Once I came to the realization that a significant number of the famous writers' quotes actually originated from their Paris Review interviews, I wasted no time and went directly to the source. And what an amazing source it turned out to be! I had never before attempted to read a book that consisted solely of interviews. However, as long as I read the interviews with a bit of a break in between, I discovered that the format was truly appealing. The theme, if one cares about it, is absolutely riveting: this is written work about (mostly) writers who discuss (mostly) writing.

My favorite interviews were those with authors I already held in high regard: Borges, Hemingway, Eliot, Cain, Vonnegut. But even among the rest, Parker and Capote were highly entertaining, and in almost every other interview, I managed to find something to laugh about or something valuable to learn.

For example, Jorge Luis Borges said, "If I don't write, I feel, well, a kind of remorse, no?" And he also stated, "When I was a young man I was always hunting for new metaphors. Then I found out that really good metaphors are always the same. I mean you compare time to a road, death to sleeping, life to dreaming, and those are the great metaphors in literature because they correspond to something essential. If you invent metaphors, they are apt to be surprising during the fraction of a second, but they strike no deep emotion whatever."

After you've finished reading Volume 1, simply place it on a shelf nearby and order yourself a copy of Volume 2.

Read up until the Vonnegut interview (which was great). The rest of these interviews seem less urgent to me, so I'm putting this back on the occasionally-reading shelf.

My impressions of the interviews, below:

**1st Interview: Dorothy Parker**

I thought that dear Dorothy certainly had a pose that she was anxious to keep. There were definitely some airs and "well, dahhhhhling," sort of moments. However, I appreciated her good taste. Her favorite contemporary writer was EM Forster. She had a wonderful little anecdote about how she met Somerset Maugham and he was all, "Well, we have a writer over here called Forster, but you probably haven't heard of him over there," and she wanted to hit him over the head with a frying pan. She was envious of Edna Millay, always trying to live up to her in poetry and feeling she never could. She was also wonderfully loyal to Fitzgerald. She identified as a member of the "lost" generation and thought that Gertrude Stein had screwed them all with that label. My favorite anecdote other than the Forster one was when she was fired from Vanity Fair for giving a bad review of a terrible Ziegfield produced show with an actress in it called Billie Burke. Two other colleagues quit with her when she was fired in protest and they left a sign in the hallway on their way out that read, "Contributions for Billie Burke."

**2nd Interview: Truman Capote**

Wow, this one has an ego on him of the highest order! When asked to list a book of his own that he wrote long ago that he likes, he doesn't just name one, he lists four. He also claims that he has "never been aware of any direct literary influence" though others see great writers in him sometimes (Faulkner, Welty, McCullers). He is really big into pronouncements from upon high about what kind of writers there are - "stylists and typists." He also has some good reading taste. He says that he can't read Poe, Dickens or Stevenson anymore, but the "enthusiasm that remain constant" are: Flaubert, Turgenev, Chekhov, Jane Austen, James, Forster, Maupassant, Rilke, Proust, Shaw, Willa Cather and James Agee - his favorite contemporary writer. My favorite part - Capote talks about how he needs to detach himself to write about things, "exhausting the emotion." He believes that emotionality makes him lose writing control and he has to exhaust the emotion before he feels clinical enough to analyze and project it. I am actually not sure that I agree with Capote about that. I know the times I have felt that I achieved the most in my art, I was not cool or detached. Perhaps that is just because I am not a great artist, but it's food for thought.

**3rd Interview: Hemingway**

Towards the end of the interview, Hemingway states, "The most essential gift for a writer is a built-in shockproof, shit detector." Well. You can at least tell that whatever else he might say in this interview, or whatever other statements he might disavow, that is one that he is quite proud to stick by. The whole interview is characterized by him proudly showing off that he believes that he has this gift and letting the interviewer (George Plimpton) know it. He kicks back at this interview for being "stupid" and for asking "tired questions" at several points. Plimpton points out in a forward to the interview that Hemingway was so uncomfortable with discussing his craft that he wrote out answers on a writing board instead of answering verbally. I wish he'd asterisked which ones that Hemingway answered out loud and which ones were silent. He also seems quite resistant to the attempts by the interviewer to class him with the "historic" lost generation crowd. Gertrude Stein was the biggest example - clearly there's an ax to grind there. I have to say I was very impressed with how strongly the interviewer made Hemingway's personality come through. He did a wonderful examination of Hemingway's workspace in Havana in the prologue to the interview. Hemingway used a standing desk. Favorite bits related to writing: Hemingway says he always tries to write on the principle of the iceberg. There is seven-eighths of it underwater for every part that shows. Anything you know you can eliminate and it only strengthens your iceberg. It is the part that doesn't show. If a writer omits something because he does not know it there is a hole in the story.

