My last book of 2023, and it was another solid gold 5-star read.
So what did I love about it? I loved how Barbara Kingsolver was both true to her source material, David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, and true to herself as a writer with Southern roots and something to say.
Since David Copperfield is one of my favorite Dickens's novels, it was fun to see how she adapted the characters and plot points to fit modern-day rural Virginia. It's a little weird to say the book was fun to read because there is so much tragedy and heartbreak in both stories, but Demon is such a fabulous first-person narrator who has a strong voice, deep survivor instincts, and a big heart that in the end the book was satisfying and left me with a bit broader perspective.
I started this post weeks ago but then felt bogged down because I didn't know what I really wanted to say other than Demon Copperhead is Kingsolver's tour de force.
Oh yeah, I just remembered something I did want to share--because I know David Copperfield so well, I did stop reading Demon for about a week in the middle because I knew the arc of Emmy (Little Em'ly from David) and didn't want to read this sad part right before Christmas. I ended up finishing it just after Christmas, and this part wasn't as horrific as I anticipated (still rough, but it could've been a lot worse).
One more thing--if you ever have any doubts about how opoid addiction became a major destructive force in our society, read Demon. Even if you don't have doubts, Demon Copperhead is a fabulous book that pays tribute to a fabulous book and shows how great literature gives us stories that transcend time and place.
