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A review by stitchsaddiction
Gentleman Jack: The Real Anne Lister by Anne Choma
informative
medium-paced
4.0
I had heard about Anne Lister during my preteen and teenage years as I navigated my own sexual identity and devoured books on historic lesbians and homosexual men. She came across as this fascinating yet confusing person and as with many things, my interest waned.
Now, with the incredible drama by the BBC/HBO reawakened interest in the lady who would become known as Gentleman Jack after her passing and the diary she wrote throughout her life? I wanted to know more about the infamous owner of Shibden Hall in Halifax. Gentleman Jack by Anna Choma features extracts from Lister's diary and provide insight into not only her life as she searched for a life partner, but the world in which she lived and loved from the cost of items to the politics of the England she would grown up in during the late eighteenth through to her death in 1840 whilst travelling with her wife, Ann Walker.
The book was one I couldn't put down, and found myself once more fascinated by the woman who broke so many rules dictated by her gender but also finding myself losing some of the love my younger self had for her. She comes across from her diary entries as somewhat of a nightmare to be around, whether it be as a landowner dictating what her tenants are allowed to do in politics, or the way she sees herself being far above those around her. I did find myself sympathetic to her desire to find a true life partner, and to remain loyal to her religion; but also dislike how she seems to be unaware of her cold manner towards those who love her both platonic and romantic.
I may have felt slightly awful, at times when you read of her faltering in society and shown that she's not ‘all that’ after all. She deserved a few known backs from those around hertI think because she's often insufferable in her mannerisms.
The book is excellently written, with a blend of diary entries, recollections and Choma's own insight to Anne's life. It's also intriguing to see how Lister created not only her own code to write about her personal - more romantic moments with various women, but to berate those she encountered. She was certainly confident that no one would break her code and discover her secrets… She also had to create her own vocabulary for her Lesbian exploits as she didn't know what to use, and it makes me chuckle at times and blush at others.
Anne Lister was so much more than Gentleman Jack, she was a niece, a sister and friend. A landowner and hard working woman who refused to be held down by her gender and whilst this book may have removed the rose tint to my views as a teenager, she is to be admired for all she accomplished but I do dislike how she didn't appreciate the love she was given by the woman, Ann Walker who risked it all for her.
Now, with the incredible drama by the BBC/HBO reawakened interest in the lady who would become known as Gentleman Jack after her passing and the diary she wrote throughout her life? I wanted to know more about the infamous owner of Shibden Hall in Halifax. Gentleman Jack by Anna Choma features extracts from Lister's diary and provide insight into not only her life as she searched for a life partner, but the world in which she lived and loved from the cost of items to the politics of the England she would grown up in during the late eighteenth through to her death in 1840 whilst travelling with her wife, Ann Walker.
The book was one I couldn't put down, and found myself once more fascinated by the woman who broke so many rules dictated by her gender but also finding myself losing some of the love my younger self had for her. She comes across from her diary entries as somewhat of a nightmare to be around, whether it be as a landowner dictating what her tenants are allowed to do in politics, or the way she sees herself being far above those around her. I did find myself sympathetic to her desire to find a true life partner, and to remain loyal to her religion; but also dislike how she seems to be unaware of her cold manner towards those who love her both platonic and romantic.
I may have felt slightly awful, at times when you read of her faltering in society and shown that she's not ‘all that’ after all. She deserved a few known backs from those around hertI think because she's often insufferable in her mannerisms.
The book is excellently written, with a blend of diary entries, recollections and Choma's own insight to Anne's life. It's also intriguing to see how Lister created not only her own code to write about her personal - more romantic moments with various women, but to berate those she encountered. She was certainly confident that no one would break her code and discover her secrets… She also had to create her own vocabulary for her Lesbian exploits as she didn't know what to use, and it makes me chuckle at times and blush at others.
Anne Lister was so much more than Gentleman Jack, she was a niece, a sister and friend. A landowner and hard working woman who refused to be held down by her gender and whilst this book may have removed the rose tint to my views as a teenager, she is to be admired for all she accomplished but I do dislike how she didn't appreciate the love she was given by the woman, Ann Walker who risked it all for her.