield in its day。Deserves to become a classic - thank This is a wonderful novel - tragic and comic and what you would expect from Kingsolver combined with a twist of Dickens。 Reading this novel again proves that over the centuries many things never change and the David and Demon both struggle through life with people to help and hinder along the way。 It is an important novel in the context of the emerging awareness of the opioid crisis and as important a social commentary as was Dicken;s Copperfield in its day。Deserves to become a classic - thank you NetGalley for the ARC 。。。more
Gail Danks
，
This really wasn’t for me at all。 I couldn’t get into it
Alison Alice-May
，
This is a contemporary retelling of Dickens’s David Copperfield。 It is not a book for the faint hearted as it delves into heart breaking situations。 What is most frightening is the similarities between Victorian England and its treatment of abandoned children and modern day America with its inequalities and deprivations。 I enjoyed the mirroring of characters from Dickens within the story。 Such a clever concept。 The story is set in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia， real red neck and hillbill This is a contemporary retelling of Dickens’s David Copperfield。 It is not a book for the faint hearted as it delves into heart breaking situations。 What is most frightening is the similarities between Victorian England and its treatment of abandoned children and modern day America with its inequalities and deprivations。 I enjoyed the mirroring of characters from Dickens within the story。 Such a clever concept。 The story is set in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia， real red neck and hillbillies territory， where people are sneered at and ridiculed。 The countryside made use of its people to mine the land， then abandoned them with no prospects。 It became a goldmine for army recruitment as there were few other options for its young。 A national opioid crisis resulted from prescription pill pushing as young people tried to sell their way out of dependency。 The book starts with Demon being born in a trailer to a young mother who herself was an addict。 In a dreadful， dangerous move， Demon’s mother marries a brutally violent man who soon makes Demon’s life a living hell。 Ending up in the foster system， Demon becomes a slave to a farmer who has no interest in feeding him， but enjoys thrashing him。 He is kept away from school to work cutting tobacco plants， his only solace the other young people in a similar position to him。 Demon ends up with a family who treat him no better than a dog。 Despite being paid by the state to look after him， Demon is expected to work after school and at weekends。 Demon is working among trash which he has to sort。 He changes completely into a child that does not speak， a child who is ostracised by other children as he stinks。 Demon realises he is worthless， his only hope that he has a future。 When his circumstances eventually improve， Demon finds it difficult to cope as he has no skills due to his past trauma。 His next carer tries to make a football player out of him， but when an injury threatens to ruin his future， Demon is left with little resources to fight an opioid addiction of his own。 This young boy is the epitome of resilience。 He has fought hunger， neglect， addiction and despair。 His life has been truly heart breaking。 However there have been supportive women throughout his life。 His grandmother Betsy， his art teacher Annie， his “sister” Angus and the always and forever supportive June。 I loved the part when Demon read Dickens in an English class and noted that Dickens really understood how kids got screwed over， again and again and no one cared。 This book is a rage against contemporary America and it’s failings。 It is difficult to read when Demon’s life is bleak and unrelenting。 The despair lodges in your gut as you read， as a way out looks impossible。 However， the book is hopeful and thought provoking in the end， and once it is over it gives much food for thought。 This one doesn’t go away quietly。 。。。more
Karen Bullock
，
A coming of age story about a boy with a distinctively different name to match his very different appearance。Growing up in a place known as “the holler” leads most people to believe that they’ll either live and die there or decide to haul up and move away。The bluntness of the story telling is refreshing， while life around their neck of the woods is scripted as low， poverty level; the snarky sarcasm as regaled by Demon’s storytelling brings about humor that could only come from the mouth of a you A coming of age story about a boy with a distinctively different name to match his very different appearance。Growing up in a place known as “the holler” leads most people to believe that they’ll either live and die there or decide to haul up and move away。The bluntness of the story telling is refreshing， while life around their neck of the woods is scripted as low， poverty level; the snarky sarcasm as regaled by Demon’s storytelling brings about humor that could only come from the mouth of a young teenage boy， whose just trying to survive。This is my first time reading this author and enjoyed her regaled tale。In places it does seem a bit long winded， which is why I have only given 4stars on the rating， as well as the mass introduction of characters， their relations and the various nicknames which was confusing at times。 。。。more
Bienzrw
，
