Shuggie Bain : Book Review



While I read this in December, it took a while for me to write a review for a book as complex as this one. Shuggie Bain deserves a review that lives up to the expectations of a Booker Prize winner. This may not be the first book to capture poverty, alcoholism or societal horrors but the manner in which its done deserves an applause.   

 

Title: Shuggie Bain

Author: Douglas Stuart

Genre: Fiction

 

Some books are quick reads while others require time to absorb the complex world of the characters. The 2020 Booker Prize belongs to the latter category. 

 

Set around the 1980s in Glasgow, the book takes you to the world Shuggie Bain-a little boy who grows up in a dysfunctional family. He is abandoned by his father, brother and sister and left alone to tend to his alcoholic mother Agnes. At the same time, he is puzzled at why everyone considers him “not right” and is grappling with his sexuality. The book also delves into the world of Agnes Bain who resorts to alcohol to drown her sorrows of being abandoned by the men in her life. 

 

The setting is mainly in Pithead-a public housing scheme that comprises a shoddy neighborhood and depicts poverty which is one of the many themes explored in this book. While the prose may be eloquent as expected out of a Booker prize winner, the number of Scottish dialects in the dialogues can be challenging to grasp in the first instance. Yet this dialect is what contributes to the authenticity of the setting where the story is based on. 

 

The tone contains a raw honesty with no holds barred, depicting the idiosyncrasies and horrors of the society, be it unemployment, rape, abuse, mental health and alcoholism. Hunger is another theme captured in the book as there is a certain longingness for a stable home and love. The character of Agnes is contradictory in her stance alternating between alcoholism and sobriety. Amidst these dreary elements is a silver lining in the form of tenderness exhibited by Shuggie in taking responsibility for the well-being his mother. It’s also a coming of age story, given the turbulent upheaval experienced by Shuggie in a span of ten years. 

 

Shuggie Bain is no easy read. It’s depressing and somber, clearly reflecting on the choice of the grey as color of the book’s cover. With its unflinching portrayal of brokenness, it showcases how much one is willing to endure their loved ones’ misgivings. Touching upon the aspects of normalcy, addiction and motherhood, this is one book that will stay with you for a while. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

100 meters : Movie Review

Image
Watched this inspiring Spanish film over the weekend on Netflix!  100 meters is a based on a true story of a man named Ramon who is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He is told that he will be able to even walk 100 meters in the next one year. Determined to prove this wrong, he takes up the challenge of doing the grueling Ironman race which involves 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles running.  With the help of his father in law with whom he initially shares a shaky relationship with, he begins to train relentlessly. Ramon faces challenges on the way and is almost pushed to the brink of being bed ridden. He overcomes every hurdle with grit and a positive frame of mind. It remains to be seen if he actually finishes the race.  This movie struck a chord in many ways. A triathlon is not just a race-its a humbling journey which alters your life forever. The training period is especially a challenging one as it demands a lot out of you. The film showcases the importance of f
Read more

The Chennai resistance

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=3cd78548-4240-47c3-a608-8432df372190 Mentality of a Chennaite is something that never fails to amaze me and other people of different cities. This city has a rich cultural heritage and people indeed try their best to preserve it as much as possible. However in spite of globalization descending upon them, with BPOs lurking at every corner, with the Burgers and pizzas invading their eateries, the typical chennaite will go by his time tested staple food. Times have changed, and Chennai itself is now invaded by population from other cities not only in India but form the world, thanks to the IT boom and the automobile hub centre that it has become. One can see the metamorphosis almost everywhere; old buildings have given way to modern architecture, arterial roads choked to the brim with modern vehicles, individual bungalows replaced by the apartments. Only the age old temples have withstood this onslaught, but they too
Read more

My friend Ganesha: Friendship with God

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=b7ab149a-5f35-4861-8859-6a890ddb71fe Loneliness often propels one to longingly seek a friend. Times like these often push us into a solitary stance or we find our solace in the road to spirituality striking an unspoken friendship with God. My friend Ganesha is one such film which depicts this divine friendship between a child and the elephant faced God and takes you down the mythological lane. The movie revolves around a family consisting of Ashu, his parents, aunt and the maid Gangubhai who places her sincere devotion in Lord Ganapathy. Ashu is a lonely child devoid of any friends and to top it all he is bullied by his counterparts at every given opportunity. To make matters worse, his parents who are caught up with the corporate lifestyles hardly spend time with him. One day he ends up saving a little mouse from the harsh rains. On sharing this with the maid, leaves her enthralled enough to tell him of being the
Read more