Boy, nothing seems to stir the passions of the populace like Tristram Shandy, I've gotten more conversation out of that post than all the others combined.

I'm pleased to report that I'm now about 60% through the book and that it is, in fact, awesome. There are just some things you have to let go of in order to enjoy the ride, though--you have to get used to non-modern punctuation, accept that you won't be familiar with all the allusions and that it's okay, be humble in the face of unfamiliar vocabulary, and most importantly, don't worry about what the book's about. "Is all this stuff taking place while Mrs. Shandy's still in labor upstairs?" Yes, it is. "Is he saying that the town of Strasbourg fell to the French because a gentleman with an exceptionally long nose passed through?" Yes, he is. Then you actually get into it. By the time a chapter ended with the Shandy men's plans to walk upstairs to see the baby, I was playing along, trying to guess what would prevent them getting there. Of course, I couldn't, but M. Sterne does not disappoint. So the book is really worth it, but like me, you might have to semi-retire to put the dedication into it it requires.

It gives me hope when I see a bad play because I know if that one can go up, mine could too. (I like how I'm such an egomaniac that I always envision low standards as the key to my success.) Well, hope bloomed in a mushroom cloud last night when I saw a play so bad that even the promised "prolonged full frontal male nudity" couldn't keep my eyes open.