Shuggie Bain - Douglas Stuart

Reading Challenge Category: Book Club May read

Official Blurb:

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.

My Thoughts:

I recently finished Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, and my feelings about it are mixed. I neither thoroughly enjoyed nor completely disliked it, but I must admit it was a bit of a slog to get through.
I anticipated the subject matter to be tough, considering the themes it tackles, but it wasn't as harrowing as I expected. However, the pace of the book was exceedingly slow, and there were stretches where it felt like nothing significant was happening. This made it challenging to maintain my interest.
The use of dialect in the book took some time to get used to. I have a passion for accents and even completed my Master's degree largely focused on them. Despite this, I am not fond of authors writing words how they sound to convey accents. While the author might know exactly how it should sound, this doesn't always translate well to the reader, and I found this to be a hurdle in Shuggie Bain. It complicated the reading experience rather than enhancing it.
I also felt that my age might have been a barrier to fully understanding the nuances and subtleties of the characters' interactions. Perhaps someone older than I was in the 80s (I was only 12 at the end of the 80s) would grasp the context and subtext better. It will be intriguing to hear the perspectives of the older members of my book club on this matter.
Despite my initial investment in the story, mainly due to the time I spent on it, I found myself increasingly disengaged as I progressed. By the time I reached the halfway point, reading the rest felt like a chore. I was, quite frankly, bored. The ending was underwhelming for me, though I suspect it might hold more profound significance that I simply didn't grasp. It left me questioning the numerous accolades this book has received.
In conclusion, while Shuggie Bain might resonate more with those who have a personal connection to the era or the setting, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I'll be keen to hear if others in my book club, especially the older members, have a different take on it.