This book pulls you into the head of Demon Copperhead and doesn't let you even look away for over 500 pages。 And despite the pain and desperate poverty of the child， the adolescent， and the young man， his ability to keep fighting for his right to live and for his humanity always gives you some hope for something good to emerge ultimately。There were many times I had to walk away from this book for a little while， but there was never any question about coming back。 With every Kingsolver book， I al This book pulls you into the head of Demon Copperhead and doesn't let you even look away for over 500 pages。 And despite the pain and desperate poverty of the child， the adolescent， and the young man， his ability to keep fighting for his right to live and for his humanity always gives you some hope for something good to emerge ultimately。There were many times I had to walk away from this book for a little while， but there was never any question about coming back。 With every Kingsolver book， I always learn something--often many things--and this one is no exception。 The darker side of child protective services， the roots of the opioid crisis， and the swath that it cut through certain parts of the country are laid out clearly， as is the poverty experienced in rural Appalachia。 Demon Copperhead is recommended reading for everyone I know。 。。。more
Nicola Mackenzie-Smaller
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Pretty certain this is a contender for my book of the year but be warned， it’s a gritty， uncomfortable， often heartbreaking read。A modern retelling of David Copperfield， Demon is a child born to an addict mother in a trailer park in Appalachia， at a time when drug companies are starting to flood his rural community with prescription painkillers。 Left an orphan he experiences the worst of the foster care system before possible salvation comes through sport。 What keeps him going through some horri Pretty certain this is a contender for my book of the year but be warned， it’s a gritty， uncomfortable， often heartbreaking read。A modern retelling of David Copperfield， Demon is a child born to an addict mother in a trailer park in Appalachia， at a time when drug companies are starting to flood his rural community with prescription painkillers。 Left an orphan he experiences the worst of the foster care system before possible salvation comes through sport。 What keeps him going through some horrific times is a kind of inner determination and the belief in the power of storytelling， You don’t have to have read David Copperfield， although picking out the parallels is fun。 What is certain is that the poverty and misery in Dickens’ original novel have echoes in modern society， which made me heartbroken and furious in equal measure。 The writing is superlative and Demon’s journey is one in which you can become deeply invested。 Read with The Pigeonhole。 。。。more
Peter Willoughby
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I loved this book， little realising that it was a modern rendition of David Copperfield。This version is set in recent Virginia， an area of the world I know virtually nothing about。I would normally say here that I loved Barbara Kingsolver's characters， all the plots and trials and tribulations of the main character， his friends and acquaintances。I have to admit that I was shocked and disappointed， with myself， when reading the accompanying essay to this book and finding out that I had failed to a I loved this book， little realising that it was a modern rendition of David Copperfield。This version is set in recent Virginia， an area of the world I know virtually nothing about。I would normally say here that I loved Barbara Kingsolver's characters， all the plots and trials and tribulations of the main character， his friends and acquaintances。I have to admit that I was shocked and disappointed， with myself， when reading the accompanying essay to this book and finding out that I had failed to associate the book and its characters with David Copperfield。The above means that I now have to say that I loved the way that the author rethought and reworked the characters and actions into modern equivalents of the Dickens book and characters。The author says that David Copperfield is her favourite Dickens book。 I have to admit that I have a preference for a Tale of Two cities， although I can accept that David Copperfield was quite probably Dickens' best book。I learnt so much from reading this book， and although as with Dickens it is a rare fish that can say that they enjoyed all of the book， with so many unpleasant things happening， I really enjoyed the overall story， and loved the book on the whole。It would be fitting to think that this book could and should become a modern classic， perhaps read in all schools。Many thanks to the author for a splendid story and my thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy for honest review。 。。。more
Rachel Dixon
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Let the child tell the story… Demon Copperhead will be one of my books of 2022。 David Copperfield reimagined in twenty first century Appalachia。 The same heartbreaking social injustice。 Superb writing to keep you reading。 “Dickens for the opioid generation。” Published on Wednesday 📖
jean
