The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman: The Comic Book

[Dusto]

So I just read The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, by Laurence Sterne, which was a serial novel of the late 1750's through the early 1770's. It's a hilarious book, really weird and unlike anything else I've ever read. Completely black pages, marbled pages, asterisks replacing entire paragraphs, chapters on noses, missing chapters, early forays into stream of consciousness, and all kinds of other crazy stuff. I'd read the first two volumes as an undergrad, but it stays good through all nine volumes.

Anyway, there's a graphic novel version that I just got that looks pretty interesting in and of itself. It's by Martin Rowson, who is a cartoonist for the Guardian in the UK. Keeping with the irreverant spirit of the original novel, Rowson himself appears as a character, and it reads like a celebration of the novel, which is probably good since it would be impossible to adapt straight. I highly recommend checking out both the novel and graphic novel, though. There's also a new movie about an attempt to make a movie of Tristram Shandy that had a limited release in America and should be on DVD soon. Good stuff all around.

[TIP]

*makes note*

Thanks for the recommendation, dude.

T

[sleep]

Thanks for reminding me, I've been meaning to check out the (non graphic) novel.

And that other novel, by what's-his-name.

[RøcketFrøg]

I was with you right up to:

all nine volumes.

[MattJohnson]

I'm going to see the movie tomorrow.

[Dusto]

I was with you right up to:

They're short volumes. The entire book is about 550 pages.

[Mark]

I'm really upset that I missed A Cock & Bull Story's theatrical run, but I guess I'll catch it on DVD.