The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

English · 1767 · 18h 34m · Humor, Satire

"(O)f all the several ways of beginning a book which are now in practice throughout the known world, I am confident my own way of doing it is the best... for I begin with writing the first sentence——and trusting to Almighty God for the second."

The madcap entertainment Sterne and his divine co-Author created in this unusual manner would turn out to be one of the greatest comedic achievements in English literature — one proudly defiant of all narrative conventions and proprieties, often laugh-out-loud funny, yet warm, tender and generous throughout.

Much of the early fun centres on the bizarre opinions held by the narrator's argumentative father, and by the inordinate number of pages that must pass before his precious child can even be born, while the latter sections of the novel — which was initially published in serial form — send up the conventions of travel writing in the author's day. A delightful sub-thread running throughout the novel concerns the narrator's Uncle Toby, a retired military officer obsessed with recreating historical sieges and other military operations in his back garden, assisted by his loyal helper Corporal Trim.
(Summary by Peter Dann)