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I love Barbara Kingsolver's writing and her ability to inhabit characters and make them really matter to the reader。 This was used to great effect in this book which was desperately sad， but the author managed to make me keep returning for the possibility of a glimmer of hope and maybe even redemption。 I hadn't realised until the end that it was a contemporary take on David Copperfield， which made me feel even more sad as， although the books are based in different countries in different centurie I love Barbara Kingsolver's writing and her ability to inhabit characters and make them really matter to the reader。 This was used to great effect in this book which was desperately sad， but the author managed to make me keep returning for the possibility of a glimmer of hope and maybe even redemption。 I hadn't realised until the end that it was a contemporary take on David Copperfield， which made me feel even more sad as， although the books are based in different countries in different centuries， their portrayal of generations of lost children hasn't really changed。Thank you Ms Kingsolver， may those in power hear your truths and act on them Thank you to netgalley and Faber and Faber for an advance copy of this book。 。。。more
Pip
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I read David Copperfield just before starting this。 I think that made the story all the more powerful because I was aware of how cleverly Barbara Kingsolver had utilised the plot and characters to create a whole new story。 Such a very different story， but keeping to the Dickens' tradition of highlighting social injustice。 I learnt a lot about America - in the present and how the past has led to today's issues。 Having said that， you do not need to know anything about David Copperfield to enjoy th I read David Copperfield just before starting this。 I think that made the story all the more powerful because I was aware of how cleverly Barbara Kingsolver had utilised the plot and characters to create a whole new story。 Such a very different story， but keeping to the Dickens' tradition of highlighting social injustice。 I learnt a lot about America - in the present and how the past has led to today's issues。 Having said that， you do not need to know anything about David Copperfield to enjoy the story of Demon Copperhead！ It is a harrowing read but features a lot of eye-opening moments and ends with a more hopeful outcome for some of the key characters。 I wish it may have the sort of impact that Dickens' novels did in Victorian times。 。。。more
Stephen Dilley
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'Demon Copperhead' is a powerful and angry novel about the intergenerational trauma caused by the opioid crisis in rural Virginia。 The narrator Damon （universally known as Demon） grows up in a trailer with his mother who is an addict until social services intervene send him to various foster homes where he experiences hardship， violence and neglect。 His luck seems to change when his eccentric grandmother arranges for him to live with the coach of a leading high-school football team where Demon m 'Demon Copperhead' is a powerful and angry novel about the intergenerational trauma caused by the opioid crisis in rural Virginia。 The narrator Damon （universally known as Demon） grows up in a trailer with his mother who is an addict until social services intervene send him to various foster homes where he experiences hardship， violence and neglect。 His luck seems to change when his eccentric grandmother arranges for him to live with the coach of a leading high-school football team where Demon makes a name for himself as a footballer and discovers a talent for drawing， but a painkiller prescription after a football injury sparks his own battle with addiction。 As the title hints at， Kingsolver uses the structure of Dickens' 'David Copperfield' but updates the story to the modern-day Appalachian mountains。 This works surprisingly well because of Dickens and Kingsolver's shared concern with poverty， social injustice and the mistreatment of children。 As Demon says of Dickens， "seriously old guy， dead and a foreigner but Christ Jesus did he get the picture on kids and orphans getting screwed over and nobody giving a rat's ass。 You'd think he was from round here。" No prior knowledge of Dickens' novel is required but for those who do know it it there is an added enjoyment in seeing familiar characters in new guises - for instance， the Micawbers become Demon's foster parents the McCobbs， using their DSS payments to make ends meet， and the oleaginous Uriah Heap becomes U-Haul Pyles， the slimy assistant coach to the high-school football team。 Because of the subject matter， the novel is pretty hard-hitting; it is not just Demon and his mother who are affected by addiction but pretty much every family we meet。 The first third or so of the novel is fairly relentless in its descriptions of the childhood traumas experienced by Demon; there is some respite from this in the middle but the final third also makes for deeply harrowing reading。 In many ways， this novel feels like a companion to Patrick Radden Keefe's 'Empire of Pain' which exposes the role of the Sackler family and their company Purdue Pharma in the opioid epidemic。 Here we see the devastating consequences laid bare in the ruined lives of whole generations。 What makes the novel bearable is Demon's narrative voice which is lively， witty and full of pluck even in the darkest moments。 In addition， Kingsolver never allows us to forget how many characters care deeply for Demon - his grandmother Betsy Woodall and her brother Mr Dick， his teachers Mr Armstrong and Ms Annie， his fellow foster-child Tommy Waddles， and above all his childhood neighbours the Peggot family。 Kingsolver has made it clear that she is writing about her own people in this novel。 and her immense love for them blazes forth from every page。 。。。more
