Demon Copperhead is the latest novel by award-winning author Barbara Kingsolver.
The book was published in 2022 and was an instant success. It was an Oprah’s Book Club Selection, an instant New York Times bestseller as well as featuring on New York Times ‘Ten Best Books of 2022’. It has also been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023.
I’d previously only read one Barbara Kingsolver novel, despite having a couple on my bookshelf. I recently read Unsheltered and really enjoyed it.
I was intrigued by the premise of Demon Copperhead. While I knew it was a modern twist on the Dickens classic David Copperfield, I wasn’t really sure what to expect.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver: Plot
Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead is the story of a boy who is dealt a tough hand in life. Damon Fields, nicknamed Demon Copperhead, was born into poverty and spent much of his childhood in foster care placements. The only thing Demon can rely on is his fierce talent for survival.
This is a coming of age story with a difference. As Demon faces hardship after hardship, his endurance is tested to the limits. With few people he can rely on, Demon forces himself to keep getting back up again and face the world.
Demon has to battle poverty, hunger, loss and opioid addiction in his attempt to survive. However he never loses determination, nor love for his friends and the place he calls home.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver: My Opinion
This book is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I would say it’s up there as one of my favourite books of 2023 so far.
I love character driven books so having someone like Demon Copperhead that I could really root for was perfect for me. Though it was character driven there was still plenty of plot and action to keep things interesting.
It was well paced and I found myself wanted to read just a little bit more to find out what happened to these characters I really cared about.
Demon was such an engaging main character – irrepressible, determined and brave. I loved the first person narrative. It felt like he was confiding in the reader as he told his story. There are plenty of expletives but I felt that added an authentic touch as it felt it was written as Demon would speak.
Demon reminded me of Shuggie Bain in some places. Shuggie was another character that I just wanted to reach into the pages and hug. Both boys desperately wanted to help their mother when she wasn’t able, or willing, to help herself.
I really liked the supporting cast of characters and felt they were all well developed. I thought Demon and his peers were particularly well written. You could understand what motivated each character because of the experiences they had lived through. I particularly loved Angus and Tommy.
I found the parallels with David Copperfield were so cleverly done. There were characters with similar names and characteristics, and Dickens himself even gets a mention at one point. However you don’t need to have read David Copperfield to enjoy Demon Copperhead.
I wasn’t sure how the transition of the story from Dickensian England to contemporary Virginia would work but somehow it does. Obviously the stories have their differences but the underlying message is the same. David Copperfield highlights the perils of poverty and the damage it can have on a child. Generations on, many of these problems are still prevalent today.
Summary
I loved Demon Copperhead and it’s certainly going to be one of my books of the year.
It was devastating in places yet the reader is still left with a feeling of hope. I loved how the story shows how a person is more than the circumstances in which they are born.
Demon Copperhead as a character will stay with me for a very long time.
FAQs
How many pages does Demon Copperhead have?
Demon Copperhead has 644 pages.
When was Demon Copperhead released?
Demon Copperhead was published on 18th October 2022.
Has Barbara Kingsolver written any other novels?
Barbara Kingsolver has written several other novels. I have a complete list of Barbara Kingsolver books in order if you’re interested in finding out more.
What should I read after Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver?
If you enjoyed Demon Copperhead, I’d definitely recommend you read more books by Barbara Kingsolver. I particularly enjoyed her 2018 novel, Unsheltered.
For books with a similar theme or feel to them, I’d recommend Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart and A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.
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