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Hard Times

By Charles Dickens
Series: Penguin Clothbound Classics
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Hard Times by Charles Dickens is set in the bleak industrial town of Coketown, where rigid utilitarian philosophies dominate education and daily life. The story explores the lives of the characters tied to the stern headmaster, Mr. Gradgrind, who raises his children under cold, fact-driven principles. As the characters navigate personal struggles and societal pressures, the novel delves into themes of compassion, social justice, and the limitations of a purely fact-based worldview.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate thought-provoking social commentary and complex character development set in the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution. It delves into themes of utilitarianism, the rigidity of education, and the struggles of the working class, offering a compelling critique of society with Dickens's signature wit and keen observations.

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Hard Times

Coketown is dominated by the figure of Mr Thomas Gradgrind, school headmaster and model of Utilitarian success. Feeding both his pupils and family with facts, he bans fancy and wonder from any young minds. As a consequence his obedient daughter Louisa marries the loveless businessman and 'bully of humanity' Mr Bounderby.

Coketown is dominated by the figure of Mr Thomas Gradgrind, school headmaster and model of Utilitarian success. Feeding both his pupils and family with facts, he bans fancy and wonder from any young minds.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Hard Times, Dickens's satirical and enduring classic, is now available in a gorgeous new clothbound edition.

This edition is part of Penguin's beautiful hardback Clothbound Classics series, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. These delectable and collectible editions are bound in high-quality colourful, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design.

Coketown is dominated by the figure of Mr Thomas Gradgrind, school headmaster and model of Utilitarian success. Feeding both his pupils and family with facts, he bans fancy and wonder from any young minds. As a consequence, his obedient daughter Louisa marries the loveless businessman and 'bully of humanity' Mr Bounderby, and his son Tom rebels to become embroiled in gambling and robbery.

As their fortunes cross with those of free-spirited circus girl Sissy Jupe and victimised weaver Stephen Blackpool, Gradgrind is eventually forced to recognise the value of the human heart in an age of materialism and machinery.

Series: Penguin Clothbound Classics

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141198347

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 06 October 2011

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Kate Flint

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 207.0mm

Weight: 486g

Pages: 368

Collections

Charles Dickens Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Series: Penguin Clothbound Classics

About the Author

Charles Dickens was born on 7 February 1812. He is the author of such Classics as Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, The Old Curiosity Shop, A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield. In later works, such as Bleak House and Little Dorrit, Dickens's social criticism became more radical and his comedy more savage. His last novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, was never completed and he died on 9 June 1870. Kate Flint is Professor of English at Rutgers University. Her published work includes The Victorians and The Visual Imagination.

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