The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

The Florida Edition

Author  Laurence Sterne Cover Design or Artwork by  Coralie Bickford-Smith Introduction by  Melvyn New Preface by  Christopher Ricks Edited by  Melvyn New and Joan New Notes by  Melvyn New
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Endlessly digressive, boundlessly imaginative and unmatched in its absurd and timeless wit

Laurence Sterne's great masterpiece of bawdy humour and rich satire defies any attempt to categorize it, with a rich metafictional narrative that might classify it as the first 'postmodern' novel. Part novel, part digression, its gloriously disordered narrative interweaves the birth and life of the unfortunate 'hero' Tristram Shandy, the eccentric philosophy of his father Walter, the amours and military obsessions of Uncle Toby, and a host of other characters, including Dr Slop, Corporal Trim and the parson Yorick. A joyful celebration of the endless possibilities of the art of fiction, Tristram Shandy is also a wry demonstration of its limitations. The text and notes of this…