“The speed of time varied, fast or slow, depending on the depth of my sleep. My favorite days were the ones that barely registered.”
Work
It's early 2000 on New York City's Upper East Side, and the alienation of Moshfegh's unnamed young protagonist from others is nearly complete when she initiates her yearlong siesta, during which time she experiences limited personal interactions. Her parents have died; her relationships with her bulimic best friend Reva, an ex-boyfriend, and her drug-pushing psychiatrist are unwholesome. As her pill-popping intensifies, so does her isolation and determination to leave behind the world's travails. She is also beset by dangerous blackouts induced by a powerful medication.
Quotes
Showing 1-5 of 5
Ottessa Moshfegh
Canonical work source
“The speed of time varied, fast or slow, depending on the depth of my sleep. My favorite days were the ones that barely registered.”
“Education is directly proportional to anxiety, as you've probably learned, having gone to Columbia.”
“I touched the frame of the painting. And then I placed my whole palm on the dry, rumbling surface of the canvas, simply to prove to myself that there was no god stalking my soul. Time was no...”
“Reva often spoke about 'settling down.' That sounded like death to me. 'I'd rather be alone than anybody's live-in prostitute,' I said to Reva.”
“I counted the seconds passing. Time could go on forever like this, I thought again. Time would. Infinity loomed consistently and all at once, forever, with or without me. Amen.”