'Shuggy Bain' by Douglas Stuart

Wow! What a first choice for our book group. We spent Friday evening have an incredibly rich conversation about the novel and its impact on us all – and the impact was huge. We began by discussing probably the most controversial character in the book – Agnes Bain. This led to a discussion around the depictions of women in the book, and whether or not Agnes could have ever managed to support her son the way we all wanted her to.

This led to a conversation around class, and social structures (a few people recommended that we watch “Class Wars” by Darren McGarvey). We then talked about alcoholism and addiction in general – and the culture of alcohol that you could argue still exists in Scotland. What we could all agree on though – was that this was a very special book indeed – harrowing, yes, but incredibly heart-warming and powerful – an important read. Below are comments from different members of the group:


Shuggie is heart-breaking and hopeful. It casts a picture of life in working class Scotland with such visceral detail that you feel you have lived it in all its lurid glory and muck with him.

I loved reading 'Shuggie Bain' and found it difficult to put down! I was shocked, heart-warmed and laughing all within one page. Highly recommend!

A challenging read of a stark reality of working-class life.

I felt like my heart broke not just once but on several different occasions. Even though I knew the outcome for many characters, my hopes were always raised that things would be better. Eugene is without a doubt the character I was most infuriated by. Leek was the person I felt most sorry for.

The full weight of this story hit once I turned the last page and read the first line of the acknowledgements. It's a story that sticks with you because although it is "fiction" there is a lot of hard-hitting truth to it.

A brutal portrayal of working-class communities up and down the land.

'Shuggie Bain' is a story both heart-breaking and heart-warming. The style of writing sears the difficulty many people experience growing up in Scotland.

Shuggie will stay with me. An unflinching and - at times - brutal depiction of poverty, neglect and addiction balanced with Shuggie's unwavering love and hope for change. I longed for a happier ending and fresh start for Shuggie.

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We’d love to hear what you thought of the book! Our next choice is 'The Midnight Library' by Matt Haig.