Shuggie Bain

By: Douglas Stuart

Narrated by: Angus King

Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the Booker Prize

Winner of 'Book of the Year' at the British Book Awards

A BBC 'Big Jubilee Read'

A heart-wrenchingly moving novel set in Glasgow during the Thatcher years, Shuggie Bain tells the story of a boy's doomed attempt to save his proud, alcoholic mother from her addiction.

It is 1981. Glasgow is dying and good families must grift to survive. Agnes Bain has always expected more from life, dreaming of greater things. But Agnes is abandoned by her philandering husband, and as she descends deeper into drink, the children try their best to save her, yet one by one they must abandon her to save themselves.

It is her son Shuggie who holds out hope the longest. Shuggie is different, he is clearly no’ right. But Shuggie believes that if he tries his hardest, he can be normal like the other boys and help his mother escape this hopeless place.

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart lays bare the ruthlessness of poverty, the limits of love, and the hollowness of pride. For fans of A Little Life and Angela's Ashes, it is a heartbreaking novel by a brilliant writer with a powerful and important story to tell.

©2020 Douglas Stuart (P)2020 Macmillan Publishers International Ltd

Critic reviews

"Douglas Stuart has written a first novel of rare and lasting beauty." (Observer)

"We were bowled over by this first novel, which creates an amazingly intimate, compassionate, gripping portrait of addiction, courage and love." (The judges of the Booker Prize)

"A heartbreaking novel." (The Times)

Outstanding

Takes the reader back to a time and place. Fabulously written, funny, hopeful and profound.
A worthy winner a must read!

One that will stay with me...

Descriptions fabulous, but the dialogue is the star and all the better on audio, such a talented actor bringing the story to life, a story of love, abuse, poverty, reality..

Outstanding!

The most authentic telling of tough poor working class lives in the 70s and 80s you will ever find. Recognised so much of my own younger years several thousand miles away. The most moving book I have read in decades. Thank you.

Excellent in all ways

The narrator rocks! Just as all the rest, the story, the characters, you name it!

Insightful narration

Immersive read about one of the most depressing chapters in British history narrated through lenses of a single family. It is about love and responsibility, empathy and cruelty. It opens up a perspective on alcoholism that is prevalent also in today's societies. Worth every minute spent listening to this story.

Heartbreaking, Beautiful and Funny

Wow, Douglas Stuart manages to capture lives of struggling families in 80s and 90s Scotland like no other. His characters are so well written and brought to life that I often find myself forgetting that his work is fiction. While I did enjoy his other novel Young Mungo a little bit more than this one, Shuggie Bain is most definitely worth a read. This story is a soo heartbreaking with just the right amount of humour thrown in. I will read/listen to anything written by this man. Would highly recommend. The performance of the audio version is also fantastic.

Mostly frustratingly sad with Shuggie a jewel in the shite!

Beautifully delivered! At times so depressing it got me down. What a horrible life for the poor in Glasgow; a sick society that endorsed “fingering girls and getting pissed” as the only legitimate pastime for teenage boys!

Wonderful

What a brilliant book. Rich descriptive language. Beautifully written. Narration was superb. I didn’t want the book to finish.

Heartbreaking, agonizing and tragic

Highly recommended. The book is uncomfortably thought provoking and beautiful. This story feels so honest and the characters are so flawed yet easy to love.

The narrator was absolutely brilliant and added to the enjoyment of this book.

Beautiful, gut wrenching and hopeful.

Engages every emotion, a story of small victories in amongst giant sadness. A must listen!