Brown Baggers book club met on Thursday, September 21 to discuss Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Having recently won the Pulitzer Prize, as well as plenty of other accolades, awards, and achievements, we were eager to discuss this book, which still maintains a hold list of almost 200 people here at JMRL, even nearly a full year after publication. If you’re itching to read the book, though, you can often snag a bestseller copy at your nearest branch! Only a few members read David Copperfield prior to reading Demon Copperhead, but a few more intend to read the classic novel after having read Kingsolver’s retelling. 

Our discussion added another few accolades to Demon Copperhead’s bucket. The reviews were glowing, with readers calling the book “tragic but witty” and “dark but enjoyable.” Readers also said there was an “undercurrent of hope” and that Demon was “almost invincible.” Note that each of these phrases of praise pairs lightness with depth; an “undercurrent” of hope is not a “torrent” of hope, it is below the surface, “contrary to the prevailing atmosphere.” To be “almost invincible” is about as far as “invincible” as one can get, when you consider how high the stakes are – especially for Demon. This book truly exaggerates the concept of pleasure and pain being inseparable, each being felt all the more strongly because of the other. We feel so much joy and elation as Demon succeeds or makes us laugh, because the road has been so hard. We then suffer greatly when Demon descends, because we’ve grown so attached. 

Spending 560 pages written in first person is an immersive, transporting experience. One reader described the experience as “getting under the skin” of the characters, and while there were plenty of villains in the mix, they were outnumbered by the truly sympathetic characters who were made all the more complex and authentic by their mistakes and utter failures. We felt deeply about so many of the characters – coach, “Angus,” June, Demon’s teachers, and even Demon’s mother, the Peggots, or the social workers – characters who couldn’t always put Demon first, who couldn’t always love and care for him like they wanted to. Even imperfectly, these people helped Demon rise above. 

Demon Copperhead is likely so popular and well-received because it is a cocktail of readable elements. It’s a coming of age story, which allows readers to explore universal themes such as self-discovery, identity, and change. It’s also issues-oriented, or a “social novel,” which allows readers to think deeply about meaningful contemporary problems. Lastly, it’s a compelling, character-driven storyline, with enough action, adventure, and twists and turns to satisfy plot-driven fans. Readers called the writing “magic” and “captivating from beginning to end.” 

What did you think of Demon Copperhead? 

Other titles to explore:

Dopesick by Beth Macy

Raising Lazarus by Beth Macy

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe 

Writing Appalachia edited by Katherine Ledford and Tess Lloyd 

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

Hill Women by Cassie Chambers 

Upcoming book club picks: 

October 19 – Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

November 16 – Tobacco Road by Erskine Caldwell

December 21 – Potluck selection meeting 

January 18 – And There was Light by Jon Meacham

February 15 – My People: five decades of writing about black lives by Charlayne Hunter-Gault

March 21 – Same Page Community Read

April 18 – Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

May 16 – Sapphira and the Slave Girl by Willa Cather