How did Laurence Sterne navigate and manipulate the competitive literary landscape of the eighteenth century to establish his unique authorial brand? Thomas Keymer, a scholar of eighteenth-century literature, examines the interplay between Sterne’s experimental prose and the broader cultural trends of his era. By analyzing Sterne’s engagement with contemporary rivals and the reception of his work, Keymer argues that Sterne’s self-conscious literary play was a deliberate strategy to define the aesthetic sensibilities of his time.

Scholars recognize this work as a significant contribution to the study of Laurence Sterne and the development of the early novel. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the precision with which Keymer situates Sterne within his historical context.