IT IS 1981. GLASGOW IS DYING AND GOOD FAMILIES MUST GRIFT TO SURVIVE. AGNES BAIN HAS ALWAYS EXPECTED MORE FROM LIFE. SHE DREAMS OF GREATER THINGS: A HOUSE WITH ITS OWN FRONT DOOR AND A LIFE BOUGHT AND PAID FOR OUTRIGHT (LIKE HER PERFECT, BUT FALSE, TEETH). BUT AGNES IS ABANDONED BY HER PHILANDERING HUSBAND, AND SOON SHE AND HER THREE CHILDREN FIND THEMSELVES TRAPPED IN A DECIMATED MINING TOWN. 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. FASTIDIOUS AND FUSSY, HE SHARES HIS MOTHER’S SENSE OF SNOBBISH PROPRIETY. THE MINERS’ CHILDREN PICK ON HIM AND ADULTS CONDEMN HIM AS 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.
DOUGLAS STUART’S SHUGGIE BAIN LAYS BARE THE RUTHLESSNESS OF POVERTY, THE LIMITS OF LOVE, AND THE HOLLOWNESS OF PRIDE. A COUNTERPART TO THE PRIVILEGED THATCHER-ERA LONDON OF ALAN HOLLINGHURST’S THE LINE OF BEAUTY, IT ALSO RECALLS THE WORK OF ÉDOUARD LOUIS, FRANK MCCOURT, AND HANYA YANAGIHARA, A BLISTERING DEBUT BY A BRILLIANT WRITER WITH A POWERFUL AND IMPORTANT STORY TO TELL.
SHUGGIE IS DIFFERENT. FASTIDIOUS AND FUSSY, HE SHARES HIS MOTHER’S SENSE OF SNOBBISH PROPRIETY. THE MINERS’ CHILDREN PICK ON HIM AND ADULTS CONDEMN HIM AS 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.
DOUGLAS STUART’S SHUGGIE BAIN LAYS BARE THE RUTHLESSNESS OF POVERTY, THE LIMITS OF LOVE, AND THE HOLLOWNESS OF PRIDE. A COUNTERPART TO THE PRIVILEGED THATCHER-ERA LONDON OF ALAN HOLLINGHURST’S THE LINE OF BEAUTY, IT ALSO RECALLS THE WORK OF ÉDOUARD LOUIS, FRANK MCCOURT, AND HANYA YANAGIHARA, A BLISTERING DEBUT BY A BRILLIANT WRITER WITH A POWERFUL AND IMPORTANT STORY TO TELL.
एका मुलाचं आपल्या आईप्रति असणारं, हृदयाला पाझर फोडणारं प्रेम मांडणारी मर्मभेदी कादंबरी.. ग्लासगो परिसरात, १९८१ ते १९९२ यादरम्यान झालेल्या ऱ्हासाच्या पार्श्वभूमीवर लिहिलेली ही कथा शगी बेन या मार्दवशाली मुलाची आहे. त्याची आई अॅग्नेस ही जणू त्याच्या जीवनाचा प्रकाश आहे. तिचं मद्यपान सातत्याने वाढत जातं, ती विनाशाकडे ओढली जाते... या साऱ्याची निरर्थकता, तसंच शगीच्या चिंतेची आणि भयाची चिरंतन अवस्था आपल्याला सातत्याने जाणवत राहते. वर्षामागून वर्षं लोटतात, अपमानास्पद प्रसंगांची अखंड मालिकाच जणू सुरू राहते. त्याच्या आईचा आत्मकेंद्रीपणा, अगतिकता आणि ऱ्याहास समोर उलगडत जातो. नजरेखालून जाणारा प्रत्येक प्रसंग आत्यंतिक खरा वाटू लागतो... लेखकाची कथनशैली, दृश्यात्मकता आणि कथासूत्रावरची घट्ट पकड अखेरपर्यंत वाचकाला गुंतवून ठेवते. एकीकडे दुर्दशा आणि विनाश यांनी गच्च भरलेल्या ग्लासगो इथल्या भाषा भेदाची जाणीव वाक्यावाक्यांतून होते... तर दुसरीकडे शगी बेनच्या वेदनामय प्रवासात आपण हरवून जातो.