Demon Copperhead
Fiction
Harper
October 18, 2022
Hardcover
560
Purchased
Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, this is 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-colored 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 labor, 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 favor 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.
My review:
The Poisonwood Bible was such a memorable book by this author, I was anxious to see how this newest novel would resonate. Despite having never read David Copperfield, on which this book is based, I really enjoyed the story, and particularly the eloquent writing. Perhaps enjoy is not the right word since this is a very depressing story of poverty (and all that results from it) in Appalachia. The story is told from Demon, and he is a character you will fall in love with, and find yourself rooting for, hoping for some way that he can escape all the pitfalls life throws at him. Despite the length of the story, it never felt slow or laboring in plot, and the characters were so well done. As was mentioned, this author has a way of telling a story that sucks you in and never lets go until the very last page. I did get my usual angst over the page count, but that's more of a me thing, and certainly no reflection on the quality of the story and writing. This really makes you think about the effects that extreme poverty has not only on individuals, but entire communities. Demon was such a survivor, but sadly the vast majority are not!
While not a happy story, the resilience of Demon shines through on each and every page. The story and writing are transcendent, and the message shines bright. If you can tolerate the length, this is well worth your time invested.
I sometimes think I enjoy a book more if I'm less familiar with the classic it is based on. That way I don't compare it against the original. Either way, I'm eager to read this one at some point!