Bookseller Reviews
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A Masterpiece
I have just finished this is it is the best book I have read this year. Inspired by David Copperfield but set in modern times, this novel is a sweeping sto... READ MORE
A deft reworking of a classic for the modern day
A deft reworking of a classic for the modern day and a worthy winner of the Women's prize for fiction.
Demon has every soul crushing disadvantage in life b... READ MORE
A modern masterpiece of a retelling
I’ve never read David Copperfield, which put me off this book for a while, thinking it would hinder my enjoyment. I was dead wrong; although there are lots... READ MORE
A deserving winner
I certainly went through an emotional ringer reading this novel. Although it pales in comparison to what Demon has to endure. From the moment of his birth ... READ MORE
Worth every prize it has won
I really was not sure how to review this book,its a very sad story about Damon(Demon)who was 'First,I got myself born' to a father who had died and a mothe... READ MORE
Some old scenes and some new people
A refreshing retelling with a recent setting, Demon Copperhead fairly revels in the structure, plot and characters from Dickens's David Copperfield. You ca... READ MORE
Modern masterpiece
Barbara Kingsolver has the audacity to take an English classic, David Copperfield, and move it to modern times in the Southern state of Virginia. We follow... READ MORE
A very worthy winner of both Prizes
Broke my heart in so many places, I laughed in so many places, this is a book I will never forget. The lot of children in foster care is devastating.
Endearing and heartbreaking
I know nothing about David Copperfield so I had no idea what to expect and my gosh, there is a lot of heartbreak in this coming of age story. Within the fi... READ MORE
David Copperfield reimagined
A feat of writing that will capture your imagination, Demon is the perfect anti-hero. You will root for him even in his darkest moments, and cheer for him ... READ MORE
Synopsis
'First I got myself born.'
And so begins the tale of Demon Copperhead: 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, bucket-loads of charm and a talent or two the world is yet to discover. We befriend Demon on this, his journey through the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, the dizzying highs of true love, and the crushing losses that can accompany it.
It's impossible not to fall hard for this hero who has just made your acquaintance, as you hurtle through these pages wishing you could reach into the pages save him from hardships or steer him to the rays of light that shine through even his darkest days.
Inspired by the unflinching truth-telling of David Copperfield, Kingsolver enlists Dickens' anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story. Demon is the voice of new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can't imagine leaving behind. This young man is about to steal all our hearts.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Faber & Faber
- ISBN: 9780571376483
- Number of pages: 560
- Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 33 mm
- Weight: 458g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allWorth every word
NO SPOILERS:
I may be a little biased here because Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favourite writers and having followed her on social media for a few yea... READ MORE
a contemporary american David Copperfield
I love Barbara Kingsolver's writing and her ability to inhabit characters and make them really matter to the reader. This was used to great effect in this ... READ MORE
A boy's journey
A boy's journey.
The first sentence: "First, I got myself born", grabbed me and didn’t let me go until I reached the last page.
Damon, born to a druggi... READ MORE
A Work of Genius
With its many accolades I am not sure how needed one tiny bookseller's voice is in the conversation but if you are reading this please take it as a sign to... READ MORE
Deserved all the awards!
Amazingly brilliant. Kept you wanting more, couldn’t put it down! Loved the story, enjoyed all the references to the Dickens novel. Would recommend to read... READ MORE
A question of taste
If you relish the idea of reading 500-plus pages of poverty, squalor, child exploitation, alcoholism, American football, crime, decay and death, all writte... READ MORE
Great rewriting of David Copperfield
This is good. This is great. This is clever.
Demon Copperhead is Barbara Kingsolver's modern day retelling of David Copperfield, set in modern day opioid ... READ MORE
Best read of my year
This is a brilliant book taking David Copperfield into the 21st century and proving the equal of Dickens. The story of Damon growing up against the odds wi... READ MORE
Wow, what a book!
The storyline to Demon Copperhead is very powerful and you find yourself entirely immersed in it. The book is written really well, following a young man f... READ MORE
Moving and thought-provoking: a wonderful read.
Demon Copperhead is the ninth novel by award-winning best-selling American author, Barbara Kingsolver. It’s in August of his eleventh year that life falls ... READ MORE
Just wonderful
A brilliant read, both heartbreaking and humorous. I loved the main character and just wanted to wrap the young Demon in my arms and remove him from the pe... READ MORE
Absolutely Astounding
I urge everyone to get a copy and absorb every word. This is a spectacular book from an author i had never heard of. It is truly an outstanding piece of wr... READ MORE
Heartbreaking & Harrowing, But Ultimately Triumphant.
A modern retelling of "David Copperfield" (and in fact, I often found myself calling it Demon Copperfield instead of its correct title), set amid the Opioi... READ MORE
Demon Copperhead
This book grips you and won't let you go. The life of Demon is compelling. I am drawn to books that take you into a world I know nothing about and rural ... READ MORE
Kingsolver does it again…
I do love Barbara Kingsolver’s writing, but I think of all the characters she has written about in various books, Demon is the one that I keep thinking abo... READ MORE
Superb
When I neared the last few chapters of this novel, I had to force myself to put it down. I didn’t want the story to end, I wanted to savour the storytelli... READ MORE
Demon Copperfield, by Babara Kingsolver
Babara Kingsolver's latest novel, Demon Copperhead is a timely and truly remarkable book. It is totally unlike her other novels in terms of content, with ... READ MORE
Best of the year!
DEMON COPPERHEAD is the book of my heart. The voice of our protagonist Demon is so strong through this text-even with a meandering plot through Demon's chi... READ MORE
A book to get you out of a reading funk!
I was in a total reading funk until I picked up this book. One of those books you look forward to picking up every time you go to read.
Beautiful
Another book that has been on my shelf for far too long, my first book by the author but I will definitely be reading more by her.
This book has so many... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, is a marathon read of a book and you can see why it has won awards. It is a fascinating read of how one boy who gre... READ MORE
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