Hard Times (Enriched Classics)
Dickens's widely read satirical account of the Industrial Revolution.
Dickens creates the Victorian industrial city of Coketown, in northern England, and its unforgettable citizens, such as the unwavering utilitarian Thomas Gradgrind and the factory owner Josiah Bounderby, and the result is his famous critique of capitalist philosophy, the exploitative force he believed wa...more
Dickens creates the Victorian industrial city of Coketown, in northern England, and its unforgettable citizens, such as the unwavering utilitarian Thomas Gradgrind and the factory owner Josiah Bounderby, and the result is his famous critique of capitalist philosophy, the exploitative force he believed wa...more
Mass Market Paperback, 429 pages
Published
January 2nd 2007
by Pocket
(first published 1854)
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This book is, for me, Dickens' best. I loved every second of it, the darkness of Tom's steady descent into drinking and gambling were brilliant and there were several times I found myself simply rereading a few paragraphs over and over, in awe at them. (The end of Chapter XIX, The Whelp, is something I hold in very high regard as possibly one of his best pieces of writing ever.) I want to deal with the characters individually from here, since I feel they are all very important.
Mr Gra...more
Mr Gra...more
From my blog:
NOTE: I listened to the audio version.
For some reason, I could never get into Dickens. I was an English major, for goodness' sake. I tried David Copperfield. I tried the Pickwick Papers. I tried Oliver Twist. All meh, and I didn't finish any of them. I have, however, enjoyed many a film adaptation of his novels, including Bleak House (fan. tas. tic.) and Nicholas Nickleby, so I knew that it couldn't be that bad. Anyway, my friend Hillary has recommended Har...more
NOTE: I listened to the audio version.
For some reason, I could never get into Dickens. I was an English major, for goodness' sake. I tried David Copperfield. I tried the Pickwick Papers. I tried Oliver Twist. All meh, and I didn't finish any of them. I have, however, enjoyed many a film adaptation of his novels, including Bleak House (fan. tas. tic.) and Nicholas Nickleby, so I knew that it couldn't be that bad. Anyway, my friend Hillary has recommended Har...more
Not Dicken's best work, but still, ya know, Dickens.
It's pretty much "Lets light some straw men on fire!" day in Dickens land. Presumably Hard Times was chosen as the title because "Let's Kick Some Deserving Fuckers In The Teeth" was already taken.
Still I don't know anyone I'd rather watch burn people and deliver teeth kicks then Dickens.
It's pretty much "Lets light some straw men on fire!" day in Dickens land. Presumably Hard Times was chosen as the title because "Let's Kick Some Deserving Fuckers In The Teeth" was already taken.
Still I don't know anyone I'd rather watch burn people and deliver teeth kicks then Dickens.
I have had this book on my shelf since my wife studied it at college in 1979. I had avoided reading it (although I've enjoyed every Dickens Book I've read). I suppose I associated Hard Times with Hard Book. Who wants to read about industial strife? It's grim oop t'North etc. The way round this for me was the relatively painless outlay of 95p on a download of the book on to the MP3 to listen to while running. The skill of the narrator immediately transports you into the world of Mr Gradgrind's ...more
A slim and compact tale whose characters and story packs a powerful punch, Dickens’ Hard Times is as vitriolic an indictment against the institutionalized teaching model Paolo Friere scathingly criticized as the “banking concept” in his Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Josiah Bounderby is delectably drawn, as is the crooked and colorful characters of James Harthouse, Mrs. Sparsit, and our cold and calculated heroine, Louisa Gradgrind. Dickens, at first, seems to forgo his typical habit of idealizing w...more
I read this book after watching a DVD version with my family. From what I understand, it isn't considered one of his best books. The characters are fairly sketchy, the moral tone is fairly heavy-handed, and there is little of the poignant hilarity of Dickens at his best. IT is set in a factory town and the general theme has to do with the misery of the working class in contrast to the relative affluence and callousness of the upper middle class who benefits from their toil.
