In Literature and Western Man, J.B. Priestley has this to say of Tristram Shandy:
In this queer household, the master of it, Mr. Shandy, exists in a permanent state of exasperation. Priding himself on his debating powers, having " one of the finest chains of reasoning in the world", he has a wife who does not know what he is talking about, is either stubbornly deaf to all argument or complacently agrees with him so that no argument is possible; and has a brother, Uncle Toby, who is no better, perhaps worse., because he has a habit of showing some interest. so that Mr. Shandy delightedly brings out his proofs, only to discover that Uncle Toby has suddenly lost all interest and is whistling 'lillabullero'. Sucha character needs only a slight twist to become tragic.
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