LESSON – 7

THE INTERVIEW
About the author
Christopher Silvester (1959) was a student of history at Peterhouse, Cambridge. He was a
reporter for Private Eye for ten years and has written features for Vanity Fair. Following is an
excerpt taken from his introduction to the Penguin Book of Interviews, An Anthology from
1859 to the Present Day INTRODUCTION
 The Interview by Christopher Silvester is an excerpt taken from his Penguin Book of
interviews.
 In this, he talks about various opinions of the celebrities regarding an interview; its
functions, methods and merits. It also consists of an excerpt from an interview with
the famous writer Umberto Eco.
 Celebrity Opinion about Interview
 V.S . Naipaul: People are wounded by interviews and lose a part of themselves
Lewis Caroll : Horror of being lionised Rudyard Kipling: It is immoral, crime, an
offence against a person, an assault, merits, punishment, cowardly and vile
HG Wells : Ordeal
Saul Bellow : Thumbprints on his windpipe
Denis Brian : Our most vivid impressions of our contemporaries are formed through
interviews
Mukundn Padmanabhan: from The Hindu - interviews Umberto Eco. Umberto Eco :
Versatile genius- Professor at the University of Bologna,
GIST OF THE LESSON Part – I
 Interview has become a commonplace of journalism
 Opinions on the functions, methods and merits of Interview vary considerably.
 Some claim it to be the highest form, a source of truth and in its practice, an art.
 Some despise the interview as an unwarranted intrusion into lives, which
diminishes their personality.  S. Naipaul feels that ‘some people are wounded
by interviews and lose a part of themselves.’
 Lewis Carroll never consented to be interviewed for he believed it to be ‘a just
horror of the interviewer
 . Rudyard Kipling considered it ‘immoral, a crime, an assault that merits
punishment’.
 H. G. Wells referred interviewing to be an ‘ordeal’,
 Saul Bellow describes it ‘like thumbprints on his windpipe’.
 Despite the drawbacks interview is a supremely serviceable medium of
communication.
 The most vivid impression of our contemporaries are the interviews
Part – II
 An extract from an interview of Umberto Eco interviewed by Mukund
Padmanabhan.
 Umberto Eco was a professor with a formidable reputation as a scholar for his
ideas on Semiotics, literary interpretation and medieval aesthetics before he
turned into writing literary fiction.
 He attained intellectual superstardom with his publication “The Name of the
Rose’.
 In the interview Eco shares his idea of empty spaces in our lives just as they
exist in an atom, which he calls ‘Interstices’.
 He says that hemakes use of these empty spaces to work.
 Eco’s essays were scholarly and narrative. He likes to be identified more as a
university professor who writes novels.
 Eco’s ‘The Name of the Rose”, a serious novel, which delves into metaphysics,
theology and medieval history, enjoyed a mass audience. It deals with medieval
past. He feels that the novel wouldn't have been so well received, had it been
written ten years earlier or later
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
 ‘The Interview’ written by Christopher Sylvester throws light on various aspects
of interview in the field of journalism
 . Interview that was invented over 130 years, have become a commonplace
journalism.
 However, opinions of interview- of its functions, methods and merits vary
considerably.
 Part Il is an extract from an interview of Umberto Eco, author of the popular
novel,’Name of the Rose’ by Mukund Padmanabhan from ‘The Hindu’.
 This interview helps us to know many aspects of his writing style and ideas.
 Though he gives the impression of doing many things at a time, he says, he is
doing the same thing, pursuing his philosophical interests through his writings
and his novels. Through his modest answers, he tells the secret of his success. He
utilizes the ‘Interstices’ - empty spaces to his advantage. THEME OF THE
LESSON
 The chapter is the reflection on the commendable and condemnatory aspects in
interviews. A part from being a record of varied views on this genre,
 he chapter contains also an excerpt from an interview with a scholary celebrity.
MESSAGE OF THE LESSON
The chapter tells us that an interview can make a lasting impression. Moreover, as
per an old saying, when we make perceptions about a particular person, the original
identity of their soul is taken away. We learn how the most popular celebrities have
criticized interviews.
Answer the following questions i 100 words.
1. Do you think Umberto Eco likes being interviewed?
 Ans. Yes, I think Umberto Eco likes being interviewed. Following are the
reasons for my opinion:
 I infer from the way Umberto Eco replied the questions put by Mukund
Padmanabhan that he likes being interviewed.
 Eco seems to be in a relaxed mood and at ease throughout the interaction.
  Eco replies questions with patience. He never seems to be in a hurry.
 He shows his sense of humour when he says while waiting for Mukund’s
elevator to come up from the first to the third floor, he has already written an
article
 His statement, “I am a professor who writes novels on Sunday’s shows that Eco
likes being interviewed.
2. How does Eco find the time to write so much?
o Ans. Eco finds the time to write so much in the follow Umberto Eco himself
says that he is a professor who writes novels on Sunday.
Thus he utilises his holidays for writing work.
 He also points out that he started writing novels by accident
 He had nothing to do one day and so he started. Novels probably satisfied nothing to
do one day and so he started.
 Novels probably satisfied his taste for narration. He writes from his heart.
 Writing being his passion he finds time anyhow or other to satisfy his passion.
 Eco himself explains how he gets time for writing we have a lot of empty spaces in
our lives Eco calls these empty spaces.
 He says to his interviewer, Mukund, “While waiting for your elevator to come up
from the first to the third floor, I have already written an article
 Thus he works in empty spaces and finds time to write so much. These moments
between one action and the other actions provides him time for writing.