Hard Times by Charles Dickens
This novel presents a social critique of industrial Victorian England through the story of the Gradgrind family. The patriarch, a staunch believer in the practicality of facts and statistics, raises his children in a sterile, emotionless environment, causing his daughter to enter a loveless marriage and his son to become a dissipated gambler. The narrative explores themes of industrialization, utilitarianism, and the dehumanizing effects of mechanization on the working class, ultimately advocating for a balanced education that includes both facts and feelings.
The 1272nd greatest book of all time
- Published
- 1854
- Nationality
- British
- Type
- Fiction
- Pages
- 272-352
- Words
- 104,000
- Original Language
- English
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This book is on the following lists:
- 118th on The Complete 500: OCLC (OCLC)
- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics (Book)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)