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So with these thoughts, I picked Shuggie Bain anticipating it to be a gritty tale of depressing incidents referred to over and over again throughout the length of the book. However, I was in for a surprise. The book's narration is from the point of view of Shuggie Bain; talking about the experiences in his life, his dysfunctional family set in the suffering of the Glasgow community in the 1980s, and his relationship with his alcoholic mother, Agnes.
Shuggie is a young boy trying to find himself amidst the difficulties that life is throwing at him. Abandoned by his father, Hugh Bain, and half-siblings, Leek and Catherine, Shuggie finds himself burdened with all sorts of responsibilities and care for Agnes through her alcoholism and depression. He faces additional struggles as he is often bullied and abused at school and in the neighborhood for his effeminate characteristics. It is only so much that a young boy could do to sustain himself in a world around him that is self-consuming, cruel, and scary. As the story progresses, people move in and out of Agnes's life, affecting her in ways that leave her more damaged than before. However, it is only Shuggie, out of her three children, who stays by her side till the end. Caring for her like she was his child, believing that his love for his mother could save her. Despite the depressing narrative, the parts portraying a child's love for his mother would warm your heart, even if for a few seconds.
Ultimately, this dark tale of a boy's struggles and his mother will make your heart cry out in pain. As much as you wish a ray of hope to shine on their souls, the author keeps giving you more than one reason that would continue breaking your heart. At no point in time will the thought of "feeling sympathetic for the duo" leave you. The theme is, no doubt, bleak and full of despair, however, the writing is what keeps you wanting to continue reading it. Raw emotions are described so vividly that makes you feel like the characters are your next-door neighbors and you want to visit them to check if everything is fine. The helplessness of the society they live in, marred by unemployment, poverty, violence, and addiction issues are the effects of Margaret Thatcher's policies in the 1980s leaving the poor and working-class of Scotland in utter turmoil. And all you could do as a reader is just read about one such affected family and feel sorry.
I reached the end of the book to read the Acknowledgement section where the author mentions his mother, brother, and sister and their struggles. Stuart, the youngest of three siblings, was born in Sighthill, a housing estate in Glasgow, Scotland. His father left him and his family when he was young, and he was raised by a single mother who was battling alcoholism and addiction. His mother died from alcoholism-related health issues when he was 16. Perhaps, this novel is closer to reality than just a fictional read and the narrative style and tone are an inkling of that. The book is inspired by the actual story of Mr. Stuart's life and that is what makes it such a tragic and heartbreaking read. I believe a writer can write something with such make-believe conviction when the story is closer to home. And to imagine that Douglas Stuart could be the Shuggie Bain in reality, is just painful. Having the courage to write the story of his life as a debut novel and being awarded for it, speaks volumes of the wonderful work done by Douglas Stuart. Hope this makes you consider this book for your next read.
