Wonderful listening!

Tristram Shandy is one of the great, landmark masterpieces of English fiction writing, though relatively unknown. Of course 18th Century literature isn't everybody's cup of tea, but I love the great care taken over style, allusion and wit found in Sterne, Swift, Defoe, Johnson et al. This book is a wonder of linguistic and stylistic invention and much more interesting in those respects than Ulysses for example, a work which it predates by about 200 years. It's funnier too, being quixotic rather than vulgar - and far less portentous and pretentious. My guess is that Dickens would have loved it - and even been influenced by it. Anyway, if you've tried to read this book before but found it difficult to persevere with, Anton Lesser is here to do all the hard work for you. He does it so well, and reads in so many styles and for so long that he must have been exhausted when they finally let him out of the studio. He really is top notch; in fact it's the kind of performance that creates new fans among people who don't know Sterne at all. I'm looking forward to reading his interpretation of A Sentimental Journey. Brilliant value and great fun!

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15 people found this helpful

The archetypal “experimental” novel.

Supremely read by the incredibly impressive Anton Lesser. This book is the archetypal “experimental” novel, prefiguring modern and postmodern fiction. The book’s full title, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, suggests a loosely biographical work, but the eponymous author-narrator scarcely gets so far as his third year of life, and remains studiously circumspect about his own opinions.

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The book is brought to life by brilliant narration

If you are used to Anton Lesser as a serious actor in the classical style, you will be amazed at his wonderful light-hearted and witty narration of this book. It was a joy to listen to and I didn't want it to end.

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Brilliantly read

i often tried to reading it, but Anton Lesser made Tristram Shandy so whimsical, so comic and so unexpectedly droll that I recommend it heartily. It takes a little time to get used to the labyrinthine storytelling, with endless red herring, but once you get the style you find that's where the pleasure lies.

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The Monty Python of the 18th century

The book(s) were a joy to listen to. Excellently delivered with such an element of entertainment that you could sense that the reader was wonderfully enjoying the experience.
What a joyous and quirky piece of literature and what marvellous and eccentric characters!
The fact that this work of literature was published shows that the reading public of that time were not so ‘stiff upper lip’ as they have often been portrayed.

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Wonderful book, wonderfully read by Anton Lesser

I was so glad to find Tristram Shandy on Audible. A deliciously funny, clever, truly great book. Uncle Toby is perhaps the most loveable, most sympathetic character in English fiction. Anton Lesser has exactly the right voice for this book. Well done!

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Superb chrecterisation

What did you like most about Tristram Shandy?

The book itself of course but the narrator added so much to what can be a difficult read

What was one of the most memorable moments of Tristram Shandy?

Corporal trims falling in love. Or was it lust? So well done

What does Anton Lesser bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Narrative flow especially during some of the more digressive chapters. He illuminated and personalised the whole text

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Over 20 hrs so not really!!!! I will listen to it all again though!

Any additional comments?

One of the best audible renditions of a classic i have ever listened to

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4 people found this helpful

Excellent shaggy dog

Thanks to Anton Lesser for telling this wonderful yarn. Such brilliant, witty and convincing characterisation. Thank you Mr Lesser and thank you Mr Sterne.

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A Curate's Egg...

Astonishing tour-de-force performance from Anton Lesser. Inventive, precise and charming. Great-if you can stomach the book

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Good fun.

Great performance..brilliantly brought to life by Anton Lesser. Very enjoyable nonsense. The reading by Anton Lesser makes it accessible.

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1 person found this helpful