THE SECRET DIARIES OF MISS ANNE LISTER: VOL. 1

Gran trabajo y dedicación de Helena a transcribir parte de los diarios de Anne Lister, ya estoy esperando el libro que le continúa a este!

It is super... exactly what I expected!! I saw the series on HBO Max wich made me search for more information.

I really enjoyed getting into the head of a 19th lesbian with these diaries. Not just any woman could have endured or survived the vicissitudes of what life was like back then. It's a very interesting read on how she goes about her life, business, love, education, and her untimely death. Another very inspiring part of the diary is when she visits the Ladies of Llangollen, 2 Irish lesbians who relocated to the north of Wales to escape their family and societies prejudice against their sexuality. Here's an interesting thing about that meeting, she's only able to meet one of them, the other sick. Anne realizes that these women are living the life she wants--outside of loneliness, in their own love for each other, in the context of community tolerance. She alludes to their lifestyle inspiring her in her own goals of living. The diaries are filled with the day to day responsibilities of taking care of herself and family, while trying to live as a woman in society. Evidently Anne's butchness is very apparent, prompting insults from strangers at times claiming she's a man dressed as a woman. The details of these encounters with people, acquaintances and other closeted women is interesting from a sociological point of view. The only other thing I wished this volume (2010) included, was the relationship with Ann Walker, which was absent of all mention. This relationship, I'm assuming, took place between 1825 to 1840; so essentially there is 15 years missing from the diaries. I'm not sure why these years are not included; from what I've gathered these years are Anne's most rewarding years in terms of relationship and commercial enterprise and development of the Shibden estate along with Miss Walker's property in coal mining. There's a very good documentary by Sue Perkins called: Revealing Anne Lister, which details some of that story, and the film "The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister" tells a little of this story as well. This last relationship with Ann Walker is a sort of happy ending for Anne until their travels abroad begin in 1839, only to end tragically with Anne's death. So the only big disappointment is the missing entries from these years. I wanted to know how that relationship with Miss Walker evolved with both of them keeping house in the end as partners. I almost think that there should be another volume, part 2 revealing the life of these years--I'll buy it in a New York minute when it comes out! Bottom line of these diaries is that they are a treasure, since there is not much documentation of a lesbian life of this era with such detail until these were published completely very recently (1992?). They represent a very important part of invisible lesbian history--now visible--and should be celebrated and read.

My daughter had a school project, involving that title. She was extremely pleased to find it available on Amazon.

These pages from the diary of Anne Lister shed light on the life of a remarkable and unusual woman but at the same time offer a unique insight in the life of the early 19th century middle-upper classes with both their frivolities and hardships. I enjoyed reading the book and won’t leave off here but shall continue in the discovery of the life of Miss Anne Lister, until a few days ago completely unknown to me.