Tristram Shandy and the Restless

I’m glad you brought up The Days of Our Lives…I was thinking about that as I started Book, the Fifth this morning because I think Trim, like Marlena, may be possessed by the Devil.

Not really…that was the only TDOOL reference I could think of…I’ve always been more of a Y&R  man myself so unless we see the formation of a fashion conglomerate (“Glow by Obadiah”) in the last five books I don’t think I’ll have anything more soap opera-ish to add.

And I’m not sure I got The Planet of the Apes reference…did Dr. Zaius lock Charleton Heston in a closet?  I need to see that movie again!

After the juggernaut pacing of the end of Book, the Fourth.  I find myself struggling through the opening of Book, the Fifth (the chapter on whiskers just confused me).  Hopefully it will pick up again soon.

Back to my soup,

Jon

Bobby Shandy, We Hardly New Ye

Volume IV is now in the in the books. That’s right twin brother consider me caught up!

Well, you were right, Vol. IV was a thrill ride. Ups and downs–it was an emotional rollercoaster. The most shocking plot element of all (which you failed to mention at all, twin brother): The Life and Death of Bobby Shandy.

That’s right we are finally formally introduced to Bobby–that’s right his name is Bobby in a world of Tristrams and would be Trismegistuses (or is that Trismestigi?) the elder Shandy boy is named Bobby. And no sooner does he make a cameo than is he killed off.

Which leads me to a theory:

This is not the last we see of Bobby Shandy. He has, in fact, faked his own death, and he holes himself up in a mountain-top castle plotting his revenge. He waits until the time (or possibly the newly planted potatoes in the renovated Ox-moor) is ripe and then he and his evil henchman take over Shandy Hall, lock Tristram in a closest, and we find in the closing chapters that, in fact, it’s been Bobby telling us this story all along…

Or is that just too obvious?

It’s sort of like TLAOOTSG meets Days of Our Lives with just a splash of Planet of the Apes.

Justin