Set in Glasgow in the 1980's, Shuggie Bain is a novel that depicts the struggles of Agnes Bain, a single mother of three, as she suffers from alcoholism while trying to raise her youngest son, Shuggie Bain. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Copyright © 1999 - 2021 GradeSaver LLC. Important Quotes. The genre of this book, Bildungsroman. Shuggie Bain. Something about the boy was no right, and this was at least something they could pity. The empty body went listlessly through its routine, pale and vacant-eyed under the fluorescent strip lights, as his soul floated above the aisles and thought only of tomorrow. Written by people who wish to remain anonymous, “When she had disgraced herself with drink, she got up the next day, put on her best coat, and faced the world. Therefore he incorporates imagery and descriptions that ensure the setting resonates with the story. The quote also suggests that Shuggie is homosexual. In the same vein, as James Joyce highlighted Dublin, Stuart paints an accurate depiction of the era in Glasgow. I. She pointed out into the distance and waved her hand wide across the scheme, meaning he could go anywhere he pleased for all she cared.”. I’m sure it was a worthy winner but the back cover quotes mean I won’t be reading it. Shuggie Bain Overview. An editor . These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Want to Read. Douglas Stuart's Shuggie Bain doesn't have a great deal of hope in it. It kept the grass green and the people pale and bronchial." In 1989, Agnes and Shuggie move into a flat on the East End of Glasgow. The statement illustrates the look and feel of the city in few words hence powerful imagery. Welcome back. It is a return to the vibe of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting. From your own ashes you can grow again.”, “Rain was a natural state of Glasgow. Through her, he comes to realize that he does not like girls and will never be “normal” in the way society wants him to be. In the quote, Shuggie observes the strengths her mother displays regardless of her many shortcomings because of alcoholism. That morning his mind had abandoned him and left his body wandering down below. He grew up in Sighthill, a housing estate in Glasgow, and like his protagonist, his mother struggled with alcoholism. Excerpt from “Shuggie Bain” by Douglas Stuart. “My mother has never worked a day in her life. ” “Rain was a natural state of Glasgow. The excitement had left her by then.”, “She had loved him, and he had needed to break her completely to leave her for good. “My mother has never worked a day in her life. Douglas Stuart is a Scottish-American writer and fashion designer. Big Shug is a taxi driver, but his philandering behavior is driving Agnes into a depression. To calm the depression, Agnes seeks solace in alcohol. “It’s only ye who’s neckin’ vodka like it was tap water.”, “Big Shug Bain had seemed so shiny in comparison to the Catholic. Everyday with the make-up on and her hair … Essay Topics. Our starter book this month is Shuggie Bain, by Douglas Stuart. He had been vain in the way only Protestants were allowed to be, conspicuous with his shallow wealth, flushed pink with gluttony and waste.”, “George said. She stared silently out the window, trying not to think of the trail of fatherless children and the childrenless father they were leaving in their wake. However, Shuggie has undying adoration for her mother who despite abandoning him regularly he still defends. “For me, ‘Shuggie Bain’ is a love story,” Stuart, 44, said during an interview on a drizzly day in downtown Manhattan this month. Tomorrow was something to look forward to. Important Quotes. Essay Topics. Error rating book. He had done what Shuggie had been unable to do.”, “The damp wind kissed her flushed neck and pushed down inside her dress. Shuggie meets Leanne, a girl with an alcoholic mother. Shuggie Bain. It snuck into the bedsit like a sly ghost, crossing the carpet and inching slowly up his bare legs.”, “Sadness made for a better houseguest; at least it was quiet, reliable, consistent.”, “dunno. Refresh and try again. It kept the grass green and the people pale and bronchial.”, “She had loved him, and he had needed to break her completely to leave her for good. Shuggie Bain. Agnes hopes the change will help her kick her drinking habit; Shuggie hopes it will help him become more like a normal boy. The high unemployment rate and poverty in this era place the situation into perspective as it accentuates Agnes’ negligence. It was all for the red-headed man. The Question and Answer section for Shuggie Bain is a great Agnes Bain was too rare a thing to let someone else love. I think it’s what all alkies want anyways.” She shivered. Shuggie Bain study guide contains a biography of Douglas Stuart, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. When her belly was empty and her weans were hungry, she did her hair and let the world think otherwise.”. -- Narrator (chapter 1) Importance: This quote exemplifies Shuggie's uncanny ability to avoid the sexual advances made by the women from his work. Everyday with the make-up on and her hair done, she climbed out of her grave and held her head high. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Shuggie Bain is a book of Douglas Stuart and published on 11 February 2020. It wouldn’t do to leave pieces of her for another man to collect and repair later.”, “wondered why he tolerated these other children but had left him.”, “At the front door she pushed a jam piece and a peeled carrot into his hand and told him to go and play and not to come back till it was dark. Stuart's novel is divided into five parts, divided further into a total of 32 chapters. How did Douglas Stuart's own life inspire Shuggie Bain? Shuggie Bain is a young boy living in Glasgow with her grandparents. (Shuggie Bain Quotes) Douglas Stuart. In the quote, Shuggie observes the strengths her mother displays regardless of her many shortcomings because of alcoholism. Published in 2020 the story focuses on the dynamic of a working-class family in a Glasgow community and the social issues during the period. The novel was awarded the 2020 Booker Prize, making Stuart the second Scottish… Shuggie Bain is a master class in depicting the blinding dedications of love and the endless bounds to which people will go to feel in control, to feel better. (Shuggie Bain … You are going to be an amazing artist, and I’m going to get married, and between us we’re both going to get the fuck out of here and away from this dump. Shuggie Bain Quiz. Quotes from Shuggie Bain “She was no use at maths homework, and some days you could starve rather than get a hot meal from her, but Shuggie looked at her now and understood this was where she excelled. This Study Guide consists of approximately 47 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Shuggie Bain. “She is not,” said Shuggie, quite proudly. “Rain was a natural state of Glasgow. “… as intense and excruciating to read as any novel I have ever held in my hand..” Not for me right now. When she had disgraced herself with drink, she got up the next day, put on her best coat, and faced the world. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. It is his debut novel that derives inspiration from his own life as a Scottish-American writer. However, despite the story centering on these aspects it also shows the unconditional love a child has for a parent. Through the eyes of the protagonist, the audience grasps the battle with addiction and how it affects the immediate family members. The narrative focuses on the life of Shuggie Bain between the ages of five and sixteen. Shuggie Bain is the unforgettable story of young Hugh "Shuggie" Bain, a sweet and lonely boy who spends his 1980s childhood in run-down public housing in Glasgow, Scotland. “Rain was a natural state of Glasgow. Shuggie Bain is a coming of age story by author Douglas Stuart about a dysfunctional family in the 1980s during the Thatcher-era Glasgow, Scotland. Done.”, “It looked like the lager beauties sometimes did, a careless printer and a misaligned screen, and suddenly the woman was no longer whole, just a mess of different layers.”, “She was sobering up. GradeSaver, 20 November 2020 Web. In this debut novel, Stuart strives to bring to life the essence of 1980s Glasgow for the modern audience. The Victims of Addiction. I do not burn. Grove Press, 2020. After visiting hours, Lizzie waits with him in the hospital ward. Some are just taking the slow road to it.”, “It was clear now: nobody would get to be made brand new.”, “The rubber tip had worn away from around the right heel, and although she had coloured the shoe in with an old black bingo marker, the sharp metal nail scraped the floor with the screech of hard times.”, “As I reached out for help, everyone shrank back from me; they pulled away from fear that the fire would return”, “am in flames, yet I do not burn.” He wiped the spit from the corners of his mouth. Jan 10, 2021 - "Rain was a natural state of Glasgow. It wouldn't do to leave pieces of her for another man to collect and repair later.”, “He had long perfected the art of staring through people, leaving conversations to follow his daydreams through the back of their heads and out any open window.”, “The morning light was the colour of too-milky tea. 40 quotes from Douglas Stuart: 'She was no use at maths homework, and some days you could starve rather than get a hot meal from her, but Shuggie looked at her now and understood this was where she excelled. “He stared and tried to find something masculine to admire about himself: the black curls, the Milky skin, the high bones in his cheeks. ” “I mean it. Agnes Bain was too rare a thing to let someone else love. “I am on fire. It tells the story of the youngest of the three children, Shuggie, growing up with his alcoholic mother, Agnes, in the 1980s, in a post-industrial working-class Glasgow, Scotland. Douglas Stuart (Author of Shuggie Bain) I mean it. 1. So let’s turn on again. She’s far too good-looking for that.”. We have brought you a review and summary of ‘Shuggie Bain’. Reading Shuggie Bain cannot but be a grim experience ... comes from a deep understanding of the relationship between a child and a substance-abusing parent, showing a world rarely portrayed in literary fiction, and to that extent it’s admirable and important. We’d love your help. Anonymous "Shuggie Bain Quotes". It was a mother's math.”, “The damp wind kissed her flushed neck and pushed down inside her dress.”, “Mammy, can you no help?’ and ah just turned to her and said, ‘I have raised my children. He caught the reflection of his own eyes in the mirror. The day was flat. He was awarded the 2020 Booker Prize for his debut novel, Shuggie Bain. Shuggie Bain Themes. Neither of their wishes come true. Set in the 1980s Glasgow the social issues are highlighted through the characters such as poverty and drug addiction. After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. His mother, Agnes Bain, is an addict to alcohol. Shuggie Bain Quotes “If you want to survive, you need to try harder, Shuggie. It tells the story of the youngest of the three children, Shuggie, growing up with his alcoholic mother, Agnes, in the 1980s, in a post-industrial working-class Glasgow, Scotland. Storia di Shuggie Bain (Hardcover) Published January 2021 by Mondadori. “To die, I mean. 56,691 Ratings. It wasn't right. Thus, handles how a household where the responsible caregiver is not responsible at all and who drowns her sorrows in alcohol. It hopefully sets the tone for more beautifully devastating works of fiction to follow from Stuart in the future." When she had disgraced herself with drink, she got up the next day, put on her best coat, and … Basically, the destitute conditions that the working-class endured, and yet she chooses to not strive to provide. It kept the grass green and the people pale and bronchial.”