**4th Interview: TS Eliot**

I really enjoyed this interview. Eliot was the first of the interviewees that was willing to talk about his work fairly straight on without evasions, and was willing to engage in a more in-depth literary discussion as well. He seemed very polite. He says that he considers Four Quartets his best work, and The Waste Land does not stand for the "Lost Generation" or anything like that. At the time of the interview, he had just wrapped up finishing a play, so he was full of talk about writing for the theatre as opposed to writing poetry. My favorite part of the interview was where he talked about how he had moved from a more "obscure" style of writing to a "simpler" style at the time of the interview. He also makes an interesting case that he thinks that the fact that he had a second job made his writing better, that it forces you to focus your efforts simply because you have less time to devote to writing. The interview certainly made me curious to know a lot more about him. I'll definitely be picking up the Four Quartets, and likely a biography on him (and his wife) as well.

**5th Interview: Saul Bellow**

I will admit that I had not read any Saul Bellow going into this, and I didn't know anything about him, really, except that his name often came up on lists of authors and books that one should read. In the forward to the interview, the interviewer wrote that Bellow spent hours and hours perfecting this interview over the course of five weeks. He was very serious about talking about the progression of his own work in a way that felt honest, but not overly egocentric. In addition, of all the interviews, he was the most engaged with the literary environment around him, and with analyzing it and the work of other writers. His thoughts on Hemingway and Fitzgerald were interesting. He said he likes Hemingway, Faulkner and Fitzgerald. He thinks of Hemingway as a man who developed a significant manner as an artist, a lifestyle that is important. He likes Fitzgerald's novels better, but he often feels about Fitzgerald that he couldn't distinguish between innocence and social climbing. I also liked his thoughts on when he was starting out as a writer. He said that when he wrote those early books he was timid. He still felt the incredible effrontery of announcing himself to the world as a writer and an artist. He had to touch a great many bases, demonstrate his abilities, pay his respects to formal requirements. In short, he was afraid to let himself go.

**6th Interview: Borges**

This interview was something of a creation, more like a one-act play or a scene created around a character than a naturalistic conversation between two people. The setup itself was hard to resist. The interviewer met Borges at his job - serving as the Director of the Biblioteca Nacional in Buenos Aires. By the time of the interview Borges was almost totally blind and relied on others for a great many things. There is a side character of his assistant who pops in and out to announce, Godot-like that "Mr. Campbell is waiting." Borges talked about a number of things, about symbolism and intention in his prose, about his blindness and how it had affected his writing, how he got started on writing short stories, etc. He seems to have respect for Joyce, but he really dislikes Eliot. He sees Eliot as a creature of academia, always "disagreeing with some professor or other," and "drawing fine distinctions." He says of Eliot, ".. he's not one of the poets that I love." He also had a very similar experience to Eliot in terms of the development of his writing. That is, he makes statements in favor of writing with simplicity and how when he was younger, he thought he had to write in a fancy way to get attention and prove himself, but as he has become older, he has changed his mind. There were also some other fun parts - Borges loves English and says that Americans are the "savior" of the language. He says that Shakespeare is not a very "English" writer and calls him "too bombastic." He makes fun of Hamlet's last line as pretentious and then goes on a lengthy discourse on the "this England," speech and how it's too long and written in a way that lessens the impact.

**Also completed: Vonnegut.** Fascinating interview-with-himself type palimpsest, created out of four separate interviews that he edited with a fifth interviewer to create the whole. Will give more detail later.

"The Paris Review Interviews" is an extraordinary collection that features interviews with the crème de la crème of the literary world. Here, you encounter literary giants such as Hemingway, Didion, Rebecca West, and Bellow. I must confess that this book is almost as thrilling as a captivating novel. I adored it. I have always found it extremely fascinating to explore how the masters of writing operate, what their thoughts are on literature, and how they perceive the world and all that surrounds them. There isn't much more to say about this wonderful collection other than to simply encourage you to read it. This is especially true if you hold these authors in high regard, not only for their remarkable works but also for their intriguing lives. It offers a unique and invaluable insight into the minds and creative processes of some of the greatest writers of our time.

