Shuggie Bain

An intense and unflinching, yet also often humorous, account of life in Glasgow tenements in the early 1980s. I thought Shuggie Bain a deserved winner of 2020's Booker, and surely Stuart must have had some strongly autobiographical context for this work. I was most reminded when reading the novel of the realist poverty depicted by Dickens and Zola. The latter's L'Assommoir springs most to mind since Agnes' (Shuggie's mother) descent into alcoholism is akin to watching a car crash in slow motion. Beyond the tragedy, set amidst abject poverty, there are also two important dynamics that Stuart brings to light: a mother's love for her son (and vice versa) and Shuggie's awkward discovery of his homosexuality. Stuart, as mentioned, is not only humorous but also humane. His characters are nearly all well developed and plausible. The dynamic of respect and dignity is also important: how to keep going in spite of, or perhaps because of, the circumstances. Compelling and undoubtedly memorable. 10/10.

By Douglas Stuart