Demon Copperhead: Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction

Loved this book. Hard to read in places - heartbreaking and sad but heartwarming too. So well written plus a good story that holds the attention from start to finish. Best book I’ve read in a while.

A reimagining of Dickens' David Copperfield, this is the story of Damon Fields, aka, Demon Copperhead, a young boy growing up in the mountains of Southern Appalachia, and charting his journey into adulthood. Born to a teen-aged single mother battling a drug habit, Demon is orphaned at a young age, forced to face the hardships of a broken foster care system. Later, he finally finds a home with Coach Winfield and his daughter Angus, briefly enjoying stardom on the football pitch, only to suffer a devastating injury. From there, Demon finds himself on a downward spiral, battling addiction issues himself, however, through all the adversities, Demon never loses the fighting spirit and resilience he was born with.My first read from Barbara Kingsolver, and easily my favourite read of the year so far, though not always an easy read, given the oftentimes depressing subject matter. Yet, no matter how bleak and harrowing the story got, ultimately the message was one of triumph and hope, and I think that always shone through.Demon, as the central character, is a joy. I simply loved his voice, and thought Kingsolver did a remarkable job of so wonderfully capturing the inner thoughts and feelings of a young boy/teenager. He narrates his story with a darkly sardonic sense of humour, that also helps keep the tone of the story entertaining no matter what he is enduring. Demon has a zest for life that simply cannot be stamped out, even at his lowest ebb, and whilst at times the choices he makes are questionable, I was rooting for him all the way. His heart was always in the right place, such that it was impossible not to like him.I've never actually read David Copperfield, but am familiar with the story though various television and movie adaptations over the years. I don't think you necessarily have to be familiar with the story, in order to enjoy this, but if you are, then I think you'll likely appreciate all the nods, and how cleverly Kingsolver takes Dickens' story and characters and translates them in this modern day setting. I did also find it rather thought-provoking, how so many of the social issues that Dickens was writing about, such as poverty, child labour and the bleak life of an orphan, are still so relevant today. Here, the orphanages are replaced instead by a broken foster care system that is no less harrowing.Another important issue covered in the story is drug abuse, Kingsolver going into a fair amount of detail on the heroin epidemic that affected these parts and destroyed so many lives and communities, and the role the pharmaceutical industry played in this. Kinsgsolver's love for her native Appalachia was clear to see and infused throughout the story, be it in Demon's love for the nature around him, or in the interesting history of the area that she weaves into the story. Its there in the commentary on how rural folk are so often misrepresented, and in Demon's comic strips and later graphic novel that try to hit back and give his people a voice. Yes, perhaps at times her social commentary could seem a little forced, however, I appreciated the passion behind it nevertheless.The novel is certainly lengthy, however, I never found myself losing attention. Whilst Demon owned my heart from very early on, there were a whole host of characters here to love, and some to love to hate. Some of my favorites included Angus, Tommy, and Aunt June, though the Peggotts as a whole family were a lovable bunch.Overall, this was a masterful reworking of a classic, and yet also entirely Kingsolver's own. A story that is as likely to have you laughing as it is crying; I found this an incredibly raw and moving read, with a big-hearted hero who will stay with me for a long time.

I didn't enjoy reading this book. It's long, rambling, even slightly tedious. And yet it's highly acclaimed, and has won at least three major awards. And I can see why. It explores the fragile life of an underclass. I know a little about the world of American football, and how, along with other codes, it can offer the possibility of an escape, only and all too often, to be curtailed by injury. But I didn't know anything about Lee County and the like, whereas the author does, growing up in Carlisle, Kentucky (although not from a deprived background). The book is certainly descriptive and avoids sentimentality. Had it been slimmed down, it might not have been as good.

This is the best book I've read in a very long time (and I read a lot!). The character of Demon will linger in my memory for a long time too, I walked with him every step of the way or at least that's how it felt. It's an immersive and mesmerising read. A heart breaking story yet it is written with wit and warmth. It's multi-layered with an insight into the realities of life in life in 'hick country' America and the opioid crisis. On every page of this book you can feel Demon's hope and desperation, his struggles to make to make sense of life and to make the 'right' decisions.In boyhood and growing into adulthood somehow the author manages to portray these stages so vividly and so beautifully. When I read the reviews I assumed it would not live up to the hype but it does and so much more.

Loved this book - the voice, the characters, the atmosphere, the story. Truly fantastic and very much recommended. Read it!

I liked the character & story telling & development. Well written.The only negative - possibly could be a little shorter.However - really enjoyed this book.

Where to start? Kingsolver is a well-brought up older white woman. But she gets right inside the head of a mixed-race boy from trailer-trash, and gives him a memorable and eloquent voice. It is amazing. Demon stands right up from the page and gets into your head. It hits the trifecta: Lee County, poor white culture in the Appalachian, soaks into every word: we see it all, hear it all, feel it all. And then it is America and its dreams, and then it is everyone. Along the way, is a concerto with Dickens providing the orchestra to Demon Copperhead's soloist. There are a few books that change lives. This is one of them.

