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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
I was lucky to finish my first watch of Series 1 of Gentleman Jack a week before Series 2 began, so I managed to get straight into it without having to wait around too much for new episodes. I absolutely adored it; it is one of the best historical pieces I've watched with amazing writing, beautifully nuanced characters (from true people), and really gets into the important issues of the era, alongside very timeless themes. The queer representation is the cherry on top. It's also incredibly moving and funny and sweet.
This book is a wonderful companion to it. It only covers a short segment of Anne Lister's amazing life but shows how she defied gender and sexuality norms of the period, dressing in a 'masculine' way, taking command of the day-to-day runnings of her estate, and planning to marry a woman. She wonderfully navigated social and cultural and political spheres, while flirting and having sexual relations with many women of society over her life. And she also left an amazing, huge diary, detailing everything in her days. Which is an absolute treasure of history. Rarely do we get that level of detail in a certain era.
I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this look at her words. It's not just about the big parts of her era but things you don't always hear about – the little things like prices of items, daily thoughts about clothing and attitudes and agriculture, and also candid discussions of sex and periods and intimate relationships and mental health (some of which are originally in code). Her writing is beautiful and honest, and the book itself, guiding the reader around the intimidating amount of content, is wonderful and exciting, as much as any fiction book about the period.
I highly recommend both the BBC series and this companion book.
This book is a wonderful companion to it. It only covers a short segment of Anne Lister's amazing life but shows how she defied gender and sexuality norms of the period, dressing in a 'masculine' way, taking command of the day-to-day runnings of her estate, and planning to marry a woman. She wonderfully navigated social and cultural and political spheres, while flirting and having sexual relations with many women of society over her life. And she also left an amazing, huge diary, detailing everything in her days. Which is an absolute treasure of history. Rarely do we get that level of detail in a certain era.
I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this look at her words. It's not just about the big parts of her era but things you don't always hear about – the little things like prices of items, daily thoughts about clothing and attitudes and agriculture, and also candid discussions of sex and periods and intimate relationships and mental health (some of which are originally in code). Her writing is beautiful and honest, and the book itself, guiding the reader around the intimidating amount of content, is wonderful and exciting, as much as any fiction book about the period.
I highly recommend both the BBC series and this companion book.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
I understand why the author limited this biography to one “season” of Anne’s life, but I wanted more! What a fascinating woman- I appreciated the larger world context and the direct quotes from Anne’s diaries.
This was a fascinating read if you have already seen the show and want to learn more about Anne Lister's real life. Of note: this only covers the years of her life discussed in the first season of the TV Series. I definitely want to read more from Anne Lister's diaries now.
Anne Lister truly had a way with words and was descriptive, self-aware, and highly intelligent. I laughed, cringed, and cried along with the book as she went through what I found to be pretty universal lesbian struggles. It's amazing how some things such as lesbian drama never change. Alas, the dreaded 'straight girl' crush and inevitable whiplash of one-sided affection was definitely more complicated to navigate back then due to power and social politics. This led to much confusion and heartbreak for Anne throughout her love life.
The only reason this book didn't receive a higher score is that I believe it couldn't real stand alone without being invested in the show first. It is very well written but pretty narrow in scope. If you have seen it already I highly recommend it. If you have not, I would watch the show first before reading.
Anne Lister truly had a way with words and was descriptive, self-aware, and highly intelligent. I laughed, cringed, and cried along with the book as she went through what I found to be pretty universal lesbian struggles. It's amazing how some things such as lesbian drama never change. Alas, the dreaded 'straight girl' crush and inevitable whiplash of one-sided affection was definitely more complicated to navigate back then due to power and social politics. This led to much confusion and heartbreak for Anne throughout her love life.
The only reason this book didn't receive a higher score is that I believe it couldn't real stand alone without being invested in the show first. It is very well written but pretty narrow in scope. If you have seen it already I highly recommend it. If you have not, I would watch the show first before reading.
This is a wonderful snapshot of this brave and bold, woman’s life. How difficult it has been this century to be different from the norm, and to stand out, I can only imagine how hard it was for Anne Lister in the 1800’s. Well done her!
informative
relaxing
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
medium-paced