bookpossum's review against another edition
3.0
A light and interesting read, faction rather than non-fiction, with a lot on how people felt, what they thought and so on. McKenna could well be quite accurate on these things, but he doesn't actually know it.
visorforavisor's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Neil McKenna’s Fanny and Stella is a mixed bag.
To sum up its positives: it’s a gloriously written perspective on an integral and often forgotten part of queer history; it is very respectful of the shifting, changing, unorthodox identities of the women themselves; it gives a concise and informative vignette of the situation for queer people in late-Victorian times; it shows the overlaps of the treatment of trans women and gay men in this era, because oppressors have never cared about the difference.
To sum up its negatives: it’s a really, really odd mixture of narrative and fact, unable to decide which it is, and which describes people’s thoughts and emotions in a manner bordering on conjecture; it appears at times to be grasping at straws for topics to fill the pages.
All of this said, it was a wonderful read which I strongly recommend to anyone looking to expand their knowledge of queer history of the era. It even references, in its epilogue, the even less famous 1884 trial of several Dublin Castle officials, which is far more complex than Fanny and Stella’s in its political implications. The style in which the book discusses the two women at its centre is reverent and respectful. It truly does feel like the book is honouring the two of them. As well as this, its discussions of sex work, homophobia, and other such facts of Victorian life were frank and easy to read.
Well worth picking up a copy of this!
To sum up its positives: it’s a gloriously written perspective on an integral and often forgotten part of queer history; it is very respectful of the shifting, changing, unorthodox identities of the women themselves; it gives a concise and informative vignette of the situation for queer people in late-Victorian times; it shows the overlaps of the treatment of trans women and gay men in this era, because oppressors have never cared about the difference.
To sum up its negatives: it’s a really, really odd mixture of narrative and fact, unable to decide which it is, and which describes people’s thoughts and emotions in a manner bordering on conjecture; it appears at times to be grasping at straws for topics to fill the pages.
All of this said, it was a wonderful read which I strongly recommend to anyone looking to expand their knowledge of queer history of the era. It even references, in its epilogue, the even less famous 1884 trial of several Dublin Castle officials, which is far more complex than Fanny and Stella’s in its political implications. The style in which the book discusses the two women at its centre is reverent and respectful. It truly does feel like the book is honouring the two of them. As well as this, its discussions of sex work, homophobia, and other such facts of Victorian life were frank and easy to read.
Well worth picking up a copy of this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Homophobia, and Transphobia
lbrex's review
4.0
_Fanny & Stella_ is an entertaining read, and I'm pleased that it will expand public knowledge about these two fascinating Victorian cross-dressing men. The information about the trial and the public's consumption of it (as well as information about reactions to Fanny and Stella's public displays) will change some people's views on the Victorian period. McKenna puts together a compelling, page-turning narrative and includes a lot of stylistic humor.
I did have some concerns with the scholarship, though. At one point (in chapter 21), McKenna presents extracts from John Saul's pornographic text, _The Sins of the Cities of the Plain_ ([b:The Sins of the Cities of the Plain|6036218|The Sins of the Cities of the Plain|Anonymous|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356176347s/6036218.jpg|42577147]), as seemingly documentary evidence for a sexual encounter between Ernest Boulton (Stella) and Lord Arthur Clinton. While there is evidence of a real sex-worker named Jack Saul, it's not clear to me that his _Sins_ purports to present records of actual encounters despite the fact that it talks about real people; I would suspect that his text is in part sexual fantasy rather than "documentary pornography". I wish that McKenna had been a bit more up-front with his readers about the highly speculative nature of Saul's (quite entertaining) narrative at that point in the book.
Also, despite the panache of Fanny and Stella, I ended up finding this story rather sad. Although the courtroom proceedings are described in a breezy, humorous way, it's clear that the health of many of the men involved in this scandal suffered greatly from the incarceration forced upon them during the trial. There is also something chilling about Fanny and Stella appearing in court, months after their arrest, with facial hair, men's clothes, and a "butched up appearance." People may survive a scandal like this, but health is clearly impacted, and both men were forced (in certain instances) to drop the gender nonconformity that seemed to give them so much pleasure.
