All About Books discussion

Surprise!!! Who would have thought, our winner of the week is Tristam Shandy :) (1759)

(we should start placing bets, shouldn't we?!)

see the article here

more information on Laurence Sterne here

and the Wikipedia article on the novel here

Never would have guessed!! Still haven't read it though and it's not on my immediate TBR....maybe one day!

Now finally, something I've actually read, or at least attempted to. Twice. I've just been thinking: it is one of these weird books that I just overdose on too quickly though I actually like them. When I tried reading it 8 years ago I was still in the habit of reading one book exclusively. So having overdosed on it meant putting it aside to start something new. I wonder whether - since I usually have 2 or 3 books going at a time - I'd be able to appreciate it more now.

I read it, and even liked it, but I found it EXTREMELY difficoult to read - and follow!
I have to say it is really "modern"

This is on my TBR but not near the top of the pile! We are slowly making our way through the 1700 - I can't wait until we get to the Victorians!

Me too!!!!!!!

I've not read this but I'd like to. I'm looking forward to the victorian era as well as I may have read a few more!

I haven't read this one either! I don't think I will be reading this any time soon, but maybe one day...

Aha, Tristam Shandy!

Last month I visited, with my daughter, Shandy Hall, where Laurence Sterne used to live. Here's their website : http://www.laurencesternetrust.org.uk/

My daughter had already read Tristam Shandy, and insisted that I did prior to the visit. I very much enjoyed parts of it, other parts seemed longwinded. It must have been very unusual at the time, having such a twisty turny anecdotal structure.

It was much more the habit in those days to publish novels in several volumes (like with Clarissa) (or later, as with Dickens, serialize in magazines).I can see that if you read the first volume of Tristam Shandy when it was first published, it would be pretty exciting waiting for the next volume to come out (a bit like the Harry Potter series.)

Gill wrote: "Aha, Tristam Shandy!

Last month I visited, with my daughter, Shandy Hall, where Laurence Sterne used to live. Here's their website :http://www.laurencesternetrust.org.uk/

My daughter had already ..."

I remember that you were reading this in preparation of your visit. Do you know whether he named his home after the character or vice versa?

He'd already published some of the book and his friends named his house Shandy Hall in honour of the book.

Amazing book. Finished it today for another club read, and I'm glad I read it (as well as finished it!). As funny as it is, I'm glad the Modern Library version I read had notes!

aPriL eVoLvEs (ex-Groot) wrote: "Amazing book. Finished it today for another club read, and I'm glad I read it (as well as finished it!). As funny as it is, I'm glad the Modern Library version I read had notes!"

Good to know! I think I might use SparkNotes or some such when I get to it.

I absolutely loved this one!

I discovered Cliff Notes had a very good description in 2015 English. I read the book sections, then I went back and read the Cliff Notes. If I had time, I would then have re-read the section, but I found I did get most of the jokes anyway.

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature...