Synopsis
The novel was published in nine
volumes, the first two appearing in 1759, and seven others following
over the next seven years. It purports to be a biography of the
eponymous character.
It made extensive use of special
typographical features and engravings particularly specified by the
author; his idiosyncratic employment of dashes, unusual marks of
punctuation, and specially-designed plates seems to have been intended
to fulfil a number of purposes. Such visual features is another means by
which Sterne highlights the inadequacy of the "novel" as a
representation of "real" life.
About Laurence Sterne
Born: Nov. 24, 1713
Died: Mar. 18, 1768
Irish novelist, English humorist. His
great-grandfather was an archbishop of York, and he himself also became
an Anglican clergyman after graduated from the school of divinity at
Cambridge University. His enduring reputation as an author rests upon
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767) and
A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy (1768). He
published many sermons, wrote memoirs, and was involved in local
politics either.
Sterne's influence was particularly
strong in France (on Diderot) and Germany (Jean Paul). In Russia, he
influenced A. N. Radishchev, N. M. Karamzin, and V. F. Odoevskii; A. S.
Pushkin and L. N. Tolstoy expressed their high opinion of him.
内容简介
《项狄传》全名为《绅士特里斯舛•项狄的生平与见解》，但全书既无主人公翔实的生平故事，更没有他的深刻见解，小说以“回顾”自己在母体中受孕开篇，绝大部分却在以特里斯舛的嘴讲述别人，主要是他父亲和他叔叔的生平与见解，至于特里斯舛的生平则只是蜻蜓点水断断续续提了几处。叙述的顺序则是东一榔头西一棒，完全打破了叙述的时间顺序，遵循的只是事件进入叙述人脑海的先后顺序。书中更是不时出现黑页、白页、大理石纹页和各种图解；还有大量的星号，无数的破折号，任意的标点和半截的断句，零星的或整段整页的希腊文、拉丁文。
米兰•昆德拉曾把《项狄传》纳入欧洲最伟大的小说行列，认为其写作的无序性，散漫的没有主题却具有复调性质的文本，实在成为了西方小说朝意识流方向发展的源泉宝库。的确，《项狄传》既是英国乃至世界小说史上里程碑式的巨著，又堪称英国文学史上最离奇的小说，是一部闻名世界的奇书；《项狄传》既被尊为“世界文学中最典型的小说”，又被誉为现代小说的“伟大泉源和先驱”。
——转自豆瓣网
