Tristram Shandy

By: Laurence Sterne

Narrated by: David McCallion

Length: 18 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Tristram Shandy is an example of classic literature that has withstood the test of time. A sensation in England when first released in a series of nine volumes, this amusing novel is widely considered to be a masterpiece in satire fiction.

Within Tristram Shandy, Laurence Sterne introduces a cast of some of the most well-known characters in literature, including Uncle Toby and his military obsession, Corporal Trim, Parson Yorick, and Dr. Slop. Sterne's sarcastic humor was rare in the literature of 18th-century Europe. Uniquely structured as a fictional autobiography, Tristram Shandy is whimsically entertaining.

Laurence Sterne was an 18th-century Irish clergyman turned novelist. He was widely respected throughout Europe and has been called one of the greatest novelists of his time.

Public Domain (P)2017 A.R.N. Publications

I haveno idea how to rate this book. Story?

"Story?" N/A.
it's a monumental achievement in digression and a test of will. at the same time it's brilliant.

A masterpiece, masterfully performed

This is an astonishing book! Incredibly witty, outrageous, sexy, irreverent, sometimes vulgar, often so funny that, walking through the streets with my earbuds in, I would laugh out loud. It was long and I thought I would have trouble getting through it, but I'd eagerly turn it back on at each free moment just for the joy of it, the humor enriched by what is actually, beneath all the satirical laughs, a very touching portrait of family members who cannot for the life of them communicate with each other but where each one remains deeply tied to every other, by love as well as habit.

But I really want to talk about the reader. I do not think I would have finished the book if I'd been reading it the traditional way. David McCallion carried me along; his manner captured perfectly (for me) the tone of the author's voice-- outrageous, verbose, sometimes pompous, at times absurdly erudite and show-offy, sometimes shamelessly working to win over the affection of the reader -- a most unreliable narrator, a con man and lovable scoundrel whom you wanted to hear more from, even as he picks your pocket and abuses your trust.. I have no idea who McCallion is but it's a hell of an achievement. And to sustain that in a recording booth by yourself for all those hours! His "Uncle Toby" voice is a comic masterpiece. The reading is not perfect: his voice for the father, Walter Shandy, and Corporal Trim are at times too close to each other. And when he has to read excerpts in French (don't worry, that's all part of the humor, you're not expected to understand it), it's clear that he has nobody to coach him on the basics of pronunciation. C'mon, publisher, give this wonderful actor a bit of support, coach him on the French re-reads and edit them back in. But these criticisms are easily forgotten when compared to the achievement of so successfully capturing the spirit and "voice" of this book. This is a classic that is going to be listened to 50 years from now. I feel lucky to have found this performance, a read for the ages - a great reading of a great, great, great book.

Poor performance

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I would like to try this audiobook with a different reader. Maybe it's just too hard to read this book well, with the lengthy digressions in almost every sentence. But this reader seems to get the emphasis wrong most of the time and makes it harder to understand than it should be.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I don't think I can finish this one--a first for me. I listen to all classics and I've never run across a poor performance before. Most of them are astoundingly good. This reading, however, reminds me of what I listened to for free before I switched to Audible.

How could the performance have been better?

He should read the thing to himself and figure out what the sentences mean before recording.. He seems to be encountering these sentences for the first time as he is recording them

Any additional comments?

Maybe I'm missing something. I'll try to stick with this for another few hours at least.