A sort of cross between Candide and Tristram Shandy containing picaresque adventures, philosophical discussions and at least three endings.

Vihdoin tämä on ohi

Ah, Apuleius, Boccaccio, Rabelais, Cervantes, Sterne, and here Diderot: the great erotic jokers and wizards of meta-narrative tricks. Diderot, more than the others, I think, shows just how much philosophy there is in the art of narrating fictions (that is, in telling dirty stories). He brings out some fascinating sub themes in the mottle tales told by Jacques, his master, and their bawdy landlady in this rambling, interrupted, and oft self-reflective anti-novel: male rivalry and the love/hate homoerotic aspects of the duel, the unexpected effects of our machinations/causes (as seen in a story of revenge backfiring), justice and its abuses or deception as a kind of mirror to the stoic's concept of fate or stoic Christian's version, predestination--as well as the fiction writer's artful lie in the service of truth.

What an amusing and amazing read this novel is. It makes me proud to be a novelist and, at times, also a joker. There's more wisdom in humor and made-up funny stories than in all of the political and serious philosophic diatribes ever penned, I believe. Jacques proves as much. if you doubt me, just consult your gourd.

Spoiler: nothing really happens!!!
This is a shaggy dog story in which Jacques attempts to tell his master a story but never really gets around to it because of layers of other events, other interrupting stories, authorial interventions (depending on who you think the author is, Diderot or someone of Diderot's invention), lines that the reader is saying (yes, that's what I said).
I think you get the idea.

Review en Français - in English - en Español

J’ai trouvé le livre lourd. Il était amusant au départ, l’histoire a des moments divertissants et coquins, mais la répétition de son modèle d’écriture m’a éventuellement fatigué.
Cependant pour ceux qui aime le genre picaresque, c’est absolument à lire.

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I found the book heavy. It was amusing at the start, the story had entertaining and naughty moments, but the continuous repetition of the writing style was eventually tiresome.
However for those who like the picaresque genre, it’s a must read.

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Encontré este libro pesado. Al principio era divertido, la historia tenía momentos chuscos y traviesos, pero la repetición de su modelo de escritura se vuelve cansado.
Sin embargo para los que le gustan el género picaresco, es una lectura obligatoria.

3'5. S'ha patit, per lo llarg q és el format q té se m'ha fet bola. No está malament he rigut i ha dit coses interessants i cap al final les últimes 70 pàgines o així agafa ritme, però me n'alegro d'haver-lo acabat ja.

ژاک، اگر آن بالا نوشته باشد که ناموست به باد برود، می‌رود؛ برعکس، اگر نوشته باشد که ناموست به باد نرود، هر کاری کنند، نمی‌رود؛ پس بخواب، برادر من...

از صفحهٔ ۳۵۸، برگردان مینو مشیری، چاپ دوم ۱۳۸۷ فرهنگ نشر نو

What fun! How many novels will have a narrator that argues with you? Or insist that it isn't a novel? Diderot is telling a series of engaging stories but delights in pointing out his power as a narrator to change the facts of the story at will. He also occasionally takes shots at the traditional enemies of the Enlightenment like organized religion, predestination, and corruption.