Libriar
，
This book is a significant time investment - not only is it long， every word Kingsolver writes is essential to the book so there is very little that you can skim through - but it is absolutely worth it。 This book dives deep into poverty， foster care， and the opioid epidemic in the Appalachian region of Virginia。 Although the topic is depressing， Kingsolver is a master at educating her readers about a topic while also getting them to care deeply and ultimately open their eyes and possibly change This book is a significant time investment - not only is it long， every word Kingsolver writes is essential to the book so there is very little that you can skim through - but it is absolutely worth it。 This book dives deep into poverty， foster care， and the opioid epidemic in the Appalachian region of Virginia。 Although the topic is depressing， Kingsolver is a master at educating her readers about a topic while also getting them to care deeply and ultimately open their eyes and possibly change their thinking。 Demon Copperhead is Kingsolver's best work since The Poisonwood Bible。 ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley。 。。。more
christopher king
，
（Read on The Pigeonhole platform。）Like its literary counterpart David Copperfield， Barbara Kingsolver’s novel is social commentary cloaked in an account of a boy growing up and surviving in abject poverty。 Her main target is the pharmaceutical industry （specifically Purdue Pharma， also examined in ‘Dopesick’， a journalistic account of the effects of the over prescription of synthetic opioids with the towns of Appalachia）。 She scores heavily in her description of a drug-addicted community， the m （Read on The Pigeonhole platform。）Like its literary counterpart David Copperfield， Barbara Kingsolver’s novel is social commentary cloaked in an account of a boy growing up and surviving in abject poverty。 Her main target is the pharmaceutical industry （specifically Purdue Pharma， also examined in ‘Dopesick’， a journalistic account of the effects of the over prescription of synthetic opioids with the towns of Appalachia）。 She scores heavily in her description of a drug-addicted community， the moral， physical and financial ruin drug abuse can cause。 Her account is not all doom and gloom。 Demon， her central character， who provides the voice through which the story is told， is a survivor against all the odds。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
Read this book。 Set in the Virginia Appalachians， it's the story of Damon Fields， aka Demon Copperhead， who is orphaned at the age of 10 after being born on the floor of a trailer to an addict mother who loved him but couldn't help herself。 Yes， it's a contemporary version of David Copperfield and fans of that novel will see small echoes here not only in the nightmare of Demon's life but also in small things like the names of some of the characters。 And most of all， in his distinctive and amazin Read this book。 Set in the Virginia Appalachians， it's the story of Damon Fields， aka Demon Copperhead， who is orphaned at the age of 10 after being born on the floor of a trailer to an addict mother who loved him but couldn't help herself。 Yes， it's a contemporary version of David Copperfield and fans of that novel will see small echoes here not only in the nightmare of Demon's life but also in small things like the names of some of the characters。 And most of all， in his distinctive and amazing voice。 While his neighbors， the Peggots include him in their rangy family as much as they can， they don't take him in when his mother dies， leaving him to the foster care system that sees him placed first on a tobacco farm and then with a family that leaves him to sleep in a dog's room。 The Peggots loom large- his best friend Maggot， who is different， and Jane， the daughter who got away and became a nurse- but so do the boys he met on the farm， especially Fast Forward， the star quarterback。 If there's a bright spot in Demon's life， it's Annie， who teaches art， and， later Angus， the daughter of the high school football coach who takes him in。 This large and sprawling， est intimate tale， holds a lot of horrors， especially with regard to opioid addiction but no matter how awful things get （and they get very bad） Demon keeps going， even as he too becomes addicted。 This is not a fast read0 the language and the storytelling demand your respect and attention。 But most of all， it's Demon that will make you turn the pages。 This lingers in the mind。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 Can't recommend more highly。 。。。more
W Willowcat
，
A depressing read at times but ultimately hopeful （at least for some）。 The links with David Copperfield are easily recognisable and cleverly worked into the story but I don’t think it would detract from this book if you’ve never read it。 The author sees through the cliched view of “hillbillies and paints a vivid picture of American rural communities and the impact that economic change has had on these people。 A moving book full of justified anger but saved from being too grim by its likeable mai A depressing read at times but ultimately hopeful （at least for some）。 The links with David Copperfield are easily recognisable and cleverly worked into the story but I don’t think it would detract from this book if you’ve never read it。 The author sees through the cliched view of “hillbillies and paints a vivid picture of American rural communities and the impact that economic change has had on these people。 A moving book full of justified anger but saved from being too grim by its likeable main character and narrator。 Thanks to pigeonhole for advance access。 。。。more
