The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (/m/01s2zg)

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman is a humorous novel by Laurence Sterne. It was published in nine volumes, the first two appearing in 1759, and seven others following over the next seven years. Probably Sterne's most enduring work, it purports to be a biography of the eponymous character. Its style is marked by digression and amplification. Sterne had read widely, which is reflected in Tristram Shandy. Many of his similes, for instance, are reminiscent of the works of the metaphysical poets of the 17th century, and the novel as a whole, with its focus on the problems of language, has constant reference to John Locke's theories in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Arthur Schopenhauer cited Tristram Shandy as one of the greatest novels ever written.