I don't give many books five stars. But oh my god, if ever a book deserved 5 (or more), this would be it.

I could not stop laughing while reading this. Even though most of my reading is done in the early morning hours while I commute to work via train, and I'm usually too sleepy to really appreciate a good book, I could NOT stop laughing.

This is not an easy book, and I found myself wishing for my English teacher so he could explain some of the jokes (I totally missed the first joke about the clock the first time around), but I was also impressed with myself for understanding as much as I did.
Plus, the book isn't *all* silly. Sterne mangles words in a brilliant way to sort of conflate the sign with the meaning--heady stuff. The only stuff I didn't completely love were the overly sentimental scenes, but my edition notes in the introduction that the Victorians felt Sterne ruined his sentimentality by throwing in humor. How quickly culture changes.

Mostly, though, I loved the book for its humor. I think I scared my boyfriend last night while cracking up in the last few pages at the amours of Toby and Widow Wadman.

Seriously, you can't read this book and not laugh, no matter how straight-laced you are.