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A review by amyvl93
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Oh, I wanted to love this so much. I adore some of Kingsolver's writing, and the hype around this novel had me so excited to revisit it. However, I think my sky high expectations meant that Demon Copperhead came up a little short for me.
A pretty faithful retelling of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, Demon Copperhead follows the childhood and young adulthood of Damon Fields. Born to a single mother living in rural Appalachia, Damon lives a few years in golden sunshine before the arrival of a cruel stepfather, the death of his mother and Damon's childhood seeing him ping ponging between foster placements in part of the US where both place and people have been forgotten, and people reach for whatever is available to help them kill some time and some pain.
It's undeniable that the sheer craft on display here is really something, Kingsolver pulls a Victorian story into the years of the late 1990s and 2000s with ease, and as a narrator she gives Damon a voice that feels realistic at all times - appropriately cynical and angry but hopeful all the same. The places that his life takes him are vividly drawn and I really got a sense of each and every place. The characterisation is again reasonably strong throughout - I particularly liked Angus, Tommy and the teachers (Mr Armstrong and Annie), with the 'villains' generally not being too one note. Although with some of the characters being so reminiscent of Dickens, it's hard to place all the artistic merit with Kingsolver, however unfair that may sound.
However, my issue with Demon Copperhead is the same issue that I have with Dickens, which is that this book really dragged; and Kingsolver doesn't have the same reasoning as Dickens who was paid by the word. This did sometimes mean I was less motivated to read the novel, particularly when I had to slog through pages that were largely repetitive (which may have been by design, but wasn't a fun read).
I wouldn't be surprised if this goes on to win the Women's Prize as it is a very well crafted work; but not one that was necessarily a favourite in terms of enjoyment.
A pretty faithful retelling of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, Demon Copperhead follows the childhood and young adulthood of Damon Fields. Born to a single mother living in rural Appalachia, Damon lives a few years in golden sunshine before the arrival of a cruel stepfather, the death of his mother and Damon's childhood seeing him ping ponging between foster placements in part of the US where both place and people have been forgotten, and people reach for whatever is available to help them kill some time and some pain.
It's undeniable that the sheer craft on display here is really something, Kingsolver pulls a Victorian story into the years of the late 1990s and 2000s with ease, and as a narrator she gives Damon a voice that feels realistic at all times - appropriately cynical and angry but hopeful all the same. The places that his life takes him are vividly drawn and I really got a sense of each and every place. The characterisation is again reasonably strong throughout - I particularly liked Angus, Tommy and the teachers (Mr Armstrong and Annie), with the 'villains' generally not being too one note. Although with some of the characters being so reminiscent of Dickens, it's hard to place all the artistic merit with Kingsolver, however unfair that may sound.
However, my issue with Demon Copperhead is the same issue that I have with Dickens, which is that this book really dragged; and Kingsolver doesn't have the same reasoning as Dickens who was paid by the word. This did sometimes mean I was less motivated to read the novel, particularly when I had to slog through pages that were largely repetitive (which may have been by design, but wasn't a fun read).
I wouldn't be surprised if this goes on to win the Women's Prize as it is a very well crafted work; but not one that was necessarily a favourite in terms of enjoyment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse