The protagonist, Tristram Shandy, attempts to write his autobiography but finds himself perpetually distracted by the complex, often absurd, history of his own family. Tristram struggles to recount the events of his life, beginning with his own conception, yet he is constantly derailed by digressions regarding his father Walter, his Uncle Toby, and the eccentricities of the Shandy household. The narrative operates through a non-linear, self-referential framework that prioritizes the process of storytelling over the actual progression of the plot. The world is defined by the logical constraints of 18th-century domestic life, which the characters navigate with varying degrees of confusion and pedantic obsession. The text frequently addresses the reader directly, acknowledging the impossibility of capturing a life in its entirety through written language.

Readers and critics frequently highlight the novel's status as a precursor to modern experimental fiction due to its unconventional structure and playful tone. Discussion often centers on the effectiveness of Sterne's digressions, which many find both frustrating and intellectually stimulating. The balance of character development is heavily skewed toward the eccentricities of the Shandy family, providing a rich atmosphere of domestic absurdity rather than traditional plot progression. Critics often note that the work remains a significant point of study for its early subversion of narrative norms and its enduring influence on the comic novel form.