Umberto Eco, scholar of medieval studies and bestselling author of such books as The Name of the Rose and Foucault’s Pendulum, was interviewed in the Summer 2008 issue of The Paris Review. (My wife gave me a lifetime subscription more than three decades ago, and it’s truly been the gift that’s kept on giving—something that George Plimpton wasn’t too happy about!)

He had fascinating things to say about memory, the creative process, communication, and more, but it was his thoughts on the future of reading which stood out for me the most.

As you’ll see, he’s full of hope for the future, even as others are running around in fear.

What do you make of those who proclaim the death of the novel, the death of books, the death of reading?

To believe in the end of something is a typical cultural posture. Since the Greeks and the Latins we have persisted in believing that our ancestors were better than us. I am always amused and interested by this kind of sport, which the mass media practice with increasing ferocity. Every season there is an article on the end of the novel, the end of literature, the end of literacy in America. People don’t read any longer! Teenagers only play video games! The fact of the matter is that all over the world there are thousands of stores full of books and full of young people. Never in the history of mankind have there been so many books, so many places selling books, so many young people visiting these places and buying books.

What would you say to the fearmongers?

Culture is continuously adapting to new situations. There will probably be different culture, but there will be a culture. After the fall of the Roman Empire, there were centuries of profound transformation—linguistic, political, religious, cultural. These types of changes happen ten times as quickly now. But thrilling new forms will continue to emerge and literature will survive.

I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one who feels that though the bottles into which we decant words may change, the wine of literature will always remain.