Who is Tristram Shandy from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy and what is their importance?

Tristram is only a main character in that he is the narrator. He appears very little in the story itself apart from the one volume he dedicates to his travels around France. In general, we only get to know him from what the other characters say, in particular his father. As narrator, he is witty and opinionated with a genuine love for all the characters, apart from his mother, who he often criticizes. It is through our knowledge of his family that the reader is able to paint a picture of Tristram as a person. For example, his own philosophical ramblings are similar to his father's and he pays homage to his brother, Bobby, by taking a trip his brother would have taken but for his early death.