Shuggie Bain

Shuggie Bain is a book of Douglas Stuart and published on 11 February 2020. Douglas Stuart is a Scottish-American writer and fashion designer. He was awarded the 2020 Booker Prize for his debut novel, Shuggie Bain. The genre of this book, Bildungsroman. It tells the story of Shugi, the youngest of three children growing up in the 1980s with his alcoholic mother, Agnes. We have brought you a review and summary of ‘Shuggie Bain’. So, let’s turn on again.

Summary

Shuggie is fifteen years old and lives alone in a boarding house in Glasgow. While working in a shift in a supermarket, she aspires to become a hairdresser. He leaves work by placing tin cans of fish in his bag.

The story goes back a bit in 1981, with five-year-old Shuggie living in a flat in Sighthill with her maternal grandfather, His mother, Agnes Bain; Her father, Hugh “Sug” Bain; His stepbrother, Leake; And with her step sister, Catherine. Shugi’s father is mostly unable to stay home, due to working as a cab driver and also with other women.

The following year Shug transfers the family to a council flat in Pithed for families of local mine workers. He eventually leaves the family there, living with his cab company dispatcher Joanie Micklewhite.

Agnes’s parents died and her daughter moved to South Africa and married the younger. Her alcohol addiction worsens, and Agnes allows herself to be taken advantage of and abused by men.

Her future looks brighter when she starts going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and takes a job as a petrol-station attendant. She meets a cab driver named Eugene, whom she begins to date, but when he convinces her to drink a glass of wine at dinner, she relapses into alcoholism.

Agnes’s prohibition separates her from his children. Enraged by his intoxication, he kicks Leek out of the house. Despite his behavior, Shuggie remains unwavering towards him. They both move to a new neighborhood, and Agnes promises to stop drinking alcohol, but being unable to change their circumstances, their relationship becomes strained, as Shuggie grows older. In a drunken stupor, Agnes dies after dripping her saliva.

In 1992 Shuggie gives the tins of fish to his friend Leanne, who gives them to her homeless alcoholic mother.

Insight/review

The novel was awarded the 2020 Booker Prize, Stuart being the second Scottish winner of the award, Shuggie Bain was also a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction.

The author unhesitatingly peels away the layers of the complex relationship between Shuggie and his drug-addicted mother. A heart-wrenching story about abuse, rape, addiction, bullying and poverty with a “trigger”. The story is beautifully woven between the tough and vulnerable side of the people of Glasgow. A fantastic piece of work.

The language style of the book was simple. No difficult words to be seen. Talking about character development. All characters in this book who appeared to play their own roles correctly. Enjoyed reading it.