The friend who pressed this volume into my hands was correct.

It is every bit as intelligent, engaging, and exciting to read as he insisted. Vonnegut is funny, Borges sublime, and Didion contemplative---exactly as you would want them to be.

I always hesitate to read interviews, for fear that the interviewee will disappoint by failing to meet some ridiculously high level of sophistication and insight that I've dreamed up.

The real surprise in this volume was Hemingway. He was smart, acerbic, and thoroughly engaging in ways I didn't expect. How foolish of me!

It has been 3 decades since I've read any Hemingway.

This book is absolutely worth owning, and rereading and rereading.

You will discover new depths and perspectives with each reading, and it will continue to delight and inspire you for years to come.

Don't miss out on this wonderful collection of interviews with some of the greatest minds in literature.

This book is not only essential for those who aspire to be writers but also near-essential for anyone else who is interested in getting a peek behind the curtain.

It features candid and thoughtful exchanges with some of the literary greats of the last century.

The interactions are truly captivating, especially when one witnesses Plimpton sparring with Hemingway over the latter's reluctance to reveal too much.

Just this one encounter is worth the price of admission alone.

It offers a unique opportunity to gain insights into the minds and创作 processes of these literary giants.

Readers will be enthralled by the intellectual discussions and the behind-the-scenes glimpses that this book provides.

Whether you are a budding writer seeking inspiration or simply a lover of literature, this book is a must-read.

It will leave you with a deeper appreciation for the art of writing and the individuals who have made a significant impact on the literary world.

The first volume of a four-part collection, this presents the most renowned conversations published by the highly esteemed literary periodical, The Paris Review. Renowned for its access to top-notch contemporary writers and its intimate exploration of the craft, the magazine's interviews have long been regarded as one of the crucial sources of understanding the working life of the artist, whether novelist, poet, screenwriter, historian, or cultural commentator. (Editors also make occasional appearances: Robert Gottlieb is included here.)

Each interview commences with a brief account of its arrangement; the number of times the subject was met, their concerns, and their involvement in the editing process. (Artists were allowed to review the piece and make desired changes before publication.) The stage is then set with a description of the chosen environment - a writer's living room, office, or library - with meticulous attention given to the more distinctive visible elements. A short biography is sometimes provided, although it is largely assumed that the reader has a general familiarity with the luminary in question. And then the conversation begins.

Most writers face struggles. There is a well-known and widespread reluctance among authors to discuss their process. Some attribute this to superstition. (I believe it has more to do with the belief that naming a thing diminishes its power - which is less superstitious and more psychoanalytic.) Whatever the reason, being asked to explain how they do what they do often makes a writer uncomfortable.

Interviewer:

Do you find it easy to shift from one literary project to another, or do you continue through to finish what you start?

Hemingway:

The fact that I am interrupting serious work to answer these questions proves that I am so stupid that I should be severely penalized. I will be. Don't worry.

There is a similar tension at certain points in almost all of the interviews. The resulting exchanges veer away from explanation and into a careful negotiation of the abyss, and this is what makes them captivating. In terms of content, there is what one might reasonably anticipate: Vonnegut discusses his experience as a German prisoner of war, Robert Stone the impact of the sixties drug culture; Billy Wilder relays a wonderful story about Charles Boyer and a cockroach. It's excellent material.

I would give this book the highest rating possible, as most readers have, if the paperbacks hadn't been printed on what must be the cheapest paper on the planet. This is the grade of paper I use to pack my dinner plates for transport. It's shoddy and serves as a stark contrast to the self-congratulatory pride The Paris Review takes in treating the craft with the utmost respect. Every time I turned a page...well, anyone who still reads hard copies knows the effect.

So, boo to that. And hurray to this.

Some truly fascinating glimpses into the minds of writers, their unique processes, and the demons that often haunt them. It's truly captivating to explore how these creative individuals approach their craft and the inner turmoil they sometimes face. I found that I connected most deeply with the interviews of those authors whose work I was already quite familiar with. There was a sense of recognition and understanding as I delved into their thoughts and experiences. However, I also learned an incredible amount from the other interviews. Each one offered a new perspective and a wealth of knowledge. In fact, as a result of these conversations, I was inspired to become more familiar with a few writers whose work I had previously only had a passing acquaintance with. It's amazing how these interviews can open up new worlds and expand our appreciation for the art of writing.

