A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy

No, "A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy" is a 1768 novel by Laurence Sterne that parodies traditional, highly objective travelogues of the era. Instead of listing historical facts and distances, it focuses entirely on the narrator's emotional reactions.

The novel is narrated by Parson Yorick, a character who originally appeared in Sterne's earlier work, "Tristram Shandy." The book follows Yorick's humorous, often flirtatious encounters with locals as he travels through France.

Despite the title, the novel barely covers any of the narrator's time in Italy, focusing almost entirely on France. The narrative abruptly ends before he can deeply explore the Italian leg of his journey.

Sterne wrote the novel largely in response to Tobias Smollett's 1766 travel book, "Travels through France and Italy." He found Smollett's grumpy, hyper-critical tone to be terrible travel writing, creating Parson Yorick as a warm, sentimental alternative.