Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Viktor Shklovsky called Tristram Shandy the "most typical" novel in world literature. Does that make Twilight atypical? ("The Novel as Parody," On the Theory of Prose [1925])
According to legend, Sterne's body was almost dissected by medical students—an accident worthy of Tristram himself. (Source)
Samuel Johnson, one of Sterne's contemporaries, didn't think much of the book: "Nothing odd will do long." Well, Mr. Johnson, who's laughing now? (Source)
If the word "homunculus" threw you for a loop, you're not alone. Check out this explanation —with cartoons!