Gentleman Jack: The Real Anne Lister The Official Companion to the BBC Series

Reviews

CrazyDogLady

Most especially, the difficulty of getting inside Miss Walker's thick knitted drawers; well it is West Yorkshire, combinations are still popular there, and for good reason! I was so surprised to learn that a lot of what happened in the show actually happened in real life. Some pages had more code than others, and all of them show how eye wateringly hard it is to read Anne Lister's diaries; the code is easier to read than her 'plain hand'.

rachel

There’s no doubt that there is plenty more to be discovered concerning her extraordinary life beyond the chronology of this relationship and timeline (as is evident with some of the background info and inclusion of some of Anne’s travel diaries), but as an introduction and series guide, it absolutely does the trick. The book came next day and in perfect condition, absolutely the best buy I've made. If you loved the 'Gentleman Jack' TV drama you should read this book, it'll sort out the timelines and give lots of extra insight.

skgway

Give more details of what were happened to Anne Lister and Ann Walker in 1900's This subtly shows the reader how lucky we are to have so much of it typed out for us, and (I'm sure) the migraines suffered by others so that we can. About halfway through and it’s a good book!

Beth

I was a bit familiar with the story of Anne Lister previously, but this book was great for specifically exploring this period of Anne’s life, and in particular, her relationship with Ann Walker. I have nothing to complain about and everything to brag about.

Joanne Parris

If you are looking for historical social comment, a window in the the early 19th Century, an exploration of Britain's industrial past, a European travelogue, a jolly romp of a book or a romance, read this book. The only thing I really disagree with the author about is her description of Anne Lister's hair, which was perfectly normal for the time, just not overblown, but one of the things that delighted me, as a visual artist, was the use of a different diary page with each chapter. Along with helpful commentary from the author to provide context and supplemental information, the reader's provided a portrait of Anne Lister without being overwhelmed by diving straight into transcribed diaries or a full biography. The introduction hops about like a flea in terms of timelines, but it does leave you wanting to know more, much more, which is exactly what every good introduction should do.

A. Menec

It’s amazing how she recorded her life and every detail. If you didn't like the 'Gentleman Jack' TV drama, because it seemed all too far fetched, over acted or simply unbelievably energetic, you should read this book, then you'll find out that, yes, Anne Lister really was like that and in her own words! I love Gentleman Jack show on HBO and found this book which was written by the Historical Adviser of the show.

It makes an excellent companion piece to the HBO series, which moves quickly, so the book helps satisfy the desire to know more about these intriguing women with excerpts from diary entries and letters between Anne and others at the time. I got this because I really liked the show and it is a really interesting good book. Anne Choma clearly loves her subject but isn't rose tinted about some of Anne's less positive sides, she does however give us some of the great insight that are buried in these diaries, to help us understand what really made Anne Lister tick. I would recommend to anyone who likes the show Gentleman Jack.