English language
Published Nov. 15, 2022 by HarperCollins Publishers.
Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. Relayed in his own unsparing voice, Demon braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.
Many generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society. Those problems have yet to be solved in ours. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. In transposing a …
Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. Relayed in his own unsparing voice, Demon braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.
Many generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society. Those problems have yet to be solved in ours. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South, Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens’ anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story. Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can’t imagine leaving behind.
Brilliant writing and pacing, lovely ending, gut-wrenchingly difficult to get there though, given the vivid depictions of some really difficult traumas. Content warning for family violence, drug abuse, and bodily harm/death
Un romanzo di formazione con il lieto fine, per una volta lo dico senza intenti deteriori. Si rifà a David Copperfield, io non l'ho letto. E poi il razzismo contro i redneck e non è la difesa trumpiana che farebbe Rampini. Buoni sentimenti in ogni riga e una visione della "rinascita" dopo la dipendenza che non è esattamente quello che succede, per il resto, sì, la dipendenza è raccontata giusta. Non fa niente, non è un saggio sulle dipendenze e anche un lieto fine come te lo immagini dalla prima pagina non rovinano il libro. Cioè per tutti, tranne che per quelli che odiano i libri per tutti.
A harrowing journey through foster care and the opiate crisis. So good it hurt to read. Raw deal after raw deal left my heart aching, but enough clear-sighted humanity to stave off despair.
Reading time 9 days, 61 pages/day
Characters you're 'rooting' for throughout. An exposé of the worst societal abuses upon communities and it's impact. Amazingly; hope!
I don't know what I was expecting, but I know I was hoping for a book that struck me as much as Animal Dreams did. This book just didn't grab me and had strong after-school special vibes.
