Sep 16, 2025
"I am glad, Sir, my opinion ſo intirely agrees with a gentleman of your learning; becauſe I own to you, that I have as yet found few of my own ſex, who comprehended [Tristram Shandy] clearly enough diſcourſe with me upon the ſubject: for the men ſay none but people of learning, and a great deal of reading, can eaſily comprehend him." (source)
To be fair, you have to have a very high degree of learning to understand Tristram Shandy. The humour is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of hobby-horses most of the jokes will go over a typical reader's head