The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman Cover
Podcast Mentions

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Laurence Sterne

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman is a novel written by Laurence Sterne. It was first published in nine volumes between 1759 and 1767. The novel is a fictional autobiography of the eponymous Tristram Shandy, a man who is born in the middle of a conversation and whose life is shaped...

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The Rest Is History

Podcast

The Rest Is History

The hosts mentioned that Burr, at the end of his life, was reading the novel Tristram Shandy, noting it as commendable behavior.

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He ... reading a lot of Tristram Shandy, which is commendable behavior.

— Episode: 685. Hamilton: Duel to the Death (Part 3...

Episode: 685. Hamilton: Duel to the Death (Part 3)

The hosts mentioned that Burr, at the end of his life, was reading the novel Tristram Shandy, noting it as commendable behavior.

"

He ... reading a lot of Tristram Shandy, which is commendable behavior.

99% Invisible

Podcast

99% Invisible

The book was highlighted as an early example of using the em dash to create a rambling, stream‑of‑consciousness style, and the host praised it as a timeless source of comedy, calling it hilarious. Roman Mars referenced it in multiple episodes to illustrate how humor can span centuries. The discussion conveyed strong admiration for its inventive narrative and comedic craft.

Highly Recommended

Episode: How to Write a Joke

The host cited the classic novel as an example of enduring comedic craft, calling it a hilarious book.

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I use an example from the book Tristram Shandy by Laurence Stern, which is a hilarious book.

Episode: How to Write a Joke

The hosts cited the classic novel as an example used in Elliot's book to illustrate how humor spans centuries.

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I use an example from the book Tristram Shandy by Laurence Stern, which is a hilarious book.

Episode: The Em Dash

The novel was highlighted as an early example of using the Mdash to mimic a rambling, streamofconsciousness narrative style.

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Nowhere is this more obvious than a rambling, satirical novel called Tristram Shandy, written by Lawrence Stern in 1759.

Empire: World History

Podcast

Empire: World History

The book was described as the "Monty Python" of its time - a wacko, completely crazy novel. Reading it would have been an act of literary rebellion at the time.

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And they spend the evening, these two, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jefferson, reading Tristram Shandy out to each other in the evening.

— Episode: 152. The Founding Fathers: Thomas Jeffer...

Episode: 152. The Founding Fathers: Thomas Jefferson (Ep 2)

The book was described as the "Monty Python" of its time - a wacko, completely crazy novel. Reading it would have been an act of literary rebellion at the time.

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And they spend the evening, these two, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jefferson, reading Tristram Shandy out to each other in the evening.

Which at the time was, I mean, we regarded it in a sense as a literary text and something you'd do at university. But I think it was the kind of Monty Python of the time. It was a kind of wacko, completely crazy novel.

And reading Tristram Shandy would have been almost as an act of literary rebellion, wouldn't it?

Christopher Hitchens says when he talks about Tristram Shandy readings in the evening, he says, we must thus from the first appreciate what becomes ever clearer as this story proceeds. We are studying a man with very little sense of humour.

Such a wonderfully spare bitchy remark from Hitchens.

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