Chapter the-interview: The Interview | Summary

The chapter "The Interview," written by Christopher Silvester, is divided into two distinct parts that explore the significance, perception, and reality of interviews in the modern world. Part I focuses on the history and varying viewpoints surrounding the interview as a journalistic tool. Since its invention over a century ago, the interview has become a commonplace medium of communication. While some view it as an art form and a reliable source of truth, many celebrities despise it. Famous personalities often consider interviews as an unwarranted intrusion into their private lives, comparing it to stealing a part of their soul. For instance, writers like V.S. Naipaul feel wounded by interviews, while Lewis Carroll had a sheer horror of the interviewer. Rudyard Kipling even called it an immoral and cowardly crime. Despite these strong negative opinions from public figures, the author emphasizes that the interview remains a supremely serviceable medium of communication, granting the interviewer unprecedented power and influence to shape public perception.

Part II shifts from theory to practice, presenting an actual interview between Mukund Padmanabhan from The Hindu and the renowned Italian academic and novelist, Umberto Eco. This section highlights Eco’s brilliant mind, his unique writing style, and his philosophy of work. Eco explains that while he appears to do many things, he is ultimately pursuing the same ethical and philosophical interests across all his academic and fictional works. A fascinating concept he introduces is the idea of "interstices" or empty spaces. Eco maximizes his time by working during these brief, empty moments of life, such as waiting for an elevator, which explains his staggeringly large written output. When asked about his writing style, Eco reveals that unlike traditional, dry academic writing, he includes the story of his research, complete with trials and errors, giving it a playful, narrative quality. He started writing novels late, at the age of fifty, to satisfy his deep taste for narration.