Anne Lister

Anne Choma

Sally Wainwright

'There are more ways than one of being happy... I am living proof of this.' Anne Lister was remarkable. Fearless, charismatic and determined to explore her lesbian sexuality, she forged her own path in a society that had no language to define her. She was a landowner, an industrialist and a prolific diarist, whose output has secured her legacy as one of the most fascinating figures of the 19th century. Gentleman Jack: The Real Anne Lister follows Anne from her crumbling ancestral home in Yorkshire to the glittering courts of Denmark as she resolves to put past heartbreak behind her and find herself a wife. This book introduces the real Gentleman Jack, featuring unpublished journal extracts decrypted for the first time by series creator Sally Wainwright and writer Anne Choma.

The Life and Times of Anne Lister the Official Companion to the BBC Series

Gentleman Jack

In 1834, Anne Lister made history by celebrating and recording the first ever known marriage to another woman. Now the basis for the HBO series Gentleman Jack, this is her remarkable, true story. Anne Lister was extraordinary. Fearless, charismatic and determined to explore her lesbian sexuality, she forged her own path in a society that had no language to define her. She was a landowner, an industrialist and a prolific diarist, whose output has secured her legacy as one of the most fascinating figures of the 19th century. Gentleman Jack: The Real Anne Lister follows Anne from her crumbling ancestral home in Yorkshire to the glittering courts of Denmark as she resolves to put past heartbreak behind her and find herself a wife. This book introduces the real Gentleman Jack, featuring unpublished journal extracts decrypted for the first time by series creator Sally Wainwright and writer Anne Choma.

The Diaries of Anne Lister

Gentleman Jack (Movie Tie-In)

Alexandra Gillgrass

Underwhelming

After watching the series it really sparked my curiosity to know more about this incredible lady's life. In essence, I thought this book would have gone into more detail on the actual diary entries that Lister spent her whole life writing. But because it was a series tie in I felt it was more of a general overview of her life. I felt that the writing was quite stiff and as a result, it took me longer to get through than I would have liked. 
My favourite parts were the diary extracts, especially the real chunky ones. I kind of felt like an opportunity was missed to do an in-depth analysis of the entries, but again this was not the book's intention. 
This is a good starting point for Anne Lister's life in more general terms. It goes into quite a lot of detail into her background in business and also her family. I really wanted an in-depth analysis of her lesbianism but I suppose there was more to her than just that.

Gentleman Jack The Life and Times of Anne Lister the Official Companion to the BBC Series

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