The Interview By Christopher Silvester [English Core Class 12 CBSE] Flamingo

Summary

In this interview, Christopher Sylvester explores the impact of interviews on celebrities and authors, with opinions ranging from invasion of privacy to a credible source of truth. Sylvester also discusses with Umberto Eco his writing process, embracing empty spaces and narrative style, and the unexpected success of 'The Name of the Rose', reflecting on the underestimated intelligence of readers.

Takeaways

• 📰 **Influential History**: Sylvester States has been a significant part of journalism for over 130 years.
• 🎨 **Art vs. Invasion**: Some view interviews as an art form, while others see them as an invasion of privacy.
• 🤔 **Celebrity Concerns**: Celebrities often feel unjustly treated by interviews, which they believe can diminish their dignity.
• 📸 **Primitive Beliefs**: Primitive cultures believe photographs can steal a soul, similarly, some believe interviews can take away a person's essence.
• 📚 **Literary Views**: Various authors like V.S. Naipaul, Louis Carroll, and Rudyard Kipling have expressed negative views about interviews.
• 😴 **Kipling's Aversion**: Rudyard Kipling found interviews repulsive and unpleasant, as noted by his wife, Caroline.
• 📖 **Twain's Irony**: Despite considering interviews a nightmare, Mark Twain gave several, including one to Sylvester.
• 🎭 **Bellows' Suffocation**: Noted playwright and novelist Saul Bellow felt suffocated by interviews.
• 🗣️ **Communication Tool**: Sylvester argues that interviews are a useful method of communication, despite the criticisms.
• 🌟 **Umberto Eco's Expertise**: Umberto Eco is introduced as a formidable scholar with a wide range of expertise.
• 📈 **Eco's Writing Process**: Eco's writing focuses on similar topics and he utilizes 'interstices' or empty spaces to expand his writing.
• 📝 **Unconventional Style**: Eco's writing style differs from mainstream academic writing, favoring a narrative approach over hypotheses or conclusions.
• 📚 **Academic vs. Novelist**: Eco acknowledges the broader reach he has as a novelist despite his academic background.
• 📖 **Readers' Complexity**: Eco believes readers appreciate complex ideas in literature, contrary to the narrow views of publishers and journalists.
• 🤷‍♂️ **Mystery of Success**: Eco remains puzzled by the success of 'The Name of the Rose', his masterpiece.

Q & A

What is the main perspective of Christopher Sylvester on interviews?

Christopher Sylvester considers interviews as a useful method of communication despite acknowledging the various views of literary figures who see interviews as invasive or diminishing a person's dignity.

Why do some celebrities and primitive cultures view interviews negatively?

Some celebrities and primitive cultures view interviews negatively because they believe interviews can be unjust, diminish a person's dignity, or take away the soul of the subject, similar to how a photograph is thought to do in some cultures.

What did V.S. Naipaul believe about interviews?

V.S. Naipaul believed that interviews hurt the person being interviewed.

Why was Louis Carroll hesitant about giving interviews?

Louis Carroll was hesitant about giving interviews due to his fear of interviewers and his belief that he would be celebrated unnecessarily.

What was Rudyard Kipling's opinion on interviews?

Rudyard Kipling found interviews repulsive and unpleasant, as noted by his wife Caroline in her diary when an interviewer ruined their day.

What did Umberto Eco consider his writing to focus on?

Umberto Eco's writing focused on similar topics, which made his writing process easier according to his own comment.

How does Umberto Eco define 'interstices' in the context of his writing?

For Umberto Eco, 'interstices' or empty spaces refer to the time between different events, which he used productively to expand his writing output.

What was unique about Umberto Eco's academic writing style?

Umberto Eco's academic writing style was unique in that he used a narrative approach, telling the story of his research rather than focusing on a hypothesis or a conclusion.

Why did Umberto Eco start writing novels later in life?

Umberto Eco started writing novels after the age of 50 because he enjoyed using a narrative approach in his essays and only later applied this style to fiction.

How did Umberto Eco feel about being labeled as a novelist despite his academic works?

Umberto Eco was bothered by the novelist tag despite having written noted academic works, but he acknowledged that he reached a broader audience as a novelist.

What was Umberto Eco's reaction to the success of 'The Name of the Rose'?

Umberto Eco found the success of 'The Name of the Rose' a mystery and believed that it was publishers and journalists who were surprised by the readers' enjoyment of the complex novel.

What did Umberto Eco think about the readers of 'The Name of the Rose'?

Umberto Eco believed that readers chose to read 'The Name of the Rose' for a complex reading experience, contrary to the narrow view held by publishers and journalists.