Fiction

Demon Copperhead

Demon Copperhead

  • Downloads：9241
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-11-30 09:52:44
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Barbara Kingsolver
  • ISBN：0571376460
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

Demon Copperhead is a once-in-a-generation novel that breaks and mends your heart in the way only the best fiction can。

Demon's story begins with his traumatic birth to a single mother in a single-wide trailer， looking 'like a little blue prizefighter。' For the life ahead of him he would need all of that fighting spirit， along with buckets of charm， a quick wit， and some unexpected talents， legal and otherwise。

In the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia， poverty isn't an idea， it's as natural as the grass grows。 For a generation growing up in this world， at the heart of the modern opioid crisis， addiction isn't an abstraction， it's neighbours， parents， and friends。 'Family' could mean love， or reluctant foster care。 For Demon， born on the wrong side of luck， the affection and safety he craves is as remote as the ocean he dreams of seeing one day。 The wonder is in how far he's willing to travel to try and get there。

Suffused with truth， anger and compassion， Demon Copperhead is an epic tale of love， loss and everything in between。

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Reviews

Karen ，

This is an accurate tale of many of the problems that confront some of the population of the Southwest Virginia， Southeast Kentucky， Northeast Tennessee area。 But it does not reflect the entire picture。

Jessica ，

Despite the depressing topic of this book I loved every second of it。 Demon's story is real for a lot of people even if Demon himself is made up。 Beautiful， dark， sad， and surprisingly hopeful at the end， this book was one of my favorite reads of 2022 Despite the depressing topic of this book I loved every second of it。 Demon's story is real for a lot of people even if Demon himself is made up。 Beautiful， dark， sad， and surprisingly hopeful at the end， this book was one of my favorite reads of 2022 。。。more

Betsy ，

Long but very good！！ Hard to get into it but very good。 Will probably mention in my Health Disparities class and Appalachia section。

Matthew Hoge ，

After pushing through 128 pages of over stereotyped characters and predictable sequences of events， I’m giving up on this one。The way it’s written sounds like she spent a few weeks traveling through the Appalachian region and decided to write a book to include all the characters she saw in every dollar general and waffle house along the way。 Cringy at best。 Also she elaborates on too many details and nothing is left for the reader’s imagination to fill in the gaps and it drones on and on and on… After pushing through 128 pages of over stereotyped characters and predictable sequences of events， I’m giving up on this one。The way it’s written sounds like she spent a few weeks traveling through the Appalachian region and decided to write a book to include all the characters she saw in every dollar general and waffle house along the way。 Cringy at best。 Also she elaborates on too many details and nothing is left for the reader’s imagination to fill in the gaps and it drones on and on and on…Everyone seems to like her earlier Poisonwood Bible so maybe I’ll try it once I get this taste out of my mouth。Also， if anyone on my friends list reads this review and wants to give it a try， you’re welcome to it。 。。。more

Susan Sanders ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 AudiobookI wish I could do 3。5 stars， the ending wrapped up way too sweetly for how devastating the rest of the book is。 I enjoyed Demon's voice and would love to hear an interview with Kingsolver on research for this book。 AudiobookI wish I could do 3。5 stars， the ending wrapped up way too sweetly for how devastating the rest of the book is。 I enjoyed Demon's voice and would love to hear an interview with Kingsolver on research for this book。 。。。more

Heather ，

I loved it！ Then it got heavy and made me sad and I hated it。 Then it came back and made me love it all over again。

Linda ，

Damon Fields becomes Demon Copperhead for his red hair。 Story about poverty， the foster care system， sports， mining and the opiod epidemic in Lee county Virginia。 Epic story！ It is a modern day David Copperfield （Charles Dickens） story。

Sheri ，

Really 4。25。 I loved David Copperfield， so this was such an interesting take on the story。 Barbara Kingsolver is masterful at her craft。

Rebecca ，

A rare five stars for me。 This hit the spot and is truly a marvel。 I was so disappointed in the last book I read of hers， "Unsheltered，" that I almost passed on it。 But if Kingsolver is one thing for me， it's compelling - this is compulsively so。 I was wrapped up in Demon Copperhead's story， adventure， tragedy， survival， community， mistakes， and relationships like no book I've read in a long time。 If you haven't gathered from any synopsis already， it's based on David Copperfield。 That worked som A rare five stars for me。 This hit the spot and is truly a marvel。 I was so disappointed in the last book I read of hers， "Unsheltered，" that I almost passed on it。 But if Kingsolver is one thing for me， it's compelling - this is compulsively so。 I was wrapped up in Demon Copperhead's story， adventure， tragedy， survival， community， mistakes， and relationships like no book I've read in a long time。 If you haven't gathered from any synopsis already， it's based on David Copperfield。 That worked somehow; she sticks with just enough of the original， while placing it in the 1990s and 2000s in Southern Appalachia among a neglected， intensely rural community saturated with opioids and poverty。 Demon is placed in foster care， if you can call it that， after his mom dies of a drug overdose。 If that sounds like too much of a downer （and I know I felt the same awe at Shuggie Bain， which was also tough）， this is also hilarious and， did I say， almost impossible to put down？ And Demon's narration just blew me away。 He's funny and touching， and things move along like a roller coaster ride; harrowing， then some salvation， then harrowing again。 BUT never， for me， harrowing that wasn't at the same time somehow fun to read。 This isn't a hard read！ If you try it let me know what you think！Also， I am now listening to the audible of the original David Copperfield （which I read long ago）， and it's an added pleasure to work out who is who and what Kingsolver took and revised。 Steerforth becomes Fast Forward， e。g。 Get it？！ And another thing， my family had a fling with being Melungeon when my uncle did some family history - we are from that area - and guessed that it must be the case （later to find out from 23 and Me that we are way more boring than that）。 Demon is Melungeon in the story so that was cool。 。。。more

Brooke Gannon ，

I laughed out loud， I cried。 Kingsolver is a masterful story teller。 Set in Appalachia， a harrowing place to grow up， Demon faces so many obstacles。 I found myself routing for him always， I just loved him。 And Angus！！ This story was full of many wonderful characters and some despicable ones too。 A true tale of resilience under extremely harsh circumstances。 A wonderful novel！

Barbara Brydges ，

Barbara Kingsolver does it again， in a book unlike any of her others。 The eponymous title deliberately evokes Dicken’s David Copperfield， of which this is a modern re-telling， and every bit as heart-wrenching as the original。 I had to occasionally stop reading because Demon’s journey through the foster care system， in so hard to take。 And even when his life takes a turn for the better， fate comes along and replaces hope with physical pain， and drug addiction enters the picture。 But there are man Barbara Kingsolver does it again， in a book unlike any of her others。 The eponymous title deliberately evokes Dicken’s David Copperfield， of which this is a modern re-telling， and every bit as heart-wrenching as the original。 I had to occasionally stop reading because Demon’s journey through the foster care system， in so hard to take。 And even when his life takes a turn for the better， fate comes along and replaces hope with physical pain， and drug addiction enters the picture。 But there are many moments of light， even in lives lived in the tough-scrabble Virginia hill country， and these come in different forms love shown by other characters in the book。 A masterpiece。 。。。more

Britta Eberle ，

I had my doubts about this book and then it turned out to be one of the best I’ve read this year。 Could not put it down。

Deirdre Keating ，

Waiting for the strike to end before I post my review

Missy ，

Excellent book！

Kelsey ，

“People find more ways to shut up their monsters than a Bible has verses。” 1。5 stars rounded up to 2。 This was… mostly fine。 Probably the preachiest book I’ve read all year， though， which didn’t do it any favors。 If you want to be bashed over the head with a moral for 21 long hours （😩） then you’ll like it I guess。

Jane ，

This book broke my heart then put it back together。 It is an absolute masterpiece！

JoAnne Boncher ，

🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍Kingsolver was her usual wonderful self。 She nailed the horror and uglieness of the foster care and CPS systems。 It was a hard read due y to I the subject matter。 Kingsolver nailed it！ From foster parents i it for the money to drug use。 I loved Demon and was inhis corner the whole time， hoping he could make it。 Beautiful writing， characterization， and storyline on a very difficult subject。Bravo that Kimgsver is again writing novels。

Diana Suddreth ，

Demon Copperhead is a powerful novel with themes of poverty， death， drugs， friendship， family， despair and hope。 Demon is a well written protagonist who ages from a boy to a man as he grapples with the loss of his parents， finding his family， searching for "home"， and rising and falling as he moves from one foster situation to the next。 Along the way he encounters good and evil in foster parents and classmates and learns to be the himself that he finds along the way。The picture Kingsolver paints Demon Copperhead is a powerful novel with themes of poverty， death， drugs， friendship， family， despair and hope。 Demon is a well written protagonist who ages from a boy to a man as he grapples with the loss of his parents， finding his family， searching for "home"， and rising and falling as he moves from one foster situation to the next。 Along the way he encounters good and evil in foster parents and classmates and learns to be the himself that he finds along the way。The picture Kingsolver paints of foster care in Appalachia borders on criminal in all of its tragedy。 It's hard to understand how that kind of care can be overcome and many of the characters in Demon Copperhead are not able to make that leap。 Furthermore， the lure of drugs and the availability of narcotics to teenagers seems almost hopeless。Yet， even amidst the undeniably awful situations， Kingsolver gives us respite with characters who are admirable。 Demon's uncle， Angus， and Miss Annie are just a few of the positive influences on Demon who in many ways save him from the fate of some of his fellow orphans and classmates。 Kingsolver says she was inspired by the story of David Copperfield。 This knowledge has inspired me to put that on my reading list too。 One cannot read such well written literature without feeling a deep sense of empathy and a desire to help。 Five stars for a compelling plot， rich characters， and a book that has meaning。 。。。more

Meryl R ，

I had a very difficult time with this book。 While the writing was superb， there was never a break from the overwhelming sadness of this young boy’s horrible situation。 Dickens offered comic relief。 Kingsolver offers none… not one moment。 I think she failed to achieve what Dickens did because there is no humor or warmth within the inevitable cold。

Holly H ，

Barbara Kingsolver has written a great story。 Charlie Thurston did a wonderful job narrating。 I hated for the book to end。 This is my favorite audiobook of 2022。

Daniel Mudgett ，

A really interesting main character and story。 But it really dragged and needed some heavy editing。 I liked it a lot。 But the heavy amount of drugs and alcohol were a turn off。 If I had realized what the story was really about I’m not sure I would have read it。 And that， coupled with the length left me kind of exhausted and glad it was finally over。

Claudia Dursa ，

So much to think about！ Excellent！

Mindy ，

Wonderfully sad and frustrating bringing a nationwide problem to the forefront。 Barbara Kingsolver has done it again！！！

Lynda ，

This is one of the best books I've read in years。Makes you want to cry and laugh and then go out and try to change the world。 This is one of the best books I've read in years。Makes you want to cry and laugh and then go out and try to change the world。 。。。more

Vanessa Knowles ，

Finally another great Barbara Kingsolver book！ I’ve been waiting since The Bean Trees！ Loved the story， loved Demon！

Debi ，

David Copperfield is one of my favorite books。 I enjoyed this modern day take on that book。

Janell Rhee ，

I would agree with many reviewers that this is one of Barbara Kingsolver's best books， but there is so much sadness and pain in the book， all of it reflecting what I imagine life was/is really like in the epicenters of the opioid epidemic。 As a Virginian this hit extremely close to home。 I wanted so much to get to more happy endings and good fortune instead of the continuous hard luck story that is the life of Demon。 I intend to go back and re-read this so that I can spend time lingering over th I would agree with many reviewers that this is one of Barbara Kingsolver's best books， but there is so much sadness and pain in the book， all of it reflecting what I imagine life was/is really like in the epicenters of the opioid epidemic。 As a Virginian this hit extremely close to home。 I wanted so much to get to more happy endings and good fortune instead of the continuous hard luck story that is the life of Demon。 I intend to go back and re-read this so that I can spend time lingering over the author's beautifully worded descriptions and character development， as I feel there is much worth savoring in the book。 It is a gritty story and sometimes very painful to read -thus my rating of four stars vs。 five （which I think this book is worthy of otherwise）。 。。。more

Pam ，

I absolutely love Barbara Kingsolver but found Demon Copperhead to be too long。 Well， maybe not too long but too repetitive。 I think I'm getting grumpy in my old age and less willing to love everything I read。 I liked this but didn't love it， felt like it was getting to be a bit of a slog for the last quarter of the book。 I absolutely love Barbara Kingsolver but found Demon Copperhead to be too long。 Well， maybe not too long but too repetitive。 I think I'm getting grumpy in my old age and less willing to love everything I read。 I liked this but didn't love it， felt like it was getting to be a bit of a slog for the last quarter of the book。 。。。more

Kerstin ，

Oh my heart。

Dottie Edwards ，

Such a sad and disturbing story that needed to be written。 Foul language can be a bit much at times and I feel it was about 100 pages too long。 Kingsolver is a master at connecting the reader to the characters and drawing out empathy。 This story helps pull back the curtain for the reader to see the terrible effect of opiate addiction。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Demon Copperhead

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Demon Copperhead&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Demon Copperhead&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0