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Tristram Shandy
Tristram Shandy
Nov 16, 2025 5:53 PM

Author:Laurence Sterne

Tristram Shandy

The Penguin English Library Edition of Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne

'I am got, I know not how, into a cold unmetaphorical vein of infamous writing, and cannot take a plumb-lift out of it for my soul; so must be obliged to go on writing like a Dutch commentator to the end of the chapter, unless something be done ...'

Laurence Sterne's great masterpiece of bawdy humour and rich satire defies any attempt to categorize it. 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 Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.

Reviews

Desai has a wicked, subtle humour...and her characters are beautifully described... Her writing is polished and mature, with a wit she cleverly underplays

—— Daily Telegraph

Anita Desai is one of Tolstoy's inheritors. Like his, her writing is sensuous, radical and uncannily perceptive... Fasting, Feasting is a hypnotically readable story, in language which has the precision of poetry...an ambitious, successful and disturbing novel

—— The Times

A compelling, mature work by India's finest writer in English

—— Independent

A quiet, low-key novel, notable for its vignettes...[which] are so sharp, so rich in detail, that the book packs a real polemic punch...Fasting Feasting is a fine showcase for the delicate, distinctive skills of Anita Desai

—— Sunday Telegraph

Poignant and laugh-out-loud funny . . . proof not just that Huberman can write, but that she can do so with wit, insight and charm

—— Irish Times

Spirited and sisterly . . . like Jane Austen on ecstasy

—— Sunday Independent on Hello, Heartbreak

A funny romantic comedy - a bit like Bridget Jones on Viagra

—— Irish Daily Mail on Hello, Heartbreak

She can really write . . . a deserved No 1

—— Irish Independent on Hello, Heartbreak

The Thirteenth Sacrifice is suspenseful and creepy - I enjoyed it.

—— Michellesramblins.com

A terrific thriller.

—— Alternativeworlds.com

The characters are well-rounded and interesting…the imagery beautifully describedI enjoyed The 13th Sacrifice immensely, and will definitely be following the Witch Hunt saga with interest.

—— Verity Hayter , Geek Planet Online

For Christmas, I will give to dinner party conversationalists:... Tom Wolfe’s Back to Blood.

—— Fay Weldon , Daily Telegraph

What really drives all this is Wolfe’s extraordinary style.

—— Robert Murphy , Metro

As broad and panoramic as ever.

—— Craig Brown , Mail on Sunday

There are some dazzling satirical riffs and politically incorrect laughs.

—— Jake Kerridge , Sunday Express

Wolfe’s prose is as punchy as ever.

—— Time Out

Energetically set against the deco licentiousness of Florida’s steamiest party capital.

—— Vogue

Class, family, wealth and corruption are all themes in this examination of life in Miami.

—— Sunday Business Post

[Tells] us about the way we live now... enjoyable.

—— Wynn Wheldon , Spectator

Classic Wolfe. A delight

—— William Leith , Evening Standard

Epic, hectic, satirical… It’s scathing, funny, and has great set-piece scenes

—— Brandon Robshaw , Independent on Sunday

Contemporary Miami gets the Wolfe treatment in a grand, sweeping satire on race, class, lust and immigration

—— Sunday Telegraph
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