The...more
The...more
Here's how much of an impression this book made on me: When scanning my (physical) bookshelves adding books to my Goodreads account, I completely forgot that I had read this book (just a couple months ago) and stuck it on my to-read "shelf" rather than read. Then just now driving home a random train of thought led me to think of Dickens, and how I had only read one Dickens novel, but then I had this vague memory that in fact I had read a second Dickens novel. I could only remember the ...more
Hard Times stands apart from other Dickens novels -- shorter in length, simpler in plot, and sadder in tone. The action is set in a mill town in the north of England and presents some expected social issues: working conditions, legal discrimination against the poor, labor unions. The main theme of the novel, however, is education. Thomas Gradgrind brings up his children and pupils without any recourse to imagination or emotion. In his household, "I wonder . . ." is a phrase that merits...more
Reading Charles Dickens was a fascinating experience. Though I read this six years ago in a senior English class, I can still remember a couple of my favorite passages and even their approximate page numbers because of how clever and telling they were to the characters and story; the schoolchildren as "little pitchers" philosophy of Thomas Gradgrind, or Josiah Bounderby, in a heightened state of egomania, ready to explode himself into his own portrait (metaphorically, of course). These...more
Shortest Dickens book I've ever read (listened to actually), but VERY good. I love the come-uppance of Josiah Bounderby in the end! I also like Dickens' way of pointing out that the perfect ending would have been for Louisa to have gotten married and had a bunch of kids, but that is NOT what ended up happening. But then he did give her a happy ending, after all, just a different one. I especially love the way Dickens names his characters. You never have to wonder whether somebody is going to be ...more
This is Dickens’ very best at what he does the very best. The so-over-the-top, and yet painfully true-to-life characters, (by virtue of the wonderful names alone: Bounderby, M’Chokumchild, Blackpool) are so precisely defined that they drive the narrative and put such a spotlight on elements of human pride. The story, then, is in the descriptions.
In some books, you can skip the lengthy descriptions, as they just provide realistic detail or clues into the nature of the character’s reaction or...more
In some books, you can skip the lengthy descriptions, as they just provide realistic detail or clues into the nature of the character’s reaction or...more
I have discovered that the only way I can really enjoy Dickens is on audio. Otherwise, as I discovered with Hard Times and Great Expectations, the written voice inflections are difficult to consume. Also, the wry irony and humor is best caught if you hear someone else read the text. At least, this has been the case for me.
Hard Times was not a particularly appealing book. I considered it rather dark, melancholy, and disconcertingly similar to aspects of our current society post 2000....more
Hard Times was not a particularly appealing book. I considered it rather dark, melancholy, and disconcertingly similar to aspects of our current society post 2000....more
I think a large party of what makes this book still readable is the fascinatingly loathsome Bounderby. From almost his first appearance I was eager to see him earn his comeuppance, and that alone would have kept me reading. Along the way, though, I found empathy for Gradgrind senior, Louisa, Stephen and Rachel, and it’s the resolutions of their stories that ultimately provides emotional satisfaction. I found Louisa’s emotional rapprochement with her father moving and exquisite. I feel a bit let ...more
I hope not all Dickens is like this. If it is, this is going to be a long project, as I keep reading anything other than the next one!
The tale of the Gradgrinds – father, a schoolmaster with a very rigid idea of how children ought to be raised, free of fancy and full of “ologisms”, a mother racked with nerves, a daughter Louisa, who comes to doubt the prosaic quality of her life, Thomas, a lost and petulant gambler, and the adopted daughter Sissy Jupe, whose father abandoned her to the...more
The tale of the Gradgrinds – father, a schoolmaster with a very rigid idea of how children ought to be raised, free of fancy and full of “ologisms”, a mother racked with nerves, a daughter Louisa, who comes to doubt the prosaic quality of her life, Thomas, a lost and petulant gambler, and the adopted daughter Sissy Jupe, whose father abandoned her to the...more
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The Mechanization of Human Beings
Hard Times suggests that nineteenth-century England’s overzealous adoption of industrialization threatens to turn human beings into machines by thwarting the development of their emotions and imaginations. This suggestion comes forth largely through the actions of Gradgrind and his follower, Bounderby: as the former educates the young children of his family and his school in the ways of fact, the latter treats the workers in his factory as emotionless...more
Hard Times suggests that nineteenth-century England’s overzealous adoption of industrialization threatens to turn human beings into machines by thwarting the development of their emotions and imaginations. This suggestion comes forth largely through the actions of Gradgrind and his follower, Bounderby: as the former educates the young children of his family and his school in the ways of fact, the latter treats the workers in his factory as emotionless...more
I have been going back and reading all the Charles Dickens' books which I have either missed, or not read recently. I don't know how I missed this one, as some consider it one of his best.
