Tomorrow’s New York Times Book Review: Philip Roth addresses readers who do not have Multiple Personality

At the end of the interview, Roth says (and then elaborates at considerable length), “Whoever looks for the writer’s thinking in the words and thoughts of his characters is looking in the wrong direction.” Since the interviewer didn’t ask about this, whom is Roth addressing and why is this an issue?

He is addressing readers like me (before I formulated Multiple Identity Literary Theory), who do not have multiple personality. Because, when novelists disavow the words and thoughts of their characters—as many novelists repeatedly do—readers who do not have multiple personality inevitably think that the novelists must be joking or lying. And such readers will continue to think that way until hell freezes over or they read this blog.

I hope the latter is sooner.