Karen Hammond
，
This was such a difficult book for me to read。 Although compulsive it was heart rending and hit upon too many triggers for me。 The author pulls no punches describing how difficult life can be when surrounded by poverty and abuse。 Am I glad that I read it ？ Yes it reads like a classic 。
Hayley
，
A fabulous retelling of Dickens’ David Copperfield， set in Appalachia during the late 20th century。Following the beats of the Dickens’ classic， Demon Copperhead starts with Damon's birth in a trailer and takes us through his life up to his mid-20s。 Throughout， the sharpest point is that 150 years on， life for the poor， particularly orphaned or abandoned children， has not improved。 There is the same lack of support， cruelty， self-serving indifference， meeting the desperate yearning for love and w A fabulous retelling of Dickens’ David Copperfield， set in Appalachia during the late 20th century。Following the beats of the Dickens’ classic， Demon Copperhead starts with Damon's birth in a trailer and takes us through his life up to his mid-20s。 Throughout， the sharpest point is that 150 years on， life for the poor， particularly orphaned or abandoned children， has not improved。 There is the same lack of support， cruelty， self-serving indifference， meeting the desperate yearning for love and warmth。 Adding more horror is the easy availability of opioids （the gin of its time？） from cynical drug reps and medics and the wreckage they leave behind is crushing。Demon， as he becomes known， is a wonderful narrator， honest， authentic， and humorous， and the colorful cast of characters that people his story are vividly created without Dickensian caricature。 There is pathos， bitterness， longing， desperation， and despair， and yet Demon never loses hope。 His skills as a cartoonist and a few steady adults and friends in his life keep him heading towards the light。Substituting 20th century Lee County， VA for 19th century London works surprisingly well。 That everybody knows everybody plays into the Dickensian coincidences of different people popping up in different stages of the story。 The twists on names and nicknames give a wink to the novel’s predecessor and its author love for apposite nomenclature: sleazy Steerforth becomes the equally sleazy Fast Forward， the Micawbers become the McCobbs and still haplessly aspire to their predecessors’ maxim of spending less than they earn， the down to earth Peggotys become the similarly grounded Peggots， and Agnes and her lawyer father tormented by Uriah Heep， become an alcoholic football coach and his punky daughter Angus tormented and exploited by an assistant coach U-Haul Pyles。As you might expect， the book is of substantial length （560 pages） though without the slow pace and padding of Dickens。 Nonetheless it is such a marvelous and easy read， I wanted it to keep going for much longer。 What attracted me as an interesting conceit ended up being a rich， heartbreaking， and glorious novel of our times。 Highly recommended。Thanks to Harper and Netgalley for the digital review copy。 。。。more
Jo
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This book was fantastic。 I felt for the flawed but fully fleshed out characters and was completely immersed in their journey。 It was a long book but it still felt like it wasn't long enough as I wanted to continue to stay with Demon - and hopefully share his HEA。Substance abuse is a trigger of mine so I struggled with some of the content， but the way it was handled made me view the circumstances around it differently and reconsider my opinion of people who use， so for that alone I would thanks t This book was fantastic。 I felt for the flawed but fully fleshed out characters and was completely immersed in their journey。 It was a long book but it still felt like it wasn't long enough as I wanted to continue to stay with Demon - and hopefully share his HEA。Substance abuse is a trigger of mine so I struggled with some of the content， but the way it was handled made me view the circumstances around it differently and reconsider my opinion of people who use， so for that alone I would thanks the author， but even more so for the amazing story she gave us。 。。。more
Trace
，
I have read a few clunkers recently， so it was nice to come across a writer who is very good at her craft。 It is a long book so sit back and simply enjoy。 The only nick-pick would be the length of the story。 I think some sections weren't necessary， but that is more a commentary on the me and my preferences。 That said， this story is worth the read considering how well it was written。 I would give it 4。5 if that option was available。 I have read a few clunkers recently， so it was nice to come across a writer who is very good at her craft。 It is a long book so sit back and simply enjoy。 The only nick-pick would be the length of the story。 I think some sections weren't necessary， but that is more a commentary on the me and my preferences。 That said， this story is worth the read considering how well it was written。 I would give it 4。5 if that option was available。 。。。more
Kate Hyde
，
