I've been a fan of Kingsolver since The Bean Trees and High Tide in Tucson--two favorites. Some of her work I've loved, The Poisonwood Bible springs to mind; some I've quite enjoyed, like Flight Behavior, some just haven't been my cup of tea (Prodigal Summer,) and one (The Lacunae) I simply coudn't get into.
But Demon Copperhead blew me away. In my opinion, it's her best ever.
I was slow getting around to it--the subject matter of a poor kid in Appalachia growing up with addiction and foster care and all the ugly and sad side of this blessed/haunted region, didn't call to me.
But as I read many fervent recommendations, I began to reconsider. After all, the novel is based, to some degree, on Dickens' David Copperfield. And as I recall, fifty-some years after reading it, after the protagonist struggles through poverty and all manner of adversity, there is a happy ending. Plus, Dickens was a reformer, writing about social injustices. And thanks to him, many of those injustices were eventually addressed.
Heaven knows there's a lot could use reforming in Appalachia. Maybe I needed to read this book.
Of course, being an old English major, I was keen to pay attention to the similarities in the two books so (rather than re-reading David Copperfield, I printed out a handy synopsis for reference.
(Important note: There is NO need to have any familiarity with Dickens in order to enjoy this novel. It totally stands on its own. I simply enjoyed seeing how Kingsolver co-opted bits of the earlier work.)
Like Dickens, Kingsolver hurls us into her hero's life and keeps up an absorbing, page-turning pace throughout. Demon is very likeable and very self-aware--wise beyond his years, despite, or perhaps because of the grimness of his life. Grim, yes, but there is humor and beauty and philosophy throughout the telling. So many great characters, so many entanglements, such a rattling great story--just like Dickens!
Inadequate social services, greedy pharmaceutical companies, local corruption, child labor, sleazy physicians are all part of the world of Demon Copperhead. Kingsolver manages to share this message through her characters, rather than by preaching. Some of these problems are beginning to be addressed by progressive leaders--though not fast enough and always with pushback from politicians on the right, alas.
It's an important book and, what's more, a most enjoyable read. As I raced through it, I thought of the American readers of Dickens' day, standing on the dock waiting for the next installment of the current novel to arrive. Thank heavens Kingsolver gave us the whole thing at once. I couldn't bear a wait between chapters.
Very highly recommended!
8 comments:
Oddly enough, I loved Prodigal Summer. I started Demon but shut it down very quickly. It was audio format, and maybe it was the narrator who was off-putting.
Having spent a few years in West Virginia as a young newspaper reporter during the celebrated War on Poverty (poverty won), I just can't bring myself to read this book. I love Kingsolver's other books, and I'm happy this one has been so highly regarded and successful, but I can't immerse myself again in the heartbreaking and horrifying life in that ruined state. I'm glad others have read it, and I hope they haven't shrugged it off as just fiction. However sad the fiction is, the reality is worse.
I haven't decided whether or not to read it. Some friends pushed to read the whole thing. I've got lots of books on my two piles...and have now started Fanny Flagg's "Standing in the Rainbow"
I had a hard time 'getting into it', but once I did, the library took it back, with a long wait for renewal, sadly.
Perhaps I'll give it another try...just couldn't keep at it for some reason. Probably where my head was at the time. I usually like Kingsolver's work.
Sometimes it's just not the right time for some books. It was obviously the right time for me and DC.
She's an excellent writer and some of her books I've managed to get into, some not. I've not tried this one, will add it to my list!
Good review. I'm a Kingsolver fan. Have loved so many of her books - although Prodigal Summer was one I couldn't get into. For me, it's often a matter of timing: One year I can't get into a book, and then down the road I "discover it" and think it's just terrific. So maybe one day that will happen with Prodigal Summer. This sounds like a good book. Thanks for the share.
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