Final answer:
Eckermann's Conversations with Goethe was published in parts starting in 1836, shortly before Goethe's death, based on recorded conversations that cover various topics, and reads somewhat like a series of interviews.
Step-by-step explanation:
Eckermann's Conversations with Goethe is a noteworthy text that provides deep insight into the thoughts of the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, as recorded by his close associate, Johann Peter Eckermann. The idea that the manuscript was discovered only in the 20th century is incorrect. In fact, Eckermann's Conversations with Goethe was published in parts, with the first volume appearing in 1836, shortly before Goethe's death in 1832. Eckermann did encourage the elderly Goethe to talk about various subjects, effectively meaning that the work does read somewhat like a series of interviews. Throughout their conversations, Eckermann prompted Goethe to speak on a wide range of topics and diligently recorded the details, which he later compiled and published.