Starting this， I thought， does the world really need another version of David Copperfield？ Am I really in the mood for depressing poverty-porn？ And what does an internationally famous writer know about hunger， fear and desperation anyway？Well， I was glad to be educated on all these questions。 Firstly， turns out that Kingsolver is an Appalachian native， and puts this to good use in her depiction of the area and characters; you get to a stage where you can tell the difference between an author tha Starting this， I thought， does the world really need another version of David Copperfield？ Am I really in the mood for depressing poverty-porn？ And what does an internationally famous writer know about hunger， fear and desperation anyway？Well， I was glad to be educated on all these questions。 Firstly， turns out that Kingsolver is an Appalachian native， and puts this to good use in her depiction of the area and characters; you get to a stage where you can tell the difference between an author that has long first-hand experience of places and events， and one that has done a ton of research but cannot quite put themselves into the skins of those that lived it。 Kingsolver has done the research， but backs it up with plenty of life-experience， and paints a vivid and convincing picture。She also keeps well in with both Dickens' literary style and his mission to educate people on the social/economic disadvantages of certain strata in society。 While often penetrating and gruesome， her protagonist Demon lifts the story by means of his personality， which has a certain hard-bitten sense of humour （or fatalism）; the author also manages to get the tone of an older teen down quite well， and it is in his throwaway neologisms that much of the humour is conveyed。 Kingsolver dances delicately on the line between documenting the horrors of addiction and crafting a good story， and I think she manages the balance with all the panache of her mentor。 She says at the end of the book that Dickens has been her inspiration for much of her career， as regards fighting for social justice， and I think she has done him proud with this story， which is highly entertaining as well as enraging。 Demon Copperhead has enough about it to be completely different to David Copperfield yet， sadly， it is unbelievable that we have evolved so little as a species since the mid-1800s that we still wilfully neglect and exploit the weakest in our societies。 Personally， I love that Kingsolver parses the larger historical， economic and political thinking behind the opioid crisis in Appalachia; but you can be of African descent， or First Nations， or any other marginalised part of society （obviously in every other country too） of any colour， religion or other "difference" which doesn't suit the capitalist elite and you will be demonised （pardon the pun） and exploited， and hounded to extinction - unless you start turning a profit for them。 The only minor issue with this book is that it is just the tiniest bit too long - but then， that is very much in keeping with the Dickensian style， and the story is quite good enough to carry the slight over-spill。 My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book， I shall be recommending it to all my book club ladies。 。。。more
Laura Hill
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Thank you to Harper Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 The book will be published on October 18th， 2022。Writing: 5/5 Characters: 5/5 Plot: 3/5A transposition of Dickens’ David Copperfield from Victorian England to Hillbilly country （the Appalachians）。 Damon （quickly nicknamed Demon） Copperhead is born to a drug addled and largely unconscious single mother in a rickety trailer。 Kingsolver’s first line （getting us right into Dickens ter Thank you to Harper Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 The book will be published on October 18th， 2022。Writing: 5/5 Characters: 5/5 Plot: 3/5A transposition of Dickens’ David Copperfield from Victorian England to Hillbilly country （the Appalachians）。 Damon （quickly nicknamed Demon） Copperhead is born to a drug addled and largely unconscious single mother in a rickety trailer。 Kingsolver’s first line （getting us right into Dickens territory）: “First， I got myself born。 A decent crowd was in hand to watch， and they’ve always given me that much: the worst of the job was up to me， my mother being let’s just say out of it。” From this point， the book proceeds for 560 pages documenting the story of this one lovable and very lost boy through a childhood of poverty， foster care， addiction， and loss。The writing is detailed， heart felt and persuasive — almost too much so as the absolute unfairness of almost everything that happens to Damon is described in such detail and with such clarity on his resulting feelings， it is literally hard （for me） to keep reading。 His character is so complete and so genuine that you feel helpless watching him get crushed time after time by people and situations that were not of his making。 Aside from the emotional toll this book took on me， the storytelling was superb， with real depth ranging across a whole slew of people and situations。 If you can squeeze out your emotional sponge and put it somewhere out of reach， you’ll love this wild storytelling ride。 Some real insight into what it would be like to grow up in this environment。 。。。more
Allison Poirier