A really good collection of interviews indeed. I delved into part of this volume two years ago and have just now completed it. Since it is a compilation of interviews, I wouldn't assert that it is imperative to read every single one. In fact, I discovered that there were a few that simply didn't pique my interest. However, I would most definitely recommend reading at least the following interviews, especially if you're not inclined to finish the entire volume:

- Dorothy Parker, a renowned figure in the literary world.

- Saul Bellow, whose works have left a profound impact.

- Jorge Luis Borges, known for his unique and captivating writing style.

- Kurt Vonnegut, with his distinct and thought-provoking perspectives.

- Robert Stone, whose contributions are significant.

- Robert Gottlieb (this was an absolutely fantastic interview. Gottlieb held the position of editor-in-chief at numerous publishing houses and also at the New Yorker for a period. The interview encompasses the experiences that writers like Toni Morrison, Robert Caro, John Le Carre, Michael Crichton, Joseph Heller, Doris Lessing, and Mordecai Richler had while working with him).

- Richard Price, a talented writer.

- Billy Wilder, a legend in the field.

- Joan Didion, whose writing is highly regarded.

Now, admittedly, that accounts for most of the writers included in the volume, but to be honest, they are all truly great.

This collection offers a wealth of insights and perspectives from some of the most remarkable minds in literature.

I just briefly browsed through several of the reviews in here.

The Hemingway one featuring George Plimpton is truly a precious find. It is the origin of his renowned quote regarding writers: "The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shockproof, shit detector. This is the writer's radar and all great writers have had it."

Moreover, do check out the deeply moving one of Joan Didion's Year of Magical Thinking-era non-fiction. And there are also others related to Dorothy Parker and Richard Price.

These reviews offer valuable insights into the works and minds of these remarkable writers, providing readers with a unique perspective and a deeper understanding of their literary contributions.

Whether you are a die-hard literature enthusiast or simply someone with a passing interest, exploring these reviews can be a rewarding and enlightening experience.

What a truly wonderful collection of interviews this is!

Each and every writer within this compilation has an abundance of remarkable things to express regarding the writing process. They delve deep into what truly makes them tick the most, sharing their innermost inspirations and driving forces. Their influences are also laid bare, providing a fascinating insight into the literary landscapes that have shaped their work. Moreover, they discuss how their writing has evolved over the years, adapting and growing with the passage of time.

Reading these interviews is like engaging in an intimate tête-à-tête with these talented writers. You become completely immersed in their words, hanging on to every sentence and hoping that this wonderful conversation never comes to an end. It is a truly enriching experience that offers a unique perspective into the minds and creative processes of these remarkable individuals.

Marvelous interviews offer a fascinating look into the psychology and personality of writers.

Each interview is a treasure trove of insights, and I relished every single one. However, my absolute favorite was the interview with Kurt Vonnegut. His unique perspective and profound wisdom were truly captivating.

Next in line was Jorge Luis Borges. His warmth and bubbly excitement over everything literary were palpable. It was as if his passion for literature was contagious, and it made reading his interview an absolute delight.

This collection of interviews was simply a joy to read. It provided a rare glimpse into the minds of some of the greatest writers of our time, and it left me with a deeper appreciation for their work and the creative process.

The liner notes of this book make a promise. They say it will take you on a walk through the minds of the greatest in literature. It's described as a tour that is so astonishing that it's basically everything you could wish for from an MFA in creative writing.

I have never had the experience of going on such a tour through a mind, nor have I earned an MFA. So, it's really difficult for me to confirm these claims.

Nevertheless, the book is indeed a great collection of interviews. The ones with Capote and Hemingway are especially notable. And it is extremely refreshing to read an interview that isn't designed to smear the person being interviewed or create unnecessary sensationalism.

This book truly embodies pure quality. It offers valuable insights and perspectives from some of the most renowned literary figures, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the world of literature and the creative process.

Whether you're a budding writer looking for inspiration or a literature enthusiast eager to explore the minds of the greats, this book has something to offer. It provides a unique and engaging look into the thoughts, ideas, and creative processes of some of the most influential writers of our time.

So, if you're looking for a book that will take you on a fascinating journey through the minds of literature's greatest, then this is the one for you.