HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. Now seen as one of the great English comic novels, Tristram Shandy caused a stir on publication in polite 18th-century English society. The novel broke with conventions of form and structure, foreshadowing Postmodern authors by 200 years, and scandalized with bawdy descriptions and rambling prose. Hugely influenced by Francis Bacon, Rabelais, and Jonathan Swift, clergyman Lawrence Sterne manages to both eloquently champion the literary and scientific views of the day, and to satirize those same idols in the next outrageous breath. The questionable 'hero' and narrator of the novel, the eponymous Tristram Shandy, attempts to tell the reader his life story, but as he digresses ever further on everything from sexual practices, the importance of a name, obstetrics, linguistics, weaponry, and philosophy, the reader quickly learns that the path won't be a linear one, and gets wrapped up in the author's exuberance and wit - as Tristram's ill-fated conception and birth don't even enter the story until Volume III. Encompassing a humorously memorable cast of misfits, including his eccentric father Walter, obsessive Uncle Toby, accident-prone mother Susannah, pastor Yorick, and a gaggle of other characters, Tristram Shandy's restless energy and modern-seeming wit explain why Nietzsche, Karl Marx, Schopenhauer, Michael Winterbottom, and Michael Nyman count among its numerous fans. - Highly collectible, these must-have classics should feature in every family's home library. - Striking and recognisable black and white cover designs, achieving stand-out impact on the bookshelves against the competition. Features include: - A glossary of Classic Literature: Words and Phrases, adapted from the Collins English Dictionary. - A Life & Times section, detailing information about the author, their work and the time of publication. - A History of Collins, exploring the heritage and established reputation of Collins as a publisher of Classic fiction.