Laurence Sterne was born into poverty in 18th century Ireland, but managed to study at Cambridge University by working a servitor to other, richer students. His novel/memoir 'A Sentimental Journey' has been variously described as either a classic satire comparable with the works of Cervantes and Rabelais, or a book of utter immorality. Although it purports to be a travelogue, 'A Sentimental Journey' is more concerned with provocative and racy humour, based upon a painstaking examination of the author's own inner dialogue and emotions. Sterne was man out of time - despite a lapse of over two hundred years, his work is remarkably in tune with the worries and preoccupations of present-day readers.