Released: 18th October 2022
Genre: Drama
Barbara Kingsolver is a highly acclaimed American author known for humanistic stories. Her latest novel, Demon Copperhead, is arguably her finest work.
Damon Fields, better known by his titular nickname is born into poverty and lives with his single teenage mother in the Appalachian Mountains near Virginia. We follow him throughout his unsteady life, bearing witness to loss, addiction and the struggle to stay afloat in a rundown region. Kingsolver was inspired by the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield which told a similar story of the downtrodden. Copperhead does a brilliant job of transplanting that narrative into a modern context. By setting the novel in an often underrepresented location, it moves away from the more clichéd portrayals of rednecks and zeroes in on the core issues of poverty. Whether Demon is moving between foster families, wandering aimlessly and trying to hitchhike or getting into drawing as a pastime, everything is presented brilliantly.
What makes everything so compelling is Demon’s perspective which we never leave across the chapters. We get to know his family, friends and acquaintances vividly with some incredibly detailed interactions. Maggot, Angus and Emmy are Demon’s close friends, often playing a part in the protagonist’s travels. Dory becomes Demon’s lover, but she also carries a lot of emotional baggage; this results in some of the most gut-wrenching moments of the story. Coach and Fast-Forward offer Demon a way to succeed through sport, but he doesn’t always get along with them. The book’s core is a feeling of despondency that colours the protagonist’s attitude to life. Growing up with so little and many difficult moments draws out the reader’s sympathy all the way through.
Recommended?
YES: Demon Copperhead is a deeply personal and affecting drama. It makes for an excellent rendition of the original Dickens novel and Demon’s authentic narration will draw you in, building poignant connections with every character and the issues they have to deal with. It’s a very downbeat tale in many ways, but it never falters in its representation of real people with real problems.
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