Demon Copperhead

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Demon Copperhead
Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver).png
Author Barbara Kingsolver
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Publisher Harper
Publication date
October 18, 2022
Media typePrint (hardcover)
Pages560
Awards Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Women's Prize for Fiction
James Tait Black Memorial Prize
ISBN 978-0-06-325192-2

Demon Copperhead is a 2022 novel by Barbara Kingsolver. It was a co-recipient of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and won the 2023 Women's Prize for Fiction. Kingsolver was inspired by the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield . [1] [2] While Kingsolver's novel is similarly about a boy who experiences poverty, Demon Copperhead is set in Appalachia and explores contemporary issues. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Plot

The protagonist and narrator is born Damon Fields to a teenage mother in a trailer home. He is raised in Lee County, located in Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, and nicknamed "Demon Copperhead" for the color of his hair and his attitude. As Demon grows up, he must use his charms and wits to survive poverty in the contemporary American South. [6] [7]

Characters

Names in parentheses are the analogous characters in Dickens's David Copperfield .

Reception

According to the review aggregator website Book Marks, Demon Copperhead received mostly positive reviews from critics. [8] Ron Charles of The Washington Post praises Demon Copperhead as his "favorite novel of 2022" [9] as it is "equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, this is the story of an irrepressible boy nobody wants, but readers will love." [9] Writing for The Guardian , Elizabeth Lowry contends that "while the task of modernising [Dicken's] novel is complicated by the fact that mores have shifted so radically since the mid-19th century … the ferocious critique of institutional poverty and its damaging effects on children is as pertinent as ever." [10] However, Lorraine Berry of The Boston Globe criticizes the novel as poverty porn, arguing that,

In seeking to raise awareness of child hunger and poverty in the United States, Kingsolver turns her characters’ lives into tales of misery and the inevitability of failure. Her characters wallow in dark hollows with little light, condemned to forever repeat the horrific mistakes of previous generations. She makes the people of Appalachia into objects of pity, but in doing so, also intimates that falling into drug abuse, rejecting education, and 'clinging' to their ways are moral choices. [11]

Accolades

Demon Copperhead was named one of the "10 Best Books of 2022" by The Washington Post [12] and The New York Times . [13] The novel was named the recipient of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction alongside Hernan Diaz's Trust ; this was the first time in its history that the award was shared. [14] It won the 2022 James Tait Back Prize for Fiction. [15] The novel was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. [16]

Barbara Kingsolver won the 2023 Women's Prize for Fiction for the novel, [17] [18] making her the first author to win the prize twice; she had previously won in 2010 for The Lacuna.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulitzer Prize for Fiction</span> American award for distinguished novels

The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It recognizes distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, published during the preceding calendar year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulitzer Prize for Poetry</span> American award for distinguished poetry

The Pulitzer Prize for Poetry is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually for Letters, Drama, and Music. It was first presented in 1922, and is given for a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author, published during the preceding calendar year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulitzer Prize for History</span> American award for history books

The Pulitzer Prize for History, administered by Columbia University, is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It has been presented since 1917 for a distinguished book about the history of the United States. Thus it is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were awarded that year. The Pulitzer Prize program has also recognized some historical work with its Biography prize, from 1917, and its General Non-Fiction prize, from 1962.

<i>David Copperfield</i> (1935 film) 1935 film by George Cukor

David Copperfield is a 1935 American film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer based upon Charles Dickens' 1850 novel The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, & Observation of David Copperfield the Younger.

<i>David Copperfield</i> 1849–1850 novel by Charles Dickens

David Copperfield is a novel by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to maturity. As such, it is typically categorized in the bildungsroman genre. It was published as a serial in 1849 and 1850 and then as a book in 1850.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulitzer Prize for Biography</span> American award for distinguished biographies

The Pulitzer Prize for Biography is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. The award honors "a distinguished and appropriately documented biography by an American author." Award winners received $15,000 USD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee County, Virginia</span> County in Virginia, United States

Lee County is the westernmost county in the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,173. Its county seat is Jonesville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilkins Micawber</span> Fictional character from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Kingsolver</span> American author, poet and essayist (born 1955)

Barbara Kingsolver is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, essayist, and poet. Her widely known works include The Poisonwood Bible, the tale of a missionary family in the Congo, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a nonfiction account of her family's attempts to eat locally. In 2023, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for the novel Demon Copperhead. Her work often focuses on topics such as social justice, biodiversity, and the interaction between humans and their communities and environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Steerforth</span> Fictional character

James Steerforth is a character in the 1850 novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. He is a handsome young man noted for his wit and romantic charm. Though he is well liked by his friends, he proves himself to be condescending and lacking in consideration for others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Copperfield (character)</span> Fictional character created by Charles Dickens

David Copperfield is the protagonist after which the 1850 Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield was named. The character is widely thought to be based on Dickens himself, incorporating many elements of his own life.

<i>David Copperfield</i> (2000 film) 2000 American-Irish drama film

David Copperfield is a 2000 American-Irish made-for-television film adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1850 novel of the same name. It was filmed in Ireland, and broadcast on TNT as a Hallmark Entertainment production on 10–11 December 2000.

<i>David Copperfield</i> (1999 film) 1999 British television drama

David Copperfield is a two-part BBC television drama adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1850 novel of the same name, written by Adrian Hodges. The first part was shown on Christmas Day 1999 and the second part the following day.

<i>David Copperfield</i> (1969 film) 1969 British-American drama film

David Copperfield is a 1969 British-American international co-production television film directed by Delbert Mann based on the 1850 novel of the same name by Charles Dickens, adapted by Jack Pulman. The film was released in the UK in 1970. It stars Robin Phillips in the title role and Ralph Richardson as Micawber, and features well-known actors Richard Attenborough, Laurence Olivier, Susan Hampshire, Cyril Cusack, Wendy Hiller, Edith Evans, Michael Redgrave and Ron Moody.

Peggotty is the name of a character and family in Charles Dickens's 1850 novel David Copperfield.

<i>David Copperfield</i> (1974 TV serial)

David Copperfield is a British six-part television serial of the 1850 novel by Charles Dickens adapted by Hugh Whitemore, directed by Joan Craft and first shown on BBC 1 in weekly parts from 1 December 1974 to 5 January 1975. It was a co-production with Time-Life Television Productions. It is the earliest BBC adaptation to exist in its entirety. The 1956 adaptation is completely lost, whilst only four of the 1966 adaptation's episodes are known to exist.

<i>David Copperfield</i> (1966 TV serial) British TV series or programme

David Copperfield is a BBC television serial starring Ian McKellen in the title role of the adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1850 novel that began airing in January 1966. It also featured Tina Packer as Dora Flora Robson as Betsey Trotwood, Gordon Gostelow as Barkis, and Christopher Guard as young David. The screenplay adaptation was written by Vincent Tilsley, who had previously helmed the 1956 adaptation almost a decade prior.

<i>David Copperfield</i> (1986 TV serial) British TV series or programme

David Copperfield is a 10 episode BBC serial broadcast between 19 October and 21 December 1986 and based on the 1850 novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. The series was written by James Andrew Hall and directed by Barry Letts. It was produced by Terrance Dicks.

<i>The Personal History of David Copperfield</i> 2019 film directed by Armando Iannucci

The Personal History of David Copperfield is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Armando Iannucci, based on the 1850 novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. It stars Dev Patel as the title character, along with Aneurin Barnard, Peter Capaldi, Morfydd Clark, Daisy May Cooper, Rosalind Eleazar, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, Ben Whishaw and Paul Whitehouse.

References

  1. Sullivan, Jane (October 21, 2022). "'He said things to me': Barbara Kingsolver's spine-chilling chat with Dickens". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  2. "Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver — a dose of Dickens". Financial Times . October 26, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  3. Demon Copperhead. Kirkus . Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  4. Young, Molly (October 16, 2022). "In Barbara Kingsolver's New Novel, an Appalachian David Copperfield". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  5. Berry, Lorraine (October 13, 2022). "Mountains of the damned". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  6. "Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver review – Dickens updated". the Guardian. November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  7. Burling, Alexis (October 18, 2022). "Review: In the Appalachian South, resilience takes hold in 'Demon Copperhead'". Datebook. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  8. "Book Marks reviews of Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver". Book Marks. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Charles, Ron (October 25, 2022). "Barbara Kingsolver's 'Demon Copperhead' may be the best novel of 2022". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  10. "Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver review – Dickens updated". The Guardian. November 10, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  11. Berry, Lorraine (October 13, 2022). "Mountains of the damned". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  12. "The 10 Best Books of 2022". The Washington Post . November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  13. "The 10 Best Books of 2022". The New York Times . November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  14. "2023 Pulitzer Prize Winners & Finalists". The Pulitzer Prizes (pulitzer.org). Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  15. "Kingsolver, Pinkckney win James Tait Back Prizes". Books+Publishing. July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  16. "Finalists announced for the 2023 Orwell Prizes". The Orwell Foundation . Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  17. Shaffi, Sarah (April 26, 2023). "Three debut novels compete among Women's prize for fiction shortlist". The Guardian . Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  18. Shaffi, Sarah (June 14, 2022). "Barbara Kingsolver wins the Women's prize for fiction for second time". The Guardian. Retrieved June 14, 2022.