Anonymous wrote:Personally I thought the book was terrible and really overplayed WV stereotypes. I felt like she was an armchair anthropologist telling me what people from there are like.

This kind of sums up Barbara Kingsolver for me. I used to like her work, but have found her last several books exhausting and rather smug.

Anonymous wrote:I listened to it and liked it. I also liked his point of view.

Kingsolver is a woman

It's a wonderful book, but it is consistently dark until the very end. As far as plot goes, if you've read David Copperfield you can see what's coming; that can be helpful. Like David Copperfield it brings up important, uncomfortable issues that affect the lives of impoverished women and children, but Kingsolver writes so well that I couldn't stop reading.

DP. I had very sad and emotional dreams after reading 20% last night. I will keep reading as I enjoy Kingsolver and am ok with dark (A Little Life, Shuggie Bain, My Absolute Darling).

I appreciate good writing, but I am so tired of being told a dark work is important and a must read. Reality is bad enough…I’ve stopped reading authors who dwell in what is dark or depressing. DNF it, OP.

I loved it. It is tough, but Demon is an amazing character and though I'm now reading another great book, my heart is still kind of aching for kids like Demon (trying not to comment on the ending!). I certainly know nothing about SW Virginia or small town America but I thought it was a fascinating depiction and made me realize the damage of stereotypes but also the very understandable despair of people who have no options. I listened to the audiobook and I loved the narrator's voice and expressions. It was jarring and funny to hear him speak like a northerner when he voiced one of the teacher parts.

Anonymous wrote:Different question but what other kingsolver books do people recommend? I read the poisonwood bible decades ago and thought her writing was beautiful but I’ve been sort of permanently haunted by the ending. Does she have any books that aren’t super depressing? I’m just at a place in my life where I can’t read or watch depressing things anymore, and it’s so hard to find good literature that doesn’t make me want to curl up in a ball and sob for a week.

Most of her books are pretty dark. I really liked Flight Behavior.

Different question but what other kingsolver books do people recommend? I read the poisonwood bible decades ago and thought her writing was beautiful but I’ve been sort of permanently haunted by the ending. Does she have any books that aren’t super depressing? I’m just at a place in my life where I can’t read or watch depressing things anymore, and it’s so hard to find good literature that doesn’t make me want to curl up in a ball and sob for a week.

I listened to it and liked parts of it but it was very long for a book that didn't go very far. I was kind of expecting it to end when he was a real adult rather than just sort of take a turn and then be over, so that was frustrating. I haven't recommended this to anyone I know because while I think it had some good parts, it was really dark and didn't pay off, to me.

Anonymous wrote:Personally I thought the book was terrible and really overplayed WV stereotypes. I felt like she was an armchair anthropologist telling me what people from there are like.

They lived in Virginia...

I read it. I did skimmed parts where it just drones on and o e. But I was invested enough in Demon so I wanted to know what happened to him. I’m glad I finished the book. Many hard themes but life is hard.

Anonymous wrote:I finished it a week ago. I listened to it on Audible. At first I loved it and I thought the darkness was balanced with some humor and some hope. However, about halfway through I felt like it started to drag. I took a break from it for a few days and picked it up again on my commute after the holidays. Definitely a "meh" in terms of rating it. For such a predictable ending it was a really long book.

It follows the exact trajectory of David Copperfield. What did you expect?

Isn’t this reimagined David Cooperfield? I found all of Dickens bleak so it’s a tough starting point.

I am from southern WV, not Sw Virginia. I am not that far in yet, but this seems very realistic to me. It’s my family.

Anonymous wrote:It’s heartbreaking but the moments of humor help. A close friend works with kids whose lives mirror Damon’s and she couldn’t finish the book because it hit too close to home.

Yes, it feels too realistic and it makes me feel sad and guilty. And want to foster older kids.