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“If a story has all the elements， it will be legend around here， where we love our neighbors so much we can’t stop talking about them。”Demon Copperfield comes into the world starting from behind。 Born to a teen， addicted， poor mom in rural Appalachia， he has a lot to work against but he gives it a go and does okay for himself。 You’re pulling for him from the start， and he stays a good kid， doesn’t let you down。 I’ve been a Barbara Kingsolver devotee since I first read The Bean Trees oh so many y “If a story has all the elements， it will be legend around here， where we love our neighbors so much we can’t stop talking about them。”Demon Copperfield comes into the world starting from behind。 Born to a teen， addicted， poor mom in rural Appalachia， he has a lot to work against but he gives it a go and does okay for himself。 You’re pulling for him from the start， and he stays a good kid， doesn’t let you down。 I’ve been a Barbara Kingsolver devotee since I first read The Bean Trees oh so many years ago。 I was intrigued by the idea of this reimagining of David Copperfield in the American South。 I knew that Kingsolver would bring her wit and wisdom to bear on modern political & social issues， as she has in many of her novels and NF。 Her writing， as usual， is so rhythmic and rife with details that you can fall right into it and be completely absorbed， like the description of “A kind of mud that made you feel rich， leaf smelling， thick， of a color that you wanted to eat。” If you’ve been following me you know I’m always hung up on authenticity of the narrators voice， particularly when that narrator is a child。 This narrator absolutely has my approval。 Demon’s voice is sharp and incisive， while staying true to the POV of a child。 。。。more
Bam cooks the books ;-）
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'Charles Dickens， seriously old guy， dead and a foreigner， but Christ Jesus did he get the picture on kids and orphans being screwed over and nobody giving a rat's ass。 You'd think he was from around here，' says Demon Copperhead， hero of his own story。 Demon was born to an 18-year-old junkie mother on the floor of a trailer home in rural Virginia。 Things do not get much better for the boy from there on as he suffers through child abuse， the vagaries of foster care and child protective services a 'Charles Dickens， seriously old guy， dead and a foreigner， but Christ Jesus did he get the picture on kids and orphans being screwed over and nobody giving a rat's ass。 You'd think he was from around here，' says Demon Copperhead， hero of his own story。 Demon was born to an 18-year-old junkie mother on the floor of a trailer home in rural Virginia。 Things do not get much better for the boy from there on as he suffers through child abuse， the vagaries of foster care and child protective services and eventually fails victim to the opiod epidemic。 Barbara Kingsolver has written a compelling adaptation of Dickens' beloved classic novel David Copperfield， setting it in her own time and place， the hills and hollers of Appalachia， and examining many of the same social ills that still plague our times。 The characters she has created are so fully-developed and amazingly real， people this reader came to love， hate or maybe a touch of both。 I tried to pick a favorite character， besides Demon himself of course， but soon realized there were just too many to choose from: Aunt June; Tommy; Mr Dick; Angus; Mr Armstrong; Ms Annie; Hammer Kelly。 There are a few who try to be helpful but simply fall short， like Mrs Peggot; Miss Barks; Ms Betsey; Coach。 Other kids who fall through the cracks of life like Dori; Emmy; Maggot。 Plenty to hate too--like Stoner; Fast Forward; Creaky; the McCobbs; the hooker at the truck stop; U-Haul Pyles （think Uriah Heep）; Dr Watts; Rose。 At any rate， I will not soon forget these characters in the days to come。 Every person has a story， don't they？ Reading is one way to learn what it's like to be in someone else's shoes。 I shouldn't fail to mention the interesting Appalachian history and beauty of the landscape that is woven into the story。 Kingsolver looks at the differences between rural and city living and reminds us that derogatory words like 'hillbilly' are just as bad as other slurs--anything like that is used to belittle others。 She explains the origin of 'rednecks' which began during a coal miners strike and the neckerchiefs they wore。 I highly recommend this novel: it's a bit long but the story truly draws you in。 I'm thinking it will make a great gift this holiday season for the book lovers on my list。 It is definitely my favorite for the year 2022。 I received an arc from the author and publisher via NetGalley。 My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Avani ✨
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3。5 starsDemon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver， a historical fiction novel and the re-telling of Charles Dickens's 'David Copperfield' set in the Virginia of eastern US - Appalachian mountains。 The book gives proper feels of Hanya Yanagihara and similar authors。 The writing style is quite descriptive as well which is a plus point and reads very well。The book surely has a lot of Trigger Warnings so do look into it before picking this book。 Demon Copperhead， as a character who holds much power an 3。5 starsDemon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver， a historical fiction novel and the re-telling of Charles Dickens's 'David Copperfield' set in the Virginia of eastern US - Appalachian mountains。 The book gives proper feels of Hanya Yanagihara and similar authors。 