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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Steidele "did not attempt to transcribe any coded passages or new pages" herself... This book is her interpretation of Miss Lister, and her opinions are based off of other works (works of people who actually did their research and spent years and years transcribing and translating Anne's journals). There are historical inaccuracies (i.e. Mariana Lawton didn't die before her husband) and sometimes the conclusions she jumps to are just wrong.
Steidele takes quotes from Anne's journal and presents then without context, rearranging them to fit the way she's telling the story. More than once she implies things backed up by zero evidence, as to suggest other meanings and implications of the facts, never properly explaining what she's actually trying to say and why it's historically relevant. For example at some point Steidele writes: "Ann [Walker] must have come across Eliza Raine in the asylum, as she lived there until her death in 1860. Anne Lister’s first and last lovers were both declared insane" what is she trying to imply here? Or, about Isabella Norcliffe drinking habit: "It never occurred to Anne that she herself might be driving Isabella to drink." and it just comes out of nowhere. These things bothered me a lot.
The context, the society, the culture, and just how things were back in the 19th century are never explained. The author never bothers to actually stop for a second and consider the time period when Anne Lister lived, she just holds her to modern standards and judges her. I've read quite a lot of books and papers about Anne Lister, and I'm translating her journals, and the things this woman accomplished and how she managed to navigate a man's world in the early 19th century, not only as a woman but as a businesswoman and as a lesbian is incredible, is inspiring, and this book has nothing of that.
This book is not a good history book. If you're really interested in Anne Lister, in trying to know her and understand her, maybe read everything that's in this book bibliography but not this book. Read Liddington and Whitbread, Orr and Euler, or even better, read Anne Lister's actual journals which are available online at the West Yorkshire Archive, don't read this, please.
I knew what I was getting into when I decided to read this book, I knew it was gonna make me quite mad and sad. But I wanted to read it because it seems that this is one of the first books people tend to pick up when firstly getting into Anne Lister and I wanted to be informed, properly, so I can express my opinion about it when it comes up in conversations.
Steidele takes quotes from Anne's journal and presents then without context, rearranging them to fit the way she's telling the story. More than once she implies things backed up by zero evidence, as to suggest other meanings and implications of the facts, never properly explaining what she's actually trying to say and why it's historically relevant. For example at some point Steidele writes: "Ann [Walker] must have come across Eliza Raine in the asylum, as she lived there until her death in 1860. Anne Lister’s first and last lovers were both declared insane" what is she trying to imply here? Or, about Isabella Norcliffe drinking habit: "It never occurred to Anne that she herself might be driving Isabella to drink." and it just comes out of nowhere. These things bothered me a lot.
The context, the society, the culture, and just how things were back in the 19th century are never explained. The author never bothers to actually stop for a second and consider the time period when Anne Lister lived, she just holds her to modern standards and judges her. I've read quite a lot of books and papers about Anne Lister, and I'm translating her journals, and the things this woman accomplished and how she managed to navigate a man's world in the early 19th century, not only as a woman but as a businesswoman and as a lesbian is incredible, is inspiring, and this book has nothing of that.
This book is not a good history book. If you're really interested in Anne Lister, in trying to know her and understand her, maybe read everything that's in this book bibliography but not this book. Read Liddington and Whitbread, Orr and Euler, or even better, read Anne Lister's actual journals which are available online at the West Yorkshire Archive, don't read this, please.
I knew what I was getting into when I decided to read this book, I knew it was gonna make me quite mad and sad. But I wanted to read it because it seems that this is one of the first books people tend to pick up when firstly getting into Anne Lister and I wanted to be informed, properly, so I can express my opinion about it when it comes up in conversations.
Originally posted at https://www.instagram.com/p/Bput22eH6BW/
If you are planning to watch the BBC dramatization of Anne Lister's life next year, you absolutely must read this biography. Even if you aren't planning to watch the series, you should definitely read this biography as Anne was fascinating, truly fascinating.
If you are planning to watch the BBC dramatization of Anne Lister's life next year, you absolutely must read this biography. Even if you aren't planning to watch the series, you should definitely read this biography as Anne was fascinating, truly fascinating.
informative
medium-paced
Anne Lister is an endlessly interesting person - strong-willed, sensitive, open, and sometimes hilarious. Gentleman Jack is largely composed of portions of Anne's (very extensive) diaries, which have been hidden -- at times behind trapdoors -- for centuries. Anne was very open about her attraction to women and her lack of attraction to men, and this was apparently too much for historians to handle for many, many years.
The story of Anne's life exposed me to a time before anti-gay stigma and demonstrated the humanity of people who lived long ago. Anne Lister may have lived almost 200 years ago, but she is very familiar. She was a badass woman who loved women, loved to travel, and above all else, was in search of human connection, love, and stability. How comforting it is that we all want similar things at the end of the day.
(full review at jdreads.com)
The story of Anne's life exposed me to a time before anti-gay stigma and demonstrated the humanity of people who lived long ago. Anne Lister may have lived almost 200 years ago, but she is very familiar. She was a badass woman who loved women, loved to travel, and above all else, was in search of human connection, love, and stability. How comforting it is that we all want similar things at the end of the day.
(full review at jdreads.com)
Have not seen the Netflix series but I do know that the real-life story of Anne Lister is incredible. This novel was extremely informative and not having any other to reference, this very good. Just goes to show that we don't know what we don't know.
I'm always amazed at how much Victorian society so majorly shifted social change.
I'm not sure what to make of the author's take on the Bronte sisters being influenced by Anne but it's not a far leap. I think this very small part of the book distracted me somewhat.
Would love to read all 4 million words by Anne but hell no. This will do just fine.
I'm always amazed at how much Victorian society so majorly shifted social change.
I'm not sure what to make of the author's take on the Bronte sisters being influenced by Anne but it's not a far leap. I think this very small part of the book distracted me somewhat.
Would love to read all 4 million words by Anne but hell no. This will do just fine.
DNF. Got bored of reading about her stringing along three separate women, and could only assume there was more of the same to come.
Terribly dull, read to the page 35. I couldn’t take anymore of the fuckboy attitude and rather nasty way of speaking about her romantic interests. This book is basically an outline of Lister’s life and lovers. The writing has no feeling and is very clinical/basic. One star for the pretty cover.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
What a Ride!
This book was very well sourced and researched, and I enjoyed the author's style. Occasionally, some parts would get a bit confusing due to the similarities of people's names, but the author got me right back on track. This book tells us so much that the show leaves out, and it painted such a clear picture of Anne. Much like the author (and Anne's many lovers), I fell in love with Anne, and then she let me down.
This book was very well sourced and researched, and I enjoyed the author's style. Occasionally, some parts would get a bit confusing due to the similarities of people's names, but the author got me right back on track. This book tells us so much that the show leaves out, and it painted such a clear picture of Anne. Much like the author (and Anne's many lovers), I fell in love with Anne, and then she let me down.
informative
slow-paced