In an interview with Ezra Klein on his podcast, Barbara Kingsolver said she wanted to write “the great Appalachian novel.” She conceded, however, that the notion “probably sounds ridiculous.”In particular, Kingsolver said she wanted to write about the fact that the people who live in Appalachia “are the most resourceful Americans you’re probably going to find anywhere.” Kingsolver, who was raised in rural Kentucky and now lives in rural Virginia, said she wanted to explore the shame she had internalized from her choice of a place to live.“How many people well-meaning people have asked me, ‘how could I live there in the middle of nowhere?’” said Kingsolver. “People, this is my everywhere. This is my everything.”Later in the chat: “Everybody looks down on the country people and the country people sort of absorb that. You can’t help but absorb it. So when I set out to write my great Appalachian novel. I was paralyzed with self-doubt because, I mean, my starting point was that I wanted to write about the opioid epidemic, which is become a huge assault on our culture, our families, our communities. It’s devastated so many of the good things about this region that we value and that we love. And so I wanted to write about these kids who’ve been damaged and this place that’s been damaged, and it seemed like a really hopelessly sad story. Plus, it’s about people that I didn’t feel the outer world cared about. And so I just really, I spent a couple of years walking around and around this story, trying to figure out how to break into that house because I really felt sure nobody wants to read it.”Well, Kingsolver was wrong. At least, she was wrong about the interest in her topic—not her take on the people of Appalachia. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and 85,000+ ratings on Amazon (4.6 stars).There’s so much to like about Demon Copperhead but one of the main things is that it’s so breezily readable. For a 546-page epic, it goes down fast. It’s episodic, a la Dickens, but the character flow is organic, unforced. Demon’s voice is engaging and his struggles are real, particularly when it comes to the challenges of the foster care system and the brutality of OxyContin addictions. Kingsolver’s empathy for addicts comes pouring out of the story. She is non-judgmental, plays it straight.Here is Demon, somewhat early on, looking back on the power of addiction: “I had roads to travel before I would know it’s not that simple, the dope versus the person you love. That a craving can ratchet itself up and up inside a body and a mind, at the same time that body’s strength for tolerating is favorite drug goes down and down. That the longer you’ve gone hurting between fixes, the higher the odds that you’ll reach too hard for the stars next time. That first big rush of relief could be your last. In the long run, that’s how I’ve come to picture Mom at the end: reaching as hard as her little body would stretch, trying to touch the blue sky, reaching for some peace.”That’s as good a passage about the feeling of addiction, and a description of its power, that I’ve ever read. (Kingsolver also read that section on Klein’s podcast.)Kingsolver is a deceiving writer. Her style is unassuming and keen-eyed. The text is full of specificity. And energy. If you have any doubts about tackling this book because it looks too heavy, squash those notions. Here’s the beginning of Chapter 34:“A lot of firsts that school year. First scrimmage, first JV game, first tackle, first passing yards made. First school dance, with an eighth-grader girl that was dead serious about it. So, my first real date, evidently. Angus and Sax went together dressed as Planet of the Apes, loser of their grade contest (Sax) being the human on a leash. This is Homecoming mind you, not Halloween, so. Not a date. But Angus took mine over, ordered the corsage from Walmart, took me to Goodwill where we found this dope white suit from the sixties. In my size, unbelievable. I’ve grown into my hands and feet by this point, and I’m pushing 6 feet. Thank you, Mattie Kate.”Mattie Kate is the housekeeper who worked for football Coach Wingate, where Demon lived while he was being developed as a potential football star. There are plenty of characters to keep track of, but Kingsolver gives them juicy nicknames (again, a la Dickens) or colorful descriptions so they are easy to track. U-Haul. Fast Forward. Waddles. Mouse. If you know David Copperfield (it’s been decades since I read it) you’ll have a great time with what Kingsolver did with her names. For instance, Uriah Heep becomes Ryan Pyles.The “resourcefulness” of Demon is apparent in his stubborn ability to survive. He’s smarter than he acknowledges, and very observant. In Demon Copperhead, bad things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people, too. Many around Demon are not so fortunate and literally or metaphorically drown. You can’t help but think about the failure of our institutions around child welfare, the foster care system, adult welfare, and drug abuse. But Demon finds his talent, develops a passion, and puts it to use. Hello, the power of art. And love. Every great novel, and this is one, is a love story in the end.Demon Copperfield was written with passion for Kingsolver’s very personal reasons. The execution is a thing of beauty—and something we can all admire.

I want to finish reading but I only received four chapters on this device.

One of the best novels from one of the best living writers (in English)

Dieses Buch lässt den Leser nicht los, obwohl das, was Demon erlebt, teilweise schwer zu ertragen ist. Empfehlung an alle, die mit der Erziehung von Kindern und Jugendlichen zu tun haben: Lesen Sie dieses Buch und lassen Sie es nie so weit kommen!