The Life And Opinions Of Tristram Shandy

Thomas Keymer's introduction to this casebook examines the historical context and controversial reception of Tristram Shandy, and connects the essays selected for inclusion to the diverse traditions of Sterne Criticism.

Tristram Shandy provoked a literary sensation when it first appeared in a series of installments between 1759 and 1767. The ribald, high-spirited book prompted Diderot to hail Sterne as 'the English Rabelais.' An ingeniously structured novel (about writing a novel) that fascinates like a verbal game of chess, Tristram Shandy is both a joyful celebration of the infinite possibilities of the art of fiction and a wry demonstration of its limitations. Many view this picaresque masterpiece as the precursor of the modern novel. A Sentimental Journey, which came out in 1768, begins as a travelogue. Yet it ends as a treasury of portraits, sketches, and philosophical musings, for as Virginia Woolf observed: 'A Sentimental Journey, for all its levity and wit, is based upon something fundamentally philosophic--the philosophy of pleasure.'

As Tristram Shandy narrates his life story, he is unable to explain anything simply. Throughout his memoir, Tristram as narrator finds himself discoursing at length on sexual practices, insults, the influence of one's name, and noses, siege warfare, and philosophy as he struggles to marshal his material and finish the story of his life.

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As Tristram Shandy narrates his life story, he is unable to explain anything simply. Throughout his memoir, Tristram as narrator finds himself discoursing at length on sexual practices, insults, the influence of one's name, and noses, siege warfare, and philosophy as he struggles to marshal his material and finish the story of his life.

As Tristram Shandy narrates his life story, he is unable to explain anything simply. Throughout his memoir, Tristram as narrator finds himself discoursing at length on sexual practices, insults, the influence of one's name, and noses, siege warfare, and philosophy as he struggles to marshal his material and finish the story of his life.