My fav author is Jane Austen because I love the language she uses. Not just the fact that the words are old, but the way she uses the old words. And I feel like she is very matter-of-fact, descriptive but not too descriptive (idk if this makes any sense). Anyways, I just finished Northanger Abbey and thought to myself “I would love to read something like this but with lesbian romance instead”. I tried to read Vanilla Kisses by C.C. Burns, but the language is too “modern”, it doesn’t feel like it was written in the 1800s. Which I know it wasn’t, but I want a book about high society lesbian romance that feels like Jane Austen wrote it in 1804 or something. Does that exist? Please and thank you 🙏
by Unlikely_Jill_3122
2 Comments
I have a few 19th century lesbian recs BUT I feel the main caveat is: Jane Austen is happy, these are not. ( If you’re good with that though, lmk)
Also, do you know about Anne Lister? She was a real person, considered the first modern lesbian, and lived in regency England. She kept a several million word long journal about her experiences ( which, along with multiple relationships with women, also included included the first recorded same sex marriage, mountaineering in Europe, eating lunch in proximity to a whale skeleton in France, and general high society drama). The journals are published and are a genuinely fun read. I love the initial Helena Whitbread edited version covering Lister’s 20s, as it really makes you realise that for all the world we live in has changed, a lot of fundamental human experiences — being so preoccupied with waking up early the next day you keep yourself awake and sleep in, awkward ex encounters, petty arguments with your sibling, etc — stay the same. On the opposite side of the coin, rich people in the 19th century sure did just *do whatever* which is so entertaining, like she had a friend John who built one of the first working electric generators and invited her to come and touch it as she was curious what an electric shock felt like. I especially recommend the Anne Choma annotated biography as Choma’s explanations and biography makes it much easier to understand what is going on, but even if you don’t feel like tackling the behemoth ( she obviously didn’t write for an audience and it shows), she’s just cool to know about!!
You could try Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, it’s an early lesbian novella that inspired Dracula. Although it’s a bit later 1872 and might be too goth. Goodluck!