Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Fred Vargas

Quote by Fred Vargas

“The problem is that people can't sleep when they want to, but if they are forbidden to do so, they can't help dropping off. So the method consisted of keeping your eyes wide open and fixing your gaze on some point of the bedroom wall. If by any chance you shut your eyes, hundreds of nasty little demons would pour out of the spot and eat you up. And you are absolutely not allowed to treat this as a joke.. According to Marc, you invariably fall asleep after ten minutes max, unless of course you replace the little devils with little fairies, which would stop you falling asleep at all.”

Quote by Fred Vargas

Work

The Accordionist

Browse quotes and source details for this work. more

Author

Fred Vargas
Fred Vargas

Fred Vargas, born on June 7, 1957, is a renowned French historian. Her research focuses on the history of the French Revolution, particularly on the history of women and the working class. Vargas is known for her in-depth historical analysis and unique narrative style. more

You May Also Like

“A chubby vole sat as guardian between the two sections, making sure the hoi polloi didn't get any ideas above their station. His name was Harold, and the most important thing he had learned in his life, as far as he was concerned, was that it was entirely possible to sleep with one's eyes open, or at least open enough to deceive passersby, if one was willing to put in a bit of practice. True, it wasn't as good as a full-on nap, but any degree of slumber was better than waking. As far as Harold was concerned, the biter part of existence lay in those little moments of oblivion that preceded the last.”