Shuggie Bain

Shuggie Bain is a masterpiece, an astounding debut which will make your soul desperate and heart ache. Set in the 1981-1992 Glasgow, Stuart's debut novel is a fascinating reading experience, story of a 14 yr old Shuggie Bain and his mother Agnes Bain, so dark and intense, which brilliantly portrays a broken childhood and hopeless love. It includes multiple themes- poverty, abuse, addiction, gender inequality, religion etc.Shuggie Bain is not a feel good read; it's more like a gothic fiction. The writing style will make you want more of Stuart's works as it's charming, Glasgow dialect and the subtle descriptions of each incident will never fail to take you to the unordinary and unforgettable life of Shuggie.Shuggie and his love...he loved Agnes so much that the only thing he wanted was to make her normal, to live a normal life with her. And her alcoholism, the author is not directly sharing the physical and mental conditions of an alcoholic, but we can feel the depth of darkness inside her and she considered alcohol as an escape from the physical and mental abuse and her unfulfilled dreams. This novel is a rare one with all it's memorable characters and outspoken realities. It was a highly disturbing, yet heartbreakingly-good read, Shuggie and his unusual, painful life will always stay with you!!

Even before the shortlist for the Booker was declared, seeing the longlist I already knew this is something that would interest me. I waited patiently for the night the prize was to be announced. Somehow, I knew this book would bag the prize and then I would certainly read it. Predictably, it won and I ordered the book then and there. I began reading the book the morning it arrived and it was, indeed, a read that clings to you and tugs at your heart from the first page. It is the story of a Scottish family managing their lives through economic hardships, substance abuse, physical and emotional violence in the 1980s of Glasgow. Although this book is claimed to be solely the story of Shuggie and his mother, I felt there was more to the story than them only. It was the story of the whole family struggling to remain together, hold each other and save each other from the world in their embrace that they called home. I was moved by the poignant recollection of the author's memory from what he knew of Glasgow and from his mother's own addiction as he grew up. However, I couldn't bring myself to love this novel as I had expected to, especially, given its comparison to 'A Little Life'. There was something about the language that made me take an unexpectedly longer time to finish the novel. Maybe the language did not warm up to me, or maybe Ferrante spoiled me with her prose. I have no complaints with the author as such because it was a well-written book. I could see the incidents in the novel unfold before my eyes very well. I think it is the presence of too many new characters all the time that made me difficult to concentrate on the writing. Nonetheless, the book is certainly an achievement even without the prize, that only adds to its relevance. It painfully captures heartbreaks, hopelessness and hope of a family trying to discover happiness among the dingy neighbourhoods of existence.

The book is pretty good, I haven't had a problem turning a page. Every chapter is uniquely chilling. However I need to smack my friend for recommending this book to me so casually.This is not a world you want to escape into. It is dark, morbid and gets way too real abruptly. And the lexicon is a bit different than I'm used to so I had a bit of trouble getting into it.This is a great read and a classic for sure, but its not for everyone. It might tear out some scabs you had forgotten about. If you want to explore parental conflict, abuse, ruinous effects of an alcohol addiction on a family etc. then it's an easy recommendation for you, you sick bastard.

Imagine a story that rattles you , frightens you , makes you sad and creates a dejected atmosphere in your mind , yet you don't want it to end , yet you wish the story to keep on lingering in your thoughts even after you finished it . That's Shuggie Bain for you .Winner of the #manbookerprize , this book is beautifully crafted by the debutant author . The style of writing is akin to poetry at times , at other times the thoughts in the verses are left unfinished intentionally for you to delve right into the sea of thick stratas of pondering minds to have your own part in the story .This is the story of rejection , of struggles , of alcoholism , of poverty . But , dwarfing all , this is the story of the relationship between the little one shuggie , a boy swimming his way from childhood to adulthood through deep hard layers of realism , this is the story of the indomitable spirit of fighting back and losing the battle against the curse of 'drinking to her death'.The relationship is the key here .Don't miss out on this one .

The Book beautifully depicts the scenario of 90’s Glasgow. It is a warming book about a never-give-up relationship between a mother and a son. How far can Shuggie go for his alcoholic mother to provide a better life for her? Penned down exquisitely by Stuart

Every character brought in something versatile to the story. They were very unique, raw and real which we all see in real life and maybe ignore them. It's a story of an alcoholic woman and the sad lives of her three children. The sad and gritty lives of her children Leek, Catherine and Shuggie brings into foray their struggles, loneliness and their fight to make something better out of their lives. Shuggie Bain tries to be devoted to his mother with the hope that she would be on her feet again, fight against her addiction to alcoholism, and lead a better life. When everyone has given up on her, Shuggie stays on with her with a strong ray of hope, that his mother would fight and one day is normal.