Why is Tristram Shandy considered an experimental novel?

Tristram Shandy is considered an experimental novel because it radically defies traditional narrative structures and conventions. Published by Laurence Sterne between 1759 and 1767, the work is noted for the following characteristics:

• Non-linear Narrative: The story frequently abandons chronological order, relying on endless digressions, interruptions, and stories-within-stories.12
• Narrative Devices: Sterne employs unconventional visual and textual elements, including pages filled with dashes, asterisks, or left entirely blank.1
• Psychological Depth: Influenced by Lockean psychology, the novel explores the association of ideas and the isolation of the individual, making it a significant forerunner to psychological fiction and stream-of-consciousness writing.12
• Metafictional Elements: The narrator actively engages with the reader's potential responses, and the publication process itself—released in installments—allowed Sterne to manipulate public reception and incorporate it into the narrative.13
• Critique of Language: The novel highlights the limitations of both verbal and visual language in bridging the gap between isolated individuals.132