The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman: With original illustrations

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman is a nine-volume novel published between 1759 and 1767 by English novelist Laurence Sterne. Ostensibly a biography of its fictional eponymous character, Tristram Shandy features many digressions from its plot and is, therefore, viewed by many scholars as an early forerunner of post-modern literature.<br/><br/>Rather than beginning at birth or childhood as do many biographies, this one begins at the moment of Tristram's mother and father having sex and conceiving him. The rest of the volume introduces the reader to a number of characters that will be pivotal figures during Tristram's birth and life. His father, Walter Shandy, is overbearing and ridiculous in his intellectual ramblings, which cover a wide range of philosophical and pseudo-scientific hypotheses. His mother, Elizabeth Shandy, is the exact opposite of Walter in temperament, responding to her husband's arguments passively so as to not inflame him further. Tristram's Uncle Toby is a war veteran who suffered a grievous wound to his groin area. Though non-violent by nature, Uncle Toby obsesses over military history and tactics. Other characters introduced include Dr. Slop, the scientific-minded male midwife, and an unnamed female midwife who delivers Tristram at Elizabeth's insistence. There's also Yorick, the witty local parson and family friend, and Yorick's advisor, the ever-discreet Eugenius. Finally, the reader meets the Shandy family servants, Susannah and Obadiah.<br/><br/>Ironically, the narrator spends so much time introducing these characters in the first volume that he runs out of space and never actually gets to the moment of Tristram's birth.<br/><br/>The second volume concerns Uncle Toby, describing his war record and the wound to his groin. The narration also flashes back to the day of Tristram's birth. Despite his wife's complaints, Walter insists that Dr. Slop serves as a backup to the female midwife. Dr. Slop fancies himself a very revolutionary and forward-thinking doctor, having himself invented a pair of forceps designed to pull the newborn baby during birth from its head. Once again, the narrator never actually gets to the birth itself, only the drama surrounding it.<br/><br/>The third volume begins with Dr. Slop displaying the forceps he invented by using them on Uncle Toby's hand. Much to everyone's distress, the forceps rip Toby's skin off. However, before Walter and Toby can protest, the other midwife calls Dr. Slop for assistance. With the situation seemingly out of their control, Walter and Toby take naps. They are awakened, however, by mechanical sounds emanating from the kitchen. They learn from Toby's servant, Trim, that Dr. Slop's dreaded forceps have caused significant damage to newborn Tristram's nose, and now, Dr. Slop is making a synthetic nose bridge for young Tristram in the kitchen. As is his way in times of crisis, Walter—rather than doing anything to help the situation—launches into a detailed, academic lecture on why it's important for humans to have noses.