Demon Copperhead

A Novel

Paperback

Published Oct. 18, 2022 by HarperLuxe.

ISBN:
978-0-06-326746-6
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4 stars (24 reviews)

9 editions

David Copperfield redux

4 stars

Inspired by Dicken’s David Copperfield, the novel, set in rural Kentucky circa 1980-2000, centres around Demon, a trailer park kid who got kicked around to various foster homes, briefly became a local high school football star until a knee injury put an end to that, and sent him crashing into a life of opioids and addiction. His one talent, drawing, helped with his ultimate redemption. A theme running through it, like that of the Dicken’s novel, is that of institutional poverty and its effects on the lives ordinary people. Though it held my interest, the book was ultimately too long.

Review of 'Demon Copperhead' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

A very good story with an entertaining, observant, and ironic narrator, at least in his early childhood. Am I more aware of poverty in southwestern Virginia or problems with Oxycodone because of it? Is the novel better because it closely follows the structure of David Copperfield? Maybe.

Review of 'Demon Copperhead' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Calling it now: this is going to be my top read for 2023. Lit classes are going to study this book for Kingsolver's ability to craft an authentic voice, tease out the most telling details, and somehow keep a book that should be wholly depressing (TW: drugs! addiction! orphans! death! abuse!) moving along at a break-neck pace with incisive, laugh-out-loud observations and dialogue. Any curriculum that is still using (fraudulent loser) JD Vance's "Hillbilly Elegy" to teach about Appalachia should go ahead and upgrade to this book, stat!

The magic of this book is that you root for Demon even though you know the odds are stacked (and STACKED) against him. He's lovable despite his flaws, and you just want to see him beat the system.

Review of 'Demon Copperhead' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Es fing sehr gut an. Nach der Leseprobe und vor dem Kauf habe ich Rezensionen gelesen, um rauszufinden, ob es Elendsporno ist oder nicht, und keine Hinweise darauf gefunden. Es fühlte sich dann aber doch alles irgendwie verkehrt an. Ich würde gern genauer benennen können, was das Problem war. Vielleicht verstehe ich es mit etwas Nachdenkzeit besser, dann trage ich es hier nach. Vielleicht passen wir aber auch einfach nur nicht zusammen, das Buch und ich.

Nachträge:
- Auf den ersten 200 Seiten sind die Personen Personen. Aber dann bricht der Protagonist zu seiner unbekannten Großmutter auf, und diese Großmutter ist natürlich exzentrisch und liebevoll und streng wie alle wiedergefundenen Großmütter von Waisenkindern in der Literatur. Vielleicht kann Kingsolver nichts dafür, das Buch ist ja eine Dickens-Nacherzählung und vielleicht hat Dickens diese Großmutter erfunden und seitdem wird sie bei ihm abgeschrieben. Die Großmutter kümmert sich um ihren behinderten Bruder, der …

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