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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
When I initially decided to read this, I thought it would read like a novel, however, it is a biography of Anne‘s life. It inspired me to watch the bbc series which I absolutely love, and so I’m not interested in reading the biography. I tried to carry on with it whilst still watching the tv series, but my heart isn’t in it.
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Don’t make fun of me but I’ve just discovered Libby, and I’ve been loving it. I don’t like listening to fiction so I’ve been listening to nonfiction and it’s been GREAT.
I just finished Gentleman Jack: The Real Anne Lister by Anne Choma, the account of one of the first explicitly lesbian historical figures. Anne kept a meticulous diary from her 25th birthday to her death at 49, that totaled 28 volumes and over 5 million words, half of it written in code. When her ancestor discovered her diaries behind old paneling in the 1930s, discovering her lesbianism, he was going to burn them but decided against it and they were rediscovered decades later.
Anne Lister is one of my favorite historical figures because she’s such a contradiction. She was a true blue Tory (🤮) and ardent classist, but also a world traveler, landowner, shrewd businesswoman, and lesbian. She had many lovers and often seduced other women, even developing a secret code for orgasms and bringing other women orgasms in her diary.
The book offers a disappointingly short look at her life from 1828 when she had love troubles when one of her paramour’s married a man, to 1834 wedding to Anne Walker (so many Anne’s!!!). While I enjoyed the detail this book brings, and how it brought the story to life, I bitterly wish it was a full biography and not just a snippet of her pursuit of a wife.
But alas, it is all I have, and I enjoyed it greatly.
4/5 stars.
I just finished Gentleman Jack: The Real Anne Lister by Anne Choma, the account of one of the first explicitly lesbian historical figures. Anne kept a meticulous diary from her 25th birthday to her death at 49, that totaled 28 volumes and over 5 million words, half of it written in code. When her ancestor discovered her diaries behind old paneling in the 1930s, discovering her lesbianism, he was going to burn them but decided against it and they were rediscovered decades later.
Anne Lister is one of my favorite historical figures because she’s such a contradiction. She was a true blue Tory (🤮) and ardent classist, but also a world traveler, landowner, shrewd businesswoman, and lesbian. She had many lovers and often seduced other women, even developing a secret code for orgasms and bringing other women orgasms in her diary.
The book offers a disappointingly short look at her life from 1828 when she had love troubles when one of her paramour’s married a man, to 1834 wedding to Anne Walker (so many Anne’s!!!). While I enjoyed the detail this book brings, and how it brought the story to life, I bitterly wish it was a full biography and not just a snippet of her pursuit of a wife.
But alas, it is all I have, and I enjoyed it greatly.
4/5 stars.
informative
fast-paced
Pleasantly surprised by how accurate the TV series turns out to have portrayed the real Anne Lister. By focusing on the part of Anne’s life that the first season portrays, this is a wonderful introduction to the real Anne before continuing with other biographies that tell more about the parts of her life that weren’t portrayed on screen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
For me, the mark of a good non-fiction title is something with a strong narrative that makes me want to learn more about the subject. Choma accomplishes this for me in part because Miss Lister is such a complex and compelling figure. There were times when I felt like I was reading about a 19th century version of my own wife who shares a similar efficient, frank sensibility, fully developed sense of self(minus the classism and snobbery). Perfect for someone wanting to know the history behind the events of the HBO series without a deep dive into all of Anne Lister’s prolific diaries.
If you’re watching the TV series, you should read this book too, to get the full picture.
I would love to have this era covered in the edited diary form available for earlier sections of Anne Lister’s life, but in the absence of that, this book has some nice quotes.
I would love to have this era covered in the edited diary form available for earlier sections of Anne Lister’s life, but in the absence of that, this book has some nice quotes.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
If you’ve watch Gentleman Jack (which, if you have access to HBO and haven’t, you SHOULD), this is an excellent follow up. It’s understandable that there would be changes from real life events to the dramatized TV show but really, it’s shocking how much they didn’t change, how much of what is shown in the TV show is what actually happened.