Laurence Sterne (1713–68) was an Irish-born British novelist and Anglican clergyman. Even though he produced only two works of fiction, he ranks as one of the foremost novelists of the 18th century on account of his experiments with the structure and organization of the novel.
Born in Clonmel in County Tipperary, Ireland, Sterne got educated at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he absorbed John Locke’s philosophy. Sterne subsequently worked as a clergyman in the north of England.
Sterne achieved instant notoriety and acclaim following the publication of the first two volumes of his nine-volume masterwork The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1759–67.) Heralding the development of modernism, this novel radically challenged the conventions of the novel form and provoked much applause and abuse for its sentimentality and its salaciousness.
Tristram Shandy narrates the birth of its protagonist in volume four, near the novel’s midpoint. Sterne typifies that life is not necessarily best represented in a linear progression of dramatic incidents rounded off to a delightful moral analysis. Life is rather fragmentary and ever-changing and consists of a web of associations and influences drawing attention to the past and the future.
Sterne’s health-related sojourn in France provided material for his Sentimental Journey (1767,) which he completed before his death of tuberculosis. Sterne also wrote many sermons, memoirs, and was involved in local politics.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Laurence Sterne
Digressions, incontestably, are the sunshine; they are the life, the soul of reading! Take them out of this book, for instance,—you might as well take the book along with them;—one cold external winter would reign in every page of it; restore them to the writer;—he steps forth like a bridegroom,—bids All-hail; brings in variety, and forbids the appetite to fail.
—Laurence Sterne
The history of a soldier’s wound beguiles the pain of it.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Storytelling
Madness is consistent, which is more than can be said of poor reason.—Whatever may be the ruling passion at the time continues so throughout the whole delirium, though it should last for life.—Our passions and principles are steady in frenzy, but begin to shift and waver as we return to reason.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Madness, Reason
We lose the right of complaining sometimes, by denying something, but this often triples its force.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Complaining, Pessimism, Complaints
I live in a constant endeavor to fence against the infirmities of ill-health, and other evils of life, by mirth. I am persuaded that every time a man smiles—but much more so when he laughs—it adds something to this fragment of life.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Smile, Humor, Laughter
It may be asked,—whether the inconveniences and ill-effects which the world feels from the licentiousness of this practice, are not sufficiently counterbalanced by the real influence it has upon men’s lives and conduct?—for if there was no evil-speaking in the world, thousands would be encouraged to do ills, and would rush into many indecorums, like a horse into the battle, were they sure to escape the tongues of men.
—Laurence Sterne
Rest unto our souls!—’tis all we want—the end of all our wishes and pur suits: we seek for it in titles, in riches and pleasures—climb up after it by am bition,—come down again and stoop for it by avarice,—try all extremes; nor is it till after many miserable experiments, that we are convinced, at last, we have been seeking everywhere for it but where there is a prospect of finding it; and that is, within ourselves, in a meek and lowly disposition of heart.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Rest
What persons are by starts, they are by nature—you see them at such times off their guard.—Habit may restrain vice, and virtue may be obscured by passion, but intervals best discover man.
—Laurence Sterne
‘Tis no extravagant arithmetic to say, that for every ten jokes, thou hast got an hundred enemies; and till thou hast gone on, and raised a swarm of wasps about thine ears, and art half stung to death by them, thou wilt never be convinced it is so.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Humor, Jokes
Nothing is so perfectly amusing as a total change of ideas.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Pleasure
Most of us are aware of and pretend to detest the barefaced instances of that hypocrisy by which men deceive others, but few of us are upon our guard or see that more fatal hypocrisy by which we deceive and over-reach our own hearts.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Hypocrisy
A great deal of virtue, at least the outward appearance of it, is not so much from any fixed principle, as the terror of what the world will say, and the liberty it will take upon the occasions we shall give.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Virtue
I never drink.—I cannot do it on equal terms with others.—It costs them only one day; but it costs me three; the first in sinning, the second in suffering, and the third in repenting.
—Laurence Sterne
An injury unanswered, in time grows weary of itself and dies away in voluntary remorse. In bad dispositions, capable of no restraint but fear, it has a different effect; the silent digestion of one wrong provokes a second.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Injury
One may as well be asleep as to read for anything but to improve his mind and morals, and regulate his conduct.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Reading, Books
Men tire themselves in pursuit of rest.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Journeys
Now or never was the time.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Secrets of Success, The Present
There is no such thing as real happiness in life. The justest definition that was ever given of it was “a tranquil acquiescence under an agreeable delusion”—I forget where.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Illusion
The happiness of life may be greatly increased by small courtesies in which there is no parade, whose voice is too still to tease, and which manifest themselves by tender and affectionate looks, and little kind acts of attention.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Kindness
There is no small degree of malicious craft in fixing upon a season to give a mark of enmity and ill-will; a word—a look, which at one time would make no impression, at another time wounds the heart, and, like a shaft flying with the wind, pierces deep, which, with its own natural force would scarce have reached the object aimed at.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Feelings
The mind should be accustomed to make wise reflections, and draw curious conclusions as it goes along; the habit of which made Pliny the Younger affirm that he never read a book so bad but he drew some profit from it.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Reading
As monarchs have a right to call in the specie of a state, and raise its value by their own impression; so are there certain prerogative geniuses, who are above plagiaries, who cannot be said to steal, but, from their improvement of a thought, rather to borrow it, and repay the commonwealth of letters with interest; and may more properly be said to adopt than to kidnap a sentiment, by leaving it heir to their own fame.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Plagiarism
If the principles of contentment are not within us, the height of station and worldly grandeur will as soon add a cubit to a man’s stature as to his happiness.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Contentment, Happiness
The best hearts are ever the bravest.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Bravery
‘Tis known by the name of perseverance in a good cause, and of obstinacy in a bad one.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Perseverance
The most affluent may be stripped of all, and find his worldly comforts, like so many withered leaves, dropping from him.
—Laurence Sterne
Every time a man smiles, and much more when he laughs, it adds something to his fragment of life.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Cheerfulness
Titles of honor are like the impressions on coin, which add no value to gold and silver, but only render brass current.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Titles, Honor
It shocks me to think how much mischief almost every man may do, who will but resolve to do all he can.
—Laurence Sterne
The very essence of assumed gravity is design, and consequently deceit; a taught trick to gain credit with the world for more sense and knowledge than a man is worth.
—Laurence Sterne
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
Richard Chenevix Trench Irish Archbishop, Poet
Jonathan Swift Irish Satirist
Elizabeth Bowen Irish Novelist
Sheridan Le Fanu Irish Novelist
Joyce Cary English Novelist
James Joyce Irish Novelist
Samuel Lover Irish Writer, Artist, Songwriter
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) British Anglican Author
Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington Irish Novelist
Oliver Goldsmith Anglo-Irish Novelist, Poet