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Fanny And Stella: The Young Men Who Shocked Victorian England (2013)

by Neil McKenna(Favorite Author)

3.56 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

057123190X (ISBN13: 9780571231904)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

faber and faber

review 1: Possibly the best history book I've read so far this year. Fanny and Stella is a fascinating story, brilliantly and engagingly told. I had never heard of this case before, but was sucked in by the blurb on the back which promised the really interesting tale that the book delivered. I haven't read a lot of gay/queer history - but this is a fascinating and accessible introduction to what I'm sure are a wealth of stories waiting to be told and read.
review 2: To start with I was disappointed that it wasn't a story - a nice narrative from start to finish.... But after a couple of chapters I realised it was easy enough to read despite the (slightly odd) format - it's neither storytelling nor fact. Hard to describe, but it goes in easier than a factual account al... moreone. It does jump around a little and I didn't always try hard enough to remember who's who as there were so many characters in and out. It's really rather rude (crude?) in places, yet I'm sure it probably is a reasonable estimate of how people would have described things and spoken in those days. Slight tangent but not so long ago my work book group read A House of Silk, and somebody asked whether 'that type of thing really went on then?' - well apparently yes according to some of the additional info in this book!I have chosen this book for a reading group who are set to read it for our January meeting, half way through I began questioning whether I should withdraw it - but I've come round now. At least it'll give people something to talk about, even if they hate it.I did find the end rather disappointing as it seems to fizzle out a bit.... I found myself just wanting to get to the end so I could return it to the library and get onto my next book. However, I'm glad that I've read it - I did learn a lot about that period of time that I hadn't been aware of..... How things have changed hey?(-ish). less

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