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A review by pivic
The Paris Review Interviews (Boxed Set) I-IV by The Paris Review
5.0
This fourth volume in the series surprised me in a good way. While V. S. Naipul gabs the title for being the most arrogant and - in a bad way - preposterous, this is very much mitigated and made up for by people such as [a:Haruki Murakami|3354|Haruki Murakami|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1266423525p2/3354.jpg], [a:David Grossman|34031|David Grossman|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1258357322p2/34031.jpg], [a:P. G. Wodehouse|4343879|P. G. Wodehouse|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg], [a:Philip Roth|463|Philip Roth|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1266157273p2/463.jpg] and [a:E. B. White|3523560|E B White|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg].
Most of the authors came across as hard-working and continually writing and re-writing, talking of the shitty first draft. [a:Marilynne Robinson|7491|Marilynne Robinson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1256021025p2/7491.jpg] and Murakami don't seem to have this problem at all, instead writing as though the drafts were in their head. In Robinson's case, however, this might very well be because of her belief in god.
Murakami came across as gentle and flowing in his descriptions, while [a:Philip Roth|463|Philip Roth|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1266157273p2/463.jpg] brought aggressive earnest to the table. While [a:Maya Angelou|3503|Maya Angelou|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1282621669p2/3503.jpg] spoke of her childhood, muteness and the importance of having somebody to write for, Wodehouse was (at 91,5 years old at the time of his interview) happy-go-lucky and seemingly carefree, not worrying much.
Grossman's words on Kafka were insightful, and [a:John Ashbery|86801|John Ashbery|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1192549028p2/86801.jpg] was a real poet in real-time, as his interview, providing insight into his authorship as well on his former, drunken self, was really good.
[a:Orhan Pamuk|1728|Orhan Pamuk|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1260534069p2/1728.jpg] was interviewed well, and gave quite a few insights both into his novel and about his authorship as a Turk.
All in all, maybe the best volume in the series, spanning more half a decade in the making, containing both interviews with Americans and others, from the past to the present, with authors stylistic and those more stream-of-consciousness.
Brilliant way to end it (not entirely, I hope).
Most of the authors came across as hard-working and continually writing and re-writing, talking of the shitty first draft. [a:Marilynne Robinson|7491|Marilynne Robinson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1256021025p2/7491.jpg] and Murakami don't seem to have this problem at all, instead writing as though the drafts were in their head. In Robinson's case, however, this might very well be because of her belief in god.
Murakami came across as gentle and flowing in his descriptions, while [a:Philip Roth|463|Philip Roth|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1266157273p2/463.jpg] brought aggressive earnest to the table. While [a:Maya Angelou|3503|Maya Angelou|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1282621669p2/3503.jpg] spoke of her childhood, muteness and the importance of having somebody to write for, Wodehouse was (at 91,5 years old at the time of his interview) happy-go-lucky and seemingly carefree, not worrying much.
Grossman's words on Kafka were insightful, and [a:John Ashbery|86801|John Ashbery|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1192549028p2/86801.jpg] was a real poet in real-time, as his interview, providing insight into his authorship as well on his former, drunken self, was really good.
[a:Orhan Pamuk|1728|Orhan Pamuk|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1260534069p2/1728.jpg] was interviewed well, and gave quite a few insights both into his novel and about his authorship as a Turk.
All in all, maybe the best volume in the series, spanning more half a decade in the making, containing both interviews with Americans and others, from the past to the present, with authors stylistic and those more stream-of-consciousness.
Brilliant way to end it (not entirely, I hope).