The book begins with a speech by Thomas Gradgrind about, "facts, just plain facts," to girl #20, a pupil in his school. She is a child of traveling horse riders, who move from place to place. He is upset that she can't define the word,"horse" by only using facts. (One can jus...more
The book begins with a speech by Thomas Gradgrind about, "facts, just plain facts," to girl #20, a pupil in his school. She is a child of traveling horse riders, who move from place to place. He is upset that she can't define the word,"horse" by only using facts. (One can jus...more
If you look at the story itself it is far too simple for Dickens' standards. That is to say, we are not going to find the greatest plot of his novels here, rather one of the tamest. But, as it is usual with Dickens', the real gold lies with the set of characters.
Mr. Bounderby behaves up to the high standards of his jocular colleagues such as Uncle Pumblechook(Great Expectations) and Mr. Bumble(Oliver Twist), and it is, according to my own taste, the best of all the jolly company one ...more
Mr. Bounderby behaves up to the high standards of his jocular colleagues such as Uncle Pumblechook(Great Expectations) and Mr. Bumble(Oliver Twist), and it is, according to my own taste, the best of all the jolly company one ...more
After the impoverished sentimental indulgences of "Oliver Twist", I found "Hard Times" startlingly vibrant and engaging. It starts, sir, with nothing but the Facts.
Mr. Gradgrind is a modern Victorian of the Malthusian cast and educates the young (his most of all) in principles of reason and science and Fact. There is no place for wonder or play or imagination in his school. He is supported in this flinty philosophy by the blustering industrialist, Mr. Bounderby, ...more
Mr. Gradgrind is a modern Victorian of the Malthusian cast and educates the young (his most of all) in principles of reason and science and Fact. There is no place for wonder or play or imagination in his school. He is supported in this flinty philosophy by the blustering industrialist, Mr. Bounderby, ...more
I went into this book expecting that it would be really depressing and all about poor people having a hard time—but, no. That's not what it's about. It has a much lighter tone than I expected, and actually some humor, too (although I don't remember any particular incident).
There are some interesting characters here. To me, the portrayal of the characters was a huge part of the book. A couple of them are exaggeratedly practical, and I thought this was rather perplexing at times. I mea...more
There are some interesting characters here. To me, the portrayal of the characters was a huge part of the book. A couple of them are exaggeratedly practical, and I thought this was rather perplexing at times. I mea...more
even though this book is pretty short by dickens' standards, it took me a long time to read through because there is so much going on at once (including quite a motley crew of characters) and the writing can sometimes be a little dense. but there is a lot going on in this book, and if you can get past the loquacious writing, it's pretty damn exciting!
i read in a wikipedia article that this entire book is a jab at utilitarianism, which dickens reputedly hated. this is definitely true....more
i read in a wikipedia article that this entire book is a jab at utilitarianism, which dickens reputedly hated. this is definitely true....more
"Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but facts. Facts alone are wanted in life."
The opening quotation of Hard Times introduces us to Thomas Gradgrind and his approach to educating and raising children. In his very black and white world (mostly black, as he lives in the aptly named Coketown), one must choose a side and be defined by it completely. Of course, what exactly is fact has been debated for centuries, and still is today (evolution, fact ...more
The opening quotation of Hard Times introduces us to Thomas Gradgrind and his approach to educating and raising children. In his very black and white world (mostly black, as he lives in the aptly named Coketown), one must choose a side and be defined by it completely. Of course, what exactly is fact has been debated for centuries, and still is today (evolution, fact ...more
I really do love Charles Dickens but this book was a struggle. The story itself was dull. Set in a generic industrial town where the population all seem to work for Mr Bounderby. The town lacked any substance because there didn't seem to be much more to it than that and the school mentioned at the start. Like a lot of Dickens novