Book Review - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
What is Demon Copperhead about?
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is the 2023 Pulitzer prize winning story about a boy born to a single mother (an 'expert at rehab') in a single wide trailer in the mountains of Southern Appalachia. His father died before he was born, but he has inherited his Melungeon looks and copperhead hair. It's fair to say he's up against it from the start, in this epic tale of survival about the boy that nobody wants.
It really seems silly to even attempt a synopsis of this book. You'd be best to launch into it, and give yourself over to a story that's about love and neglect, the opiod epidemic, the plight of the poor and the grinding, relentless poverty that keeps them down. Be in no doubt, this novel goes to some dark and depressing places, and there are times that it can feel pretty relentless.
Although that may sound a bit grim, Demon's distinctive voice is full of wit and warmth, and he has his hopes and dreams, no matter how much he feels looked down on as a hillbilly. He's also sustained and nurtured by the love of the people around him, especially the extended Pegotty family.
Opioid Epidemic
In a quirk of reading synchronicity, I was also reading 'Empire of Pain', Patrick Radden Keefe's investigation of the Sackler clan, the producers of Oxycontin. As I shifted between one book and the other I felt I was getting a complete immersion in the Opioid Epidemic from both sides of the divide, the rich purveyors and the desperate consumers.
I'm not sure if this was a good thing, as I experienced a bit of fatigue with this book about half way through, around the point that Demon attends high school. I think it’s probably just my own fault for reading two books on the same topic, fictional and non-fictional, and the feelings of anger and despair generated by both titles left me less than enthusiastic at times. But like I say, my mistake - as always I don't read the blurbs, so had no idea Demon Copperhead was going down this road.
One of the things that is apparent is Barbara Kingsolvers passion for social justice. She really brings across the pain of the maligned and forgotten poor of Southern Appalachia, as we read about the abuse, the foster care system, back breaking labour and the disdain with which these people are treated.
“You get to a point of not giving a damn over people thinking you’re worthless,” he says. “Mainly by getting there first yourself.”
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
As Barbara Kingsolver details in the afterward, 'Demon Copperhead' is partially inspired by 'David Copperfield' by Charles Dickens. I suppose if you're going to update a classic, you might as well take on one of the greatest of all. Like David, how badly is Demon shaped by his unhappy childhood?
Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, Demon's story is one for the modern age. His spirit and resilence shine through, even when he's in the darkest of places. And it's not just him - everyone in this book has their crosses to bear. Kingsolver really brings across the devastation of the opioid epidemic, of which nobody escapes unscathed, but there is hope for Demon because as Satre says: 'Life begins on the other side of despair'.
There's a colourful cast of characters, too many to mention. One of my own favourites was the formidable June, who could see what Purdue and the Sacklers were doing from early on. And there’s plenty of dark humour too:
…filling his pill-mill scrip and the pharmacy lady leans over to warn him, “This one’s strong, hun. The Purdue rep takes it so he can sleep nights.'“
There are plenty of villans too, but mostly there are plenty of people with big hearts. As the saying goes - those with the least to give, always give the most.
Barbara Kingsolver
Is this one of the best Barbara Kingsolver books? I'm probably not best placed to say, as the only previous title I've read was the equally long 'The Poisonwood Bible' about a family who move to the Belgian Congo in the early sixties, which I did enjoy and which gave me a sense of Kingsolver’s epic storytelling and her tackling of issues such as American capitalism, racism and colonialism. I read that as part of the my bookclub, and the issues explored in 'Demon' will also make it ripe for discussion.
This is a vivid and moving epic of a book, the storytelling and pace exuberant, full of colour and detail that too me to some dark places but also contained momments of real beauty and hope. After I got over the hump in the middle of the book, I became immersed in the second half, and it's been a while since I rooted for a character as much as I did for Demon, the Appalachian David Copperfield.
546 pages
First published October 18, 2022
My Score - 4
Demon Copperhead Book Club Questions (spoilers ahead)
Does having previously read ‘David Copperfield’ enhance or detract from your enjoyment of Demon Copperhead?
What are the similarities and differences between the world that Dickens created and Kingsolver’s modern American society?
What does the book tell us about Kingsolver’s ideas on social justice?
Early in the book Demon says “the born of this world are marked from the get-out, win or lose”? To what extent do you believe this to be true?
How does Demon’s friendship with Maggot change over the years?
How much of Demon’s life is shaped by being born in Appalachia?
The epigraph contains a quote from David Copperfield: '“It’s in vain to recall the past, unless it works some influence upon the present.” What does this mean to you?
Demon has a lifelong interest in drawing and superheroes - how important is this skill for him at different stages in his life and does it have a deeper meaning?
Why do you think Demon prefers rural life to that in the city?
How does Demon’s grandmother help in ways that other people weren’t able to?
Fast forward is one of the most charismatic characters in the book. What is it that draws people to him?
What is it about living with Angus and the Coach that benefits Demon’s life?
What does Demons experiences tell us about the foster care system in America?