Ken’s review of Demon Copperhead > Likes and Comments

You are certainly not alone in your opinion. I myself loved it, the voice, the plot, the characters, all of it, but this does seem to be a book which inspires love/hate reactions. It also inspired me to reread David Copperfield, last read in high school.

I'm one of those in the middle. Kingsolver achieved her aim with me in getting me to examine my role in all of this. And I loved the strong women characters. I did find that Kingsolver's voice intruded into the story a lot and that contributed to my page counting at points during my read.

Diane wrote: "You are certainly not alone in your opinion. I myself loved it, the voice, the plot, the characters, all of it, but this does seem to be a book which inspires love/hate reactions. It also inspired ..."

You and me and maybe a few others! Although you've already reread the original DC. I just have it all gaudy on the shelf.

And although this book may have lovers and haters, an average rating of 4.55 tells me it's nowhere near even! That's quite a number after so many readers!

Lisa wrote: "I'm one of those in the middle. Kingsolver achieved her aim with me in getting me to examine my role in all of this. And I loved the strong women characters. I did find that Kingsolver's voice intr..."

Points taken, Lisa. And you're right about page counting. I indulged, and I don't even like to count!

Maybe it was characters like the Uriah Heep one who was second in command to Coach. U-Haul, was it? Introduced early on. Left alone forever. Then suddenly threatening to DC. Then disappears forever again.

I'm sure he reappeared at some point after p. 400 to do his unctuous thing, but when he did, it probably came across as Barbara remembering him of a sudden. Lincoln Logs writing.

I stopped reading Barbara Kingsolver a while ago. Her political agendas generally interfere with her writing, even though I generally agree with her politically. I also find her characters somewhat one-dimensional, especially the "villains ". I was tempted by this one because I love David Copperfield but there are too many other books waiting in line.

Barbara wrote: "I stopped reading Barbara Kingsolver a while ago. Her political agendas generally interfere with her writing, even though I generally agree with her politically. I also find her characters somewhat..."

Thee be wiser than me, Barbara. I would say "live and learn," but I should have learned by now.

Only wiser on this one, Ken, believe me.

Good for you! Life IS too short — so read what you like & enjoy :)

Getting shorter, Iris. Damn pencil of life can only be sharpened so many times!

;-)

Yes, Ken - I'm with you all the way on this one, great review!

A book bankrupt of good characterization is disappointing. You gave it a fair shot and it came up wanting. Thanks for an honest review, Ken. I did read a few other reviews that also had reservations about this much lauded book.

Mark wrote: "Yes, Ken - I'm with you all the way on this one, great review!"

Always good to have company when you feel like an outsider. Ponyboy told me that.

Laysee wrote: "A book bankrupt of good characterization is disappointing. You gave it a fair shot and it came up wanting. Thanks for an honest review, Ken. I did read a few other reviews that also had reservation..."

Yes, I've noticed more reviews that found it wanting. At first I thought they were too few and far between to find, but you just have to look a little!

Ken wrote: "Mark wrote: "Yes, Ken - I'm with you all the way on this one, great review!"

Always good to have company when you feel like an outsider. Ponyboy told me that."

Too right!! .....who's Ponyboy?? 😃

Laysee wrote: "A book bankrupt of good characterization is disappointing. You gave it a fair shot and it came up wanting. Thanks for an honest review, Ken. I did read a few other reviews that also had reservation..."

.......there's a few of us around Laysee!!

Mark wrote: "Ken wrote: "Mark wrote: "Yes, Ken - I'm with you all the way on this one, great review!"

Always good to have company when you feel like an outsider. Ponyboy told me that."

Too right!! .....who's ..."


Oh, sorry. Main character of The Outsiders, an early YA book from the 60s. I didn't read it as a kid but had to teach it as a middle school instructor.

OH, no, Ken...I have this on my must-read pile.” I wanted to like it, but usually agree with your reviews. Darn! I read the first chapters, and thought, maybe there is a growing genre described as, would-be anthropologists drawing from earlier life experiences? The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah comes to mind or of course Kingsolver’s other books such as Bean Trees or Poisonwood Bible. The underlying problem for me: I don’t want to wallow in it, I want a twist, a way to adjust. This is a novel. The writing gives me no distance so I can learn, phrases do not have a hint of prose, there is no saving grace for the characters. To cap it off, so far, I don’t see a strong link with Dickens or Oliver Twist. I’ve seen this marketing/reviewer tack multiple times now in current reviews (mention a classic as comparison). I need to reread Oliver Twist.

Lydia wrote: "OH, no, Ken...I have this on my must-read pile.” I wanted to like it, but usually agree with your reviews. Darn! I read the first chapters, and thought, maybe there is a growing genre described as,..."

I think it's based on David Copperfield (vs. Oliver Twist) and I hope my judgment doesn't sway you if you liked other Kingsolvers. Lots of readers I respect here have given it high marks. It just hit ME as dead wood, giving no "bounce," so to speak.

