A Sentimental Journey

The book A Sentimental Voyage is both a journey and a story without an end. It chronicles the exploits of the affable Parson Yorick as he embarks on his journey through France and Italy enjoying his encounters with a variety of men and women—especially the attractive ones. Sharp wit is mixed with gaiety irony with tender feeling and anecdotes make up the majority of Sternes story as it quickly departs from the travel narrative to become a series of dramatic sketches ironic incidents philosophical musings recollections and anecdotes. With A Sentimental Journey as well as his masterwork Tristram Shandy Sterne fashioned a completely original style and established himself as the first of the stream-of-consciousness writers.