. Shuggie Bain is the debut novel by Scottish-American writer Douglas Stuart, published in 2020. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already comple…. It kept the grass green and the people pale and bronchial. Thus, Shuggie’s love for his mother is one that embodied forgiveness, compassion, and pure adoration. Alcoholism and addiction are motifs in the novel tackled through the protagonist’s mother Agnes. Now she is married to Big Shug, the biological father of Shuggie Bain. “That’s what Saint Agnes had to teach us. Am. “It’s about love before it’s about addiction.” When her belly was empty and her weans were hungry, she did her hair and let the world think otherwise.”, “Shuggie heard the nurse say to a male attendant that she thought for sure Agnes was a working girl. instead of living like normal children, the two brothers live in a constant state of anxiety, never knowing what they are going to come home to. Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. Shuggie Bain Part 3, Chapters 15-21 Summary & Analysis Part 3: “1982: Pithead” Chapter 15 Summary. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, “She was no use at maths homework, and some days you could starve rather than get a hot meal from her, but Shuggie looked at her now and understood this was where she excelled. Shuggie Bain is the debut novel by Scottish-American writer Douglas Stuart, published in 2020. It felt like a stranger’s hand, a sign of living, a reminder of life.”, “He locked the door that lay behind his eyes and walked away, leaving the body, the plaster dust, the flask of cold tea, and the angry gaffer behind.”, “No, hen, we’re drinking piss-cold tea,” scolded Bridie. Author (s): Douglas Stuart (Goodreads Author) ISBN: 8804735279 (ISBN13: 9788804735274) Edition language: Italian. In her mind it looked like a trail of viscous, salty tears being dragged along behind the black hack. Agnes has separated from her first husband, who is the father of her first two children. How even in the darkness there is still hope.”, “Shug had seen it before, those with least to give always gave the most.”, “She’d looked as happy as he could ever remember, and he was surprised how this hurt. - Columbia Journal "Heartfelt and harrowing . In the words of the starred Kirkus review: ‘You will never forget Shuggie Bain. Agnes and Shuggie have a strong bond. It is gritty realism well executed. Agnes is an unreliable parent and prioritizes herself and vices before her family and children. Wullie is dying of cancer. but arguably with a sharper focus on women, friendship, relationships and sexuality. She’s far too good-looking for that.” The matted mink coat gave her an air of superiority, and her black strappy heels clacked out a slurred beat on the long marble hallway.”, “Flames are not just the end, they are also the beginning. this section. It is heartbreakingly good on childhood and Shuggie’s growing sense of his otherness, of not being the same as the other boys on the estate. Everyday with the make-up on and her hair done, she climbed out of her grave and held her head high. Shuggie Bain won the 2020 Booker prize. The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Stuart, Douglas. … Agnes’s alcoholism robs Shuggie and Leek of their childhoods. Scottish-American author Douglas Stuart was inspired by his own life and experiences when writing this novel. All Quotes . resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. The novel is deeply intertwined with the place and time in which it is set. You are going to be an amazing artist, and I’m going to get married, and between us we’re both going to get the fuck out of here and away from this dump. Thatcher's policies have put husbands and sons out of work, and the city's notorious drugs epidemic is waiting in the wings. Shuggie Bain Quotes Showing 1-30 of 51 “She was no use at maths homework, and some days you could starve rather than get a hot meal from her, but Shuggie looked at her now and understood this was where she excelled. It kept the grass green and the people pale and bronchial.” In this debut novel, Stuart strives to bring to life the essence of 1980s Glasgow for the modern audience. Scrittori italiani e stranieri, Hardcover, 533 pages. We are thrilled to share with you a reading from "Shuggie Bain", the debut novel by Scots author, Douglas Stuart. It tells the story of Shugi, the youngest of three children growing up in the 1980s with his alcoholic mother, Agnes. Quotes By Douglas Stuart. -Quote from Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart Shuggie Bain by Glasgow author Douglas Stuart was crowned winner of the Booker Prize last month - only the second Scottish book in the history to win in the history of the award. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback. It’s Saint Agnes’s lament.”, “If he got this and she got that, then what would they themselves do without? The Shuggie Bain Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Take our free Shuggie Bain quiz below, with 25 multiple … Shuggie Bain Important Quotes. For everything that you have destroyed can be rebuilt. In a desperate attempt to arouse his unconscious body, Lizzie climbs on top of him and grinds against him until a sympathetic nurse stops her.