I watched the first part of the BBC4 programme Birth of the British Novel. I love programmes about books and writers, and I found this one very interesting. It mentioned a book that I have wanted to read for a long time, Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne. I think I haven't read it yet because it just seems so difficult, I feel like I wouldn't understand it (I haven't read Don Quixote for the same reason). But this programme has inspired me to give it a go, not least because I discovered that Shandy Hall, where Sterne wrote the bulk of the novel is not far from my home. The Hall and its gardens are open to the public. So, I can battle my way through the book, and then reward myself with a trip to Shandy Hall.
http://www.laurencesternetrust.org.uk/shandy-hall.php
Birth of the British Novel is available on iplayer for a few more days.
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