The writing style is quite descriptive as well which is a plus point and reads very well。The book surely has a lot of Trigger Warnings so do look into it before picking this book。 Demon Copperhead， as a character who holds much power and resilience towards what he has gone through and suffered in his life。 The plot is super interesting and though provoking as well。 However， something felt a miss in terms of me personally connecting with the character， probably due to the cultural gap。I haven't read David Copperfield by Charles Dickens either and I still picked up this one either so can easily pick this one up。 The book does hold a picture and reflection of different times in United States of America which is brilliantly depicted by Barbara Kingsolver。 Considering the book length， it starts off slow and picks up at a later stage。 。。。more
Carolyn
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Barbara Kingsolver’s reworking of David Copperfield as a tale for our times is a masterful portrayal of what it can be like for a child to be born and grow up amongst the poorest and most marginalised in America today。 Children who are labelled as society’s dregs and treated as if they are in some way lesser beings because their clothes are ragged and they are always hungry。 Damon Fields， nicknamed Demon Copperhead （for his red hair）， is a child born to a single teenage mother living in a traile Barbara Kingsolver’s reworking of David Copperfield as a tale for our times is a masterful portrayal of what it can be like for a child to be born and grow up amongst the poorest and most marginalised in America today。 Children who are labelled as society’s dregs and treated as if they are in some way lesser beings because their clothes are ragged and they are always hungry。 Damon Fields， nicknamed Demon Copperhead （for his red hair）， is a child born to a single teenage mother living in a trailer， his father dead before his birth， in Lee County in the Virginian Appalachians。 While his mother struggles with drug addiction and is in and out of rehab， Demon is also cared for by the kindly Peggot family next door， grandparents bringing up their own grandson whose mother is in prison。 He learns to love the wild forests， to hunt and fish and what it’s feels like to be part of a large family。 However， when he is ten， Demon’s world really falls apart when his mother marries an abusive man with no interest in raising a child。 This is the start of a downhill spiral for Demon that leads to the nightmare of foster care， where he is expected to work to earn his keep， never given enough to eat or provided with bigger clothing as he grows。 After he hits his lowest point， a change in fortune will find him in a better place but， with a baggage of neglect， abuse and poverty， he’s not equipped to weather the storms still to come and is in danger of repeating the cycle of addiction and poverty。However， even at his lowest point Demon never loses his will to survive or to see the best in people。 His ability to draw and conjure up superheros with the power to save the weak and downtrodden is his richest possession and along with his sense of humour and intelligence keeps him going in the toughest of times。 This is a long book and I did find it slow down in the latter half when Kingsolver is fully laying out the causes and effects of the opiod crisis in America， particularly in marginalised populations， such as in poor rural areas where there is high unemployment and people are told they are worthless。 However， sad and depressing Demon’s story is， it felt very real and hopefully will lead to better understanding of what it is to be caught up in poverty through no fault of your own， poorly educated and without hope and told you are worthless， with the lure of drugs one way to make it all go away for a while。 Demon is a character I will not easily forget in this insightful and provocative novel。With thanks to Faber & Faber via Netgalley for a copy to read 。。。more
Judy
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Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: Updated: reviewed in The Boston Globe as "poverty porn"--I disagree。 This is a masterpiece。 It's Kingsolver's take on David Copperfield， set in rural Virginia， following the life of Damon/Demon Copperhead as he endures a life of abuse， abandonment， poverty， addiction （and more） and yet through out continues to have a sense of humor and cultivate meaningful relationships with complex and flawed people in his life。 It reminded me of Kingsolver's first novels that c Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: Updated: reviewed in The Boston Globe as "poverty porn"--I disagree。 This is a masterpiece。 It's Kingsolver's take on David Copperfield， set in rural Virginia， following the life of Damon/Demon Copperhead as he endures a life of abuse， abandonment， poverty， addiction （and more） and yet through out continues to have a sense of humor and cultivate meaningful relationships with complex and flawed people in his life。 It reminded me of Kingsolver's first novels that chronicled young people facing significant hardships。 She embodies an young man and the writing is superb。 It's long， and took a bit for me to become engrossed--but it's a marvelous epic。 The humanity while facing a life of deprivation and inhumanity gives the book hope and meaning。 The opioid epidemic looms large。 A tour de force。 。。。more
Cook Memorial Public Library
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