Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart Book Review
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart: Book Review
Shuggie Bain was a big book-club read for us. It is a hard novel in places, but the relationship between Shuggie and his mother Agnes makes it very difficult to put down.
Set in Glasgow in the 1980s, the novel follows a family living with poverty, addiction and the consequences of choices made by the adults around them.
Shuggie and Agnes
Agnes is glamorous, proud and deeply unhappy. She wants a different life from the one she has, but alcohol gradually narrows her world and affects everybody around her.
Shuggie, her youngest son, remains fiercely loyal to her. He notices far more than the adults think he does and spends much of the novel trying to protect or rescue a parent he cannot actually save.
Why the Book Works
Douglas Stuart does not make Agnes easy to admire all the time, and that is important. She can be funny, cruel, hopeful and destructive within a few pages.
The book is also very strong on place. The housing schemes, neighbours, unemployment and family tensions are not simply background; they shape what choices are available to the characters.
The dialogue takes a little time to settle into, but once you find the rhythm it becomes part of the novel’s voice rather than an obstacle.
For readers
A Difficult Read, but Not a Miserable One
There is a lot of sadness in Shuggie Bain, particularly around addiction and neglect, but there is humour and tenderness too.
The scenes between Shuggie and Agnes are often painful precisely because their love for each other is so clear.
Our Verdict
We rated this very highly in the book club. We would recommend it to readers who like character-led literary fiction and are comfortable with a long, emotionally heavy novel.
If you are looking for a light holiday read, this is probably not it. If you want a book with characters you will still be thinking about afterwards, it is worth the time.
More Book Reviews
- Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
- The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
- When All Is Said by Anne Griffin
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The Book Resort Team x
