3.89 AVERAGE


3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

I don't have a very strong opinion about this book one way or the other. It was entertaining and gave me a good summary of Anne Lister's life. Now I know about her but don't have to read her full diaries. Rounded up to 4 because it seems like it was quite the task to read all of what Anne wrote and then summarize the key events in her life. Her life was incredibly interesting and so unique compared to a typical narrative of the time. It makes me appreciate the vastness of history in a way and wonder at how much variety there really was in the past. Anne Lister happened to document her life in extreme detail (and it managed to survive this long), but how many others were living "alternative" lives that we'll never know about? It's just interesting to think about.

I haven't actually watched the TV series yet, so maybe that affected my reading experience/the enjoyment I got out of it.

vmp5062's review

4.0
informative reflective slow-paced

elishamariegilb's review

4.0
informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

caitlinmchugh24's review

3.0

Interesting story. Wished the book talked more about the 10 years the characters were married besides saying they traveled. The italics were also distracting to me. But it was a fast paced and informative book with a worthy person from history at its center.
informative medium-paced

A really interesting look at the story of the real life Anne Lister - and how she navigated her world and sexuality. Thought-provoking and honest.

loganslovelylibrary's review

4.0

Fascinated by Anne Lister, I had to read this book when I found out about it. Reading her journal entries were quite amazing, and the narration effectively frames Anne’s writings (without them I’d most likely get very confused). I only wish that the book had covered a bit more material that wasn’t covered in the Gentleman Jack tv show, but that’s to be expected since this is more of a companion book. I do feel like the ending was very rushed, I wanted to know more about Anne Lister and Ann Walker’s life together, and especially more information about how Anne died and how that effected the people around her. *sigh* guess I’m just doomed to reading her Wikipedia page over and over again.

Overall a quick, easy, engaging, and informative read. Would recommend.

Originally picked this up in paper, but saw the library audio was available - which is really interesting bc they got a second narrator to read the longer diary excerpts and shed used a Yorkshire accent, so we got to hear something approaching Anne Lister’s own accent. It’s a wee bit boring in places, since this is book concentrating on letters and a diary so it is hard for the biographer to “plot” the book. However, Anne is a fascinating contradiction of a woman as this is an excellent companion to the TV series.
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mesy_mark's review

3.0

Anne Lister has some traits that I like about her. She wrote madly in her journals (like me) She came to her sexual identity ( I my gender identity) that fell out of mainstream norms. She likes to learn to cut up things (if only I could still do that). And finally, she had a love of books (like me and my collection).

And this book, which looks towards more of the HBO/BBC script in the timeline of start to end, shows something that I did not see in the few episodes I have watched about Anne. Like she definitely had a thing of money about her. She in her main goal of a lover included the upper class and the wealthy. Someone that ould take her places.

Another thing that I have loved was that her journal entries give us inside the mind of a lived lesbian, one that was more of a butch presenting, showing the early states of being gay.

This book was good and interesting. The audiobook version of this book was grand and seem to really bring the legacy of Anne to life- the first wedded lesbian.

Fascinating and well researched account of an intriguing historical figure. Fills in some gaps from the TV show, which has tragically been cancelled.