Arthur Schopenhauer, one of the most pessimistic philosophers called Tristram Shandy one of "the four immortal romances". I am keen to know the other three, but I totally agree. This is a fantastic novel. What do you think?
Schopenhauer's other three favorite novels are Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre from Goethe, Don Quixote from Cervantes and Julie ou la nouvelle Héloïse from Rousseau.
Some people keep a Bible or other holy book on the nightstand. I keep a Penguin Tristram Shandy on mine. Whenever I'm troubled or feeling low, I reach for it and turn to any page for comfort, because there's nothing else like the warmth of Shandy Hall. Every couple of years I have to buy a new cipy, having worn the last one out.
“Laugh at every moment even if it’s the most tragic.” Thank you for saying this. What a perfect moment that I bumped into this one when I was about to get depressed about some annoying things I have to deal with tomorrow morning. I’ll just face it light-hearted I guess.
I will join you during your difficult morning with frequent smiles to keep you company as you push the moment that will be carrying the annoying situation behind you. All the best.
I came across with this writer in the book of W.Iser, The Act of Reading, where he talks about the participation of the reader in a text, and Sterne in his book Tristram Shandy says: ". . . no author, who understands the just boundaries of decorum and good-breeding, would presume to think all: The truest respect which you can pay to the reader's understanding, is to halve this matter amicably, and leave him something to imagine, in his turn, as well as yourself.''
I was reading the novel some years ago but could never actually arrive at the conclusion as I kept on digressing because of too many digressions. And now your crisp explanation is making me want to get back to the text and give it a try once more.😁
Yes, it is a delightful novel. There are humorous and cynical sentences like ‘reason is half sensation’, ‘death opens the gates of fame and closes the gates of envy’, and ‘passion is directly proportional to the lack of proper knowledge’ (I’m quoting from the translation). Soseki described the novel as a sea cucumber, partly in reference to its elusiveness. (Not that it matters, but I admire the courage of the first person to eat a sea cucumber).
