“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. Everyday with the make-up on and her hair done, she climbed out of her grave and held her head high. When she had disgraced herself with drink, she got up the next day, put on her best coat, and faced the world. When her belly was empty and her weans were hungry, she did her hair and let the world think otherwise.”
―
Douglas Stuart,
Shuggie Bain
“Sadness made for a better houseguest; at least it was quiet, reliable, consistent.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“She had loved him, and he had needed to break her completely to leave her for good. Agnes Bain was too rare a thing to let someone else love. It wouldn't do to leave pieces of her for another man to collect and repair later.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“Mungo’s capacity for love frustrated her. His loving wasn’t selflessness; he simply could not help it. Mo-Maw needed so little and he produced so much. So that it all seemed a horrible waste. It was a harvest no one seeded, and it blossomed from a vine no one tended.” ― Douglas Stuart, Unge Mungo
“Shug had seen it before, those with least to give always gave the most.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“Flames are not just the end, they are also the beginning. For everything that you have destroyed can be rebuilt. From your own ashes you can grow again.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“Shuggie heard the nurse say to a male attendant that she thought for sure Agnes was a working girl. “She is not,” said Shuggie, quite proudly. “My mother has never worked a day in her life. 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.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“Rain was a natural state of Glasgow. It kept the grass green and the people pale and bronchial.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“The sun was not yet fully overhead in the sky, and everything beautiful was all already ruined.” ― Douglas Stuart, Young Mungo
“It was clear now: nobody would get to be made brand new.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“James sat forward and kissed him. It was all so familiar now. They had moved beyond the clumsy petting and munching. Mungo would stop frequently to apologize, he felt so inept, and James would cradle his face and guide Mungo’s lips back to his. Now their kisses were soft and tender and offered without the fear of refusal. A kiss lasted hours. They lay with their mouths together and Mungo cupped his nose in the divot of James’s cheek, and then they led each other in a silent ramble, one would change the direction and the other would follow, over and over until an arm went dead, or the microwave pinged. A hand might slip under a T-shirt but it never dared to do anything else. Mungo knew he wanted to spend his life doing this, just kissing this one boy. There was no need to rush.” ― Douglas Stuart, Young Mungo
“Mungo’s capacity for love frustrated her. His loving wasn’t selflessness; he simply couldn’t help it. Mo-Maw needed so little and he produced too much, so that it all seemed a horrible waste. It was a harvest no one had seeded, and it blossomed from a vine no one had tended. It should have withered years ago, like hers had, like Hamish’s had. Yet Mungo had all this love to give and it lay about him like ripened fruit and nobody bothered to gather it up.” ― Douglas Stuart, Young Mungo
“The morning light was the colour of too-milky tea. It snuck into the bedsit like a sly ghost, crossing the carpet and inching slowly up his bare legs.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“There were rows of teeth marks on the windowsill, perfect little half-moons of anxiety.” ― Douglas Stuart, Young Mungo
“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.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“She’d looked as happy as he could ever remember, and he was surprised how this hurt. It was all for the red-headed man. He had done what Shuggie had been unable to do.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“Mungo pulled his finger off the rusted nail. “I’m glad you are fixed, James. You’ve worked hard to get better. You deserve it.” “I’m not fixed, Mungo. Ah’m just a liar.” ― Douglas Stuart, Young Mungo
“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.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“dunno. I think it’s what all alkies want anyways.” She shivered. “To die, I mean. Some are just taking the slow road to it.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“Sadness made for a better houseguest; at least it was quiet, reliable, consistent.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“She had loved him, and he had needed to break her completely to leave her for good. Agnes Bain was too rare a thing to let someone else love. It wouldn't do to leave pieces of her for another man to collect and repair later.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“Mungo’s capacity for love frustrated her. His loving wasn’t selflessness; he simply could not help it. Mo-Maw needed so little and he produced so much. So that it all seemed a horrible waste. It was a harvest no one seeded, and it blossomed from a vine no one tended.” ― Douglas Stuart, Unge Mungo
“Shug had seen it before, those with least to give always gave the most.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“Flames are not just the end, they are also the beginning. For everything that you have destroyed can be rebuilt. From your own ashes you can grow again.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“Shuggie heard the nurse say to a male attendant that she thought for sure Agnes was a working girl. “She is not,” said Shuggie, quite proudly. “My mother has never worked a day in her life. 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.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“Rain was a natural state of Glasgow. It kept the grass green and the people pale and bronchial.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“The sun was not yet fully overhead in the sky, and everything beautiful was all already ruined.” ― Douglas Stuart, Young Mungo
“It was clear now: nobody would get to be made brand new.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“James sat forward and kissed him. It was all so familiar now. They had moved beyond the clumsy petting and munching. Mungo would stop frequently to apologize, he felt so inept, and James would cradle his face and guide Mungo’s lips back to his. Now their kisses were soft and tender and offered without the fear of refusal. A kiss lasted hours. They lay with their mouths together and Mungo cupped his nose in the divot of James’s cheek, and then they led each other in a silent ramble, one would change the direction and the other would follow, over and over until an arm went dead, or the microwave pinged. A hand might slip under a T-shirt but it never dared to do anything else. Mungo knew he wanted to spend his life doing this, just kissing this one boy. There was no need to rush.” ― Douglas Stuart, Young Mungo
“Mungo’s capacity for love frustrated her. His loving wasn’t selflessness; he simply couldn’t help it. Mo-Maw needed so little and he produced too much, so that it all seemed a horrible waste. It was a harvest no one had seeded, and it blossomed from a vine no one had tended. It should have withered years ago, like hers had, like Hamish’s had. Yet Mungo had all this love to give and it lay about him like ripened fruit and nobody bothered to gather it up.” ― Douglas Stuart, Young Mungo
“The morning light was the colour of too-milky tea. It snuck into the bedsit like a sly ghost, crossing the carpet and inching slowly up his bare legs.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“There were rows of teeth marks on the windowsill, perfect little half-moons of anxiety.” ― Douglas Stuart, Young Mungo
“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.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“She’d looked as happy as he could ever remember, and he was surprised how this hurt. It was all for the red-headed man. He had done what Shuggie had been unable to do.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“Mungo pulled his finger off the rusted nail. “I’m glad you are fixed, James. You’ve worked hard to get better. You deserve it.” “I’m not fixed, Mungo. Ah’m just a liar.” ― Douglas Stuart, Young Mungo
“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.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
“dunno. I think it’s what all alkies want anyways.” She shivered. “To die, I mean. Some are just taking the slow road to it.” ― Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
