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1. McEwan says that he selects topics of his books
1) very accurately.
2) in an unpredictable way.
3) on the plane.
2. The author writes about very dark subjects because
1) his books reflect what is happening in the world.
2) it is written in newspapers.
3) literature should examine human nature.
3. Talking about his previous books the author mentions that
1) he would like to change everything.
2) he is satisfied with them.
3) he doesn’t think of rereading his books.
4. For creating the character of the neurosurgeon in his book the author
1) attended classes on medicine.
2) did the research in medicine.
3) took part in a neurosurgeon’s routine.
5. After reading his books McEwan expects his readers
1) to understand the main idea.
2) to set out on a journey.
3) to make their own judgements.
6. According to McEwan there are not many reviews in newspapers nowadays because
1) people prefer publisher’s reviews on the Internet.
2) the Internet prevails over newspapers.
3) readers lack wisdom and necessary skills.
7. The writer’s prognosis for the future of human condition is
1) optimistic.
2) very complicated.
3) hard to predict.
1 – 2
2 – 1
3 – 2
4 – 3
5 – 3
6 – 2
7 – 1
Interviewer: Hello, everyone, and welcome to our show “Celebrities Today”. Tonight in this studio we are happy to welcome the acclaimed British novelist Ian McEwan.
Ian McEwan: Hello! Pleased to be here.
Interviewer: So, my first question. How do you select a topic for a novel?
Ian McEwan: My novels usually start in a very chaotic way. It never feels so clear as selecting a topic. I write my way into them. Though I am keen to make my new novel not anything like my last, so often I am in flight from the last thing I did.
Interviewer: You are known for dark portrayals of humankind. Why is that?
Ian McEwan: Look at the front page of today’s newspaper. We are a lot troubled, and literature is bound to reflect this. Any examination of the human state will take you into some dark places.
Interviewer: I find your more recent work superior to your earlier, perhaps edgier writing. Do you ever reread your writing from years ago and think you would have approached it differently?
Ian McEwan: I have dipped into it from time to time, and I don’t feel any great urge to change anything. I agree that they were certainly darker, but I don’t think they were less complex. I looked at the Innocent about six months ago, and I really enjoyed it.
Interviewer: How much research goes into creating a character like the neurosurgeon in Saturday?
Ian McEwan: That book required a fair bit of research. I met a neurosurgeon who took me under his wing for two years. Eventually I started attending operations and procedures with him. I was even once mistaken for a neurosurgeon during an operation.
Interviewer: When you are writing a book, do you expect it to influence your readers in a certain way?
Ian McEwan: Readers are so different from one another. They are very hard to corral into one place with your writing. I think reading, much like writing, is a sort of a journey. I let them take what they will.
Interviewer: Do you feel that there are fewer literary reviews in newspapers and magazines nowadays?
Ian McEwan: The problem is a small part of a larger one: the decline of newspapers. Publishers seem very keyed up to embrace the Internet, but I don’t have much time for the kind of site where readers do all the reviewing. Reviewing takes expertise, wisdom and judgement. I am not much fond of the notion that anyone’s view is as good as anyone else’s.
Interviewer: You are described as a novelist who has a profound insight into the human condition. What is your prognosis?
Ian McEwan: (Laughs.) I guess the sum of all my novels would be the answer to the question. It is pretty hard to do the human condition in a couple of lines, but I think there is a room for optimism.
Interviewer: Thank you, and we are looking forward to your new books.
Ian McEwan: You are welcome.
