Description
Laurence Sternes A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy is a groundbreaking novel in many respects. Published in 1768, the novel is among the first travel accounts, establishing the genre as one of the most dominant ones in 18th century literature and at the same time introducing a writing style that focuses more on emotions and personal experiences than on the events depicted. A Sentimental Journey is also an excellent example of Sternes wit and humor the storytelling is very entertaining, indeed. The main character in the novel is Reverend Yorick,who may be familiar to you from Sternes best known novel, The Life and Opinions of TristamShandy the Parson appeared briefly there as well. The journey through France and Italy is recounted by Reverend Yorick in first person. Heleaves from Dover to Calais and he progressesthrough Montreuil, Paris, Versailles and Lyon to Northern Italy. The adventures described are mostly mishaps or events that involve ladies and they are filtered through the mind and emotional attitudes of the narrator. Written in an era when the Grand Tour, the traditional journey through France and Italy was only for the richest members of the upper classes, Sternes novel became hugely popular because it tapped on the desire of the common people to travel and see the world and it did so with the help of round characters and entertaining storytelling style. The characters that appear in the novel are just as complex as Yoricks attitude towards them, especially the ladies, one of the greatest merits of the novel being the sensitive and understanding approach towards women. Sterne wrote A Sentimental Journey not long before his death. It comes in two volumes, though the author intended it to be much longer he planned four volumes, but he died before he could finish the novel, a few months after the unfinished version came out.