What will you learn from this book
-
Family Dynamics: The book delves into the complex dynamics of a working-class family in Glasgow, Scotland, portraying their struggles, relationships, and resilience.
-
Poverty and Adversity: It explores the impact of poverty, addiction, and adversity on individuals and families, highlighting the challenges they face in trying to make ends meet and survive.
-
Mother-Son Relationship: The central focus of the story is the bond between Shuggie Bain and his mother, Agnes, showcasing their deep love for each other amidst difficult circumstances.
-
Addiction: The book addresses the theme of addiction, particularly Agnes's struggle with alcoholism, and its effects on her and her family members.
-
Identity and Self-Discovery: Shuggie's journey involves grappling with his identity, sexuality, and sense of self as he navigates adolescence in a harsh environment.
-
Resilience and Survival: Despite the challenges they face, the characters display resilience and a will to survive, highlighting the strength of the human spirit.
-
Social Issues: Stuart sheds light on broader social issues such as class inequality, discrimination, and the impact of economic downturns on vulnerable communities.
-
Friendship and Support: The book also explores themes of friendship and support, showing how individuals come together to provide comfort and assistance in times of need.
-
Coming-of-Age: Shuggie's coming-of-age journey is a central aspect of the narrative, depicting his growth, struggles, and maturation as he navigates adolescence.
-
Emotional Impact: "Shuggie Bain" is a poignant and emotionally impactful story that resonates with readers due to its raw portrayal of human experiences, love, loss, and hope.
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10 | 1529064414 |
| ISBN-13 | 9781529064414 |
| No of pages | 448 |
| Font Size | Medium |
| Book Publisher | Picador |
| Published Date | 19 Jul 2019 |
About Author
Related Books
Winner of the Booker Prize 2020Shortlisted for the National Book Award for Fiction 2020An Observer ‘Best Debut Novelist of 2020’‘An amazingly intimate, compassionate, gripping portrait of addiction, courage and love’ -
The judges of the Booker PrizeIt is 1981. Glasgow is dying and good families must grift to survive. Agnes Bain has always expected more from life. She dreams of greater things: a house with its own front door and a life bought and paid for outright (like her perfect, but false, teeth).
But Agnes is abandoned by her philandering husband, and soon she and her three children find themselves trapped in a decimated mining town. As she descends deeper into drink, the children try their best to save her, yet one by one they must abandon her to save themselves. It is her son Shuggie who holds out hope the longest.Shuggie is different. Fastidious and fussy, he shares his mother’s sense of snobbish propriety.
The miners’ children pick on him and adults condemn him as no’ right. But Shuggie believes that if he tries his hardest, he can be normal like the other boys and help his mother escape this hopeless place.Douglas Stuart’s Shuggie Bain lays bare the ruthlessness of poverty, the limits of love, and the hollowness of pride
. A counterpart to the privileged Thatcher-era London of Alan Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty, it also recalls the work of Édouard Louis, Frank McCourt, and Hanya Yanagihara, a blistering debut by a brilliant writer with a powerful and important story to tell.