Tristram and Charles Go Boating: Narrators on the Sea of Remembrance

            Narrators are usually a trusty guide for many a novel. They often chime in to lead or remind the reader to certain facts or events. The novels “The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman” and “Pale Fire” rely heavily on narrators who delight in addressing the reader with their own memories dominant in the narrative, often leaving the reader adrift.

            Tristram Shandy and Charles Kinbote each have created a story labyrinth, a seemingly never-ending, undulating maze of thoughts and memories, with no map available. Though, is a map necessary? Each novel challenges the reader to persist and follow the trail of crumbs in their tales, and cultivate the story amidst the lunacy. At times, both seem unreliable and questionable, which is usually the realm of memory. Details roll over each other, and tales unfold in fluid, and sometimes, rapid motion, leaving the reader awash in details that require deciphering. What has really transpired and what is truly important? These are not black and white tales; these are accounts of curiosity and confusion, which a reader must navigate in their own way.

            At times, both Tristram and Charles may seem like good candidates for psychological therapy, as each exhibit manic and miserable attitudes, with Charles veering on the stalkerish side. For both, an upbeat, thrilling recollection is swiftly exchanged for the dour certainty of their pitiful lot in life, with each one wondering what will become of them. One sizeable difference between the two narrators is that Tristram constantly deflects from himself, the protagonist of his tale, and focuses on his relatives. While Charles spends more time recounting his own exploits, and his immeasurable and significant influence on John Shade, the protagonist of his story.

           

            If neither narrator spends much time addressing their subject matter, why read to the end when there are so many detours? Is this the end? Is it going back to the beginning? Initially, this is a cumbersome, and at times, debilitating factor in these stories, often tempting a reader to With their memories shifting focus on time, place, and people, it can be a struggle to complete sophisticated works such as “Tristram Shandy” and “Pale Fire”, for they require the reader’s constant and vigilant companionship on the journey. With extreme patience, careful attention, and even, repeated readings, a narrative emerges from the pages. Each novel proves there is a method to the madness, for surely, many a reader feels frustrated reading them. Self-reflexive in nature and crammed with sensational and preposterous escapades, Tristram and Charles succeed as narrators by charting their own circuitous route, directing the reader, through the process of memory, to their respective stories.