I did have some concerns with the scholarship, though. At one point (in chapter 21), McKenna presents extracts from John Saul's pornographic text, _The Sins of the Cities of the Plain_ ([b:The Sins of the Cities of the Plain|6036218|The Sins of the Cities of the Plain|Anonymous|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356176347s/6036218.jpg|42577147]), as seemingly documentary evidence for a sexual encounter between Ernest Boulton (Stella) and Lord Arthur Clinton. While there is evidence of a real sex-worker named Jack Saul, it's not clear to me that his _Sins_ purports to present records of actual encounters despite the fact that it talks about real people; I would suspect that his text is in part sexual fantasy rather than "documentary pornography". I wish that McKenna had been a bit more up-front with his readers about the highly speculative nature of Saul's (quite entertaining) narrative at that point in the book.
Also, despite the panache of Fanny and Stella, I ended up finding this story rather sad. Although the courtroom proceedings are described in a breezy, humorous way, it's clear that the health of many of the men involved in this scandal suffered greatly from the incarceration forced upon them during the trial. There is also something chilling about Fanny and Stella appearing in court, months after their arrest, with facial hair, men's clothes, and a "butched up appearance." People may survive a scandal like this, but health is clearly impacted, and both men were forced (in certain instances) to drop the gender nonconformity that seemed to give them so much pleasure.
verityw's review against another edition
5.0
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.
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.
persey's review against another edition
3.0
It wasn't what I expected, but I thought McKenna's "novelization" of Fanny and Stella and his camp prose were effective means to interpret his subject matter. It would have been better if not so cliche-ridden and a tic of using three synonyms where one word would have sufficed irritated, but it was an entertaining and even thought-provoking read.
othervee's review against another edition
4.0
Despite the fact that McKenna is clearly embroidering upon fact in many places (I doubt that so many of the players in Fanny and Stella's drama left such vivid accounts of what they were thinking and feeling) I found this a worthwhile read - once I got used to the style. Fanny and Stella themselves come across as suitably complicated people, neither idolised nor demonised here. The embellishment did not detract from the well-researched factual accounts, which shine a light on part of Victorian society which I've known very little about. I'm going to go back and reread the chapter on homosexuality in Deborah Cohen's 'Family Secrets' now, to see how it compares.
ejdecoster's review against another edition
4.0
A throroughly researched and detailed rendition of a fascinating story. McKenna does a good job representing Fanny and Stella without overt sensationalizing, and I think his tone matches the story well.
lushbug's review against another edition
3.0
Really interesting book on a topic that doesn't seem to get much coverage!
Definitely one for the grown ups as there a lot graphic information and it isn't for the easily offended!
Definitely one for the grown ups as there a lot graphic information and it isn't for the easily offended!
tesch18's review against another edition
2.0
This author needs to actually learn how to write nonfiction. Fanny and Stella is such a mess, with the author providing interpretation and his own opinions as fact. This reads like a piece of fiction, and it's only through the lack of fictional dialogue that it can even be passed off as nonfiction. It's honestly the worst piece of scholarship I've ever had the misfortune to read, and I didn't even manage to get beyond the first 155 pages. There was no index, no proper footnotes, and very little done in the way of a bibliography. It was almost more sensationalized than the newspapers that covered this trial back in the 1870s.
Would I recommend this book to anyone? Absolutely not. If you're looking for an account of the trial -- which I was, for an academic paper -- then just use the first part of [b:Sodom on the Thames: Sex, Love, and Scandal in Wilde Times|1025812|Sodom on the Thames Sex, Love, and Scandal in Wilde Times|Morris B. Kaplan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348586567s/1025812.jpg|1012056]. That book is actually well-sourced with well-supported claims, unlike this piece of crap I got half-way through. A complete waste of money.
Would I recommend this book to anyone? Absolutely not. If you're looking for an account of the trial -- which I was, for an academic paper -- then just use the first part of [b:Sodom on the Thames: Sex, Love, and Scandal in Wilde Times|1025812|Sodom on the Thames Sex, Love, and Scandal in Wilde Times|Morris B. Kaplan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348586567s/1025812.jpg|1012056]. That book is actually well-sourced with well-supported claims, unlike this piece of crap I got half-way through. A complete waste of money.