In Our Time Tristram Shandy
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Apr 24, 2014 
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Laurence Sterne's novel Tristram Shandy. They explore its bawdy humor, bold literary experiments, and enduring influence. Topics include the novel's controversial nature, its impact on the evolution of literary form, and its exploration of masculinity. The podcast delves into Sterne's family background, the intersection of church, politics, and family support, and the installment release of the novel. Sterne's unconventional path to novel writing and the unique narrative structure are also highlighted.
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A Novel That Redefined Form
- Tristram Shandy mixes bawdy humour, digressions and bold formal experiments into a landmark eighteenth-century novel.
- Its inventive shape made it celebrated and scandalous but hugely influential on later writers.
Sterne's Ragged Upbringing And Church Post
- Laurence Sterne came from a ragged, mobile childhood then attended Jesus College, Cambridge.
- Family connections helped him secure a church post and steady income later in life.
Novelists Often Begin Late
- Eighteenth-century novelists often started late after other careers; Sterne turned to fiction in his mid-40s.
- Tristram Shandy felt unprecedented because he emerged from diverse earlier writing rather than a planned novel career.