And I can identify totally as I, too, was really looking forward to this.

It’s not the year-jumping, Soul man. But you wouldn’t be called that if you hadn’t pointed it out. I haven’t read the book but you sound convincing.
A Hundred Years of Solitude is a year-jumper that readily comes to mind, by the way, but it usually leaves indelible marks behind.

Violeta wrote: "It’s not the year-jumping, Soul man. But you wouldn’t be called that if you hadn’t pointed it out. I haven’t read the book but you sound convincing.
A Hundred Years of Solitude is a year-jumper tha..."

I'm sure there's a "year-jumper" I've enjoyed. I'd just need to think on it. What annoys me about generational sagas is when I commit to characters and then, bam, they're dead (as in mortal) because the author's moved on to the next generation.

It also occurs in high-stakes (war, murder, mayhem) books. I remember deciding to try the Game of Thrones series to up my fantasy game (once flourishing in younger days, but now languishing in a big way).

Anyway, I heavily favored a character who author Martin offed at the end of Book One. With many books to go, I said, "Ah, no. Not if I have to hunt around for a new protagonist at the drop of a hat."

Readers. They can be so damn picky.

Lydia wrote: "OH, no, Ken...I have this on my must-read pile.” I wanted to like it, but usually agree with your reviews. Darn! I read the first chapters, and thought, maybe there is a growing genre described as,..." Make that, I need to reread David Copperfield

Ken wrote: "Violeta wrote: "It’s not the year-jumping, Soul man. But you wouldn’t be called that if you hadn’t pointed it out. I haven’t read the book but you sound convincing.
A Hundred Years of Solitude is a..."

Picky indeed! I fell for the rave reviews on GR for “Nightingale” and disliked it so much I put it by the mailboxes in case someone else wanted to give it a go.

Thank for your insights Ken! I don't feel nearly so bad about pushing it down my "probably should read but not that keen" pile now 😀 I'd rather keep rereading the original.

Iris wrote: "Ken wrote: "Violeta wrote: "It’s not the year-jumping, Soul man. But you wouldn’t be called that if you hadn’t pointed it out. I haven’t read the book but you sound convincing.
A Hundred Years of S..."

That's the great thing about those "Little Library" boxes that pop up in certain neighborhoods. Free donations from the Isle of Misfit Books. Someone will cherish and love them, surely!

Bionic Jean wrote: "Thank for your insights Ken! I don't feel nearly so bad about pushing it down my "probably should read but not that keen" pile now 😀 I'd rather keep rereading the original."

When you think about it, imitating a classic is just ASKING for trouble. My daughter bought me a copy of DAVID COPPERFIELD as a companion piece for this one but, after my next library donation, only the Dickens' book will remain, companionless and confident.

Yes, and just wait until the latest BBC adaptation of Great Expectations reaches the US ... Do these people actually loathe Dickens, I wonder.

Oh, no. I'd read that they'd changed the plot. Why would one change the plot? (Rhetorical)

It's jaw-dropping, Ken!

Oh, no! I have months of waiting to get it from the library.
I loved The Poisonwood Bible and I hope that Demon Copperhead doesn't disappoint.
Sorry it didn't work for you.

Wonderful review, bummer this one doesn’t live up to the massive hype

Laura wrote: "Oh, no! I have months of waiting to get it from the library.
I loved The Poisonwood Bible and I hope that Demon Copperhead doesn't disappoint.
Sorry it didn't work for you."

If you loved the Poisoned Wood, you may take to the Copper Head! So don't lose hope, Laura. None of us agrees on books right down the line.

s.penkevich wrote: "Wonderful review, bummer this one doesn’t live up to the massive hype"

Massive hype. As an author, I went shopping for it on Amazon and came up empty handed. Maybe a Dickens angle next time, eh?

;-)

I DNF it before page 50. :)) It felt like an unnecessary remake. It looks like I made the right choice.

Flo wrote: "I DNF it before page 50. :)) It felt like an unnecessary remake. It looks like I made the right choice."

If you felt that way at p. 50, yes. Not much changed the deeper you went.

I’ll leave the 5-stars and hosannas to others with their marching band reviews.

Ken this gave me a good chuckle. You are funny!!

I won't be marching either. When I saw this thing was 600 pages and riffing on Dickens I was completely out. I also usually prefer books that take place over a limited time span. Usually, for me (although of course there are exceptions to every rule), when many years and decades go by, the camera zooms out, and my interest wanes.

Long, boring and terrible. i have been reading this for the last 3 days and finally abandoned this - at 400 pages. Just dont care about this character and this writing.

Well. .. I'm in the majority, I guess, when I say I really liked the book, read just after having reread David Copperfield. Both feature (for me) rich main characters, and if the heart and soul is missing for some readers, it just might be found in that ending. But different strokes, as they say. The thing I struggled with was that it was a kind of contemporary rewrite; is it necessary? I finally sided with it on that front, too, though. I thought it was darkly hilarious in a way David Copperfield was not (though I love David, too).

Robin wrote: "I’ll leave the 5-stars and hosannas to others with their marching band reviews.

Ken this gave me a good chuckle. You are funny!!

I won't be marching either. When I saw this thing was 600 pages a..."


I like the comparison to the camera lens. Zooming out is necessary for big chunks of time and, in the wrong hands, can come off clunky and/or boring. Anyway, that's just a reading quirk we happen to share.

Harini wrote: "Long, boring and terrible. i have been reading this for the last 3 days and finally abandoned this - at 400 pages. Just dont care about this character and this writing."

Whew! 400 pages is a lot of sacrifice! My hats off to you, Harini, especially given the fact that we live in the Land of So Much To Read, So Little Time To Read It!

Dave wrote: "Well. .. I'm in the majority, I guess, when I say I really liked the book, read just after having reread David Copperfield. Both feature (for me) rich main characters, and if the heart and soul is ..."

Thanks for sharing your honest take from Team Copperhead, Dave. I cannot, will not deny any of your points. As for the "Is it necessary?" question, the fact that it attracted such a huge audience (many of them Dickens fans) tells me, yes! At least from a marketing point of view.

I loved it for it's important messages about the poor and disenfranchised, told from their point of view, instead of that of a lawyer or crime story about big pharma and the opioid pandemic. This was about its effects on people's lives, told close up under a magnifying glass. Similar to David Copperfield in that it shines light on the issue of institutional poverty, but in a modern and relatable era that many of us lived through.

Seth wrote: "I loved it for it's important messages about the poor and disenfranchised, told from their point of view, instead of that of a lawyer or crime story about big pharma and the opioid pandemic. This w..."

I'm glad for that, Seth, and feel sure that more people landed on your side of the coin than mine. Still, when it comes to reviews, honesty is the best policy, so I didn't pretend to enjoy what I didn't exactly enjoy. Differences of opinion make for horse races, as Twain said. Or Franklin, maybe. Anon? Someone!

I love your perspective, Ken. Thank you for the well-considered “nope, not for me!” I have wondered if my higher rating was relief that this was the first Kingsolver in many a Kingsolver I haven’t wanted to throw at the wall (she was once, twenty-odd years ago, one of my treasured authors) :) I did enjoy DC far more than you, but can also appreciate why the story bothered you, beyond the obvious overlongness. Onward! I wish awesome reads for you in 2024.

Thanks for intricate review. That's the deal-breaker for me> always aware of my surroundings rather than being in the book. I will save this for when I'm traveling again

Julie wrote: "I love your perspective, Ken. Thank you for the well-considered “nope, not for me!” I have wondered if my higher rating was relief that this was the first Kingsolver in many a Kingsolver I haven’t ..."

Sorry this particular Kingsolver amounted to a mere Princesolver for you, Julie. I think I enjoyed one of her books long ago, too, but it was NF, I think. Something food related? I'll look it up. I'm keen on food, so she's 100 yards ahead already when the starting gun goes off!

And "Onward!" is the mantra, all right. Here we go...!

P.S. Edit: Just looked it up. It wasAnimal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life and I 5-starred it! Good to see I can play "good cop" too. ;-)

Magdelanye wrote: "Thanks for intricate review. That's the deal-breaker for me> always aware of my surroundings rather than being in the book. I will save this for when I'm traveling again"

Ironically I read this on a long train ride last year, Magdelanye. Hope it makes a better travel companion for you than it did for me. Who knows? You may love it. Many did!

I'm still in the early pages of my reading of Demon Copperhead, so it would be premature for me to provide any comments at this time, but Ken, you mentioned you don't like books that span many years--have your read A Prayer for Owen Meany? I think Irving did a great job of character building in a story that spans many years. I will soon see, in Demon Copperhead how Kingsolver handled this in comparison. Thanks for your review.

I just want to read your reviews from now on. Why are they so entertaining?

David wrote: "I'm still in the early pages of my reading of Demon Copperhead, so it would be premature for me to provide any comments at this time, but Ken, you mentioned you don't like books that span many year..."

The only Irving I've managed is Garp. I was put off by Hotel New Hampshire. Long time no Irving, in other words, but I'm sure, if I thought long and hard about it, there must be a multi-generational book I liked. Thanks for dropping in and sorry I missed your comment earlier.

Jill wrote: "I just want to read your reviews from now on. Why are they so entertaining?"

Thank you, Jill. Hmn. I try to entertain myself, maybe, and enjoy the site?

And in truth, other readers have used other adjectives to describe my reviews. Less flattering, I mean. (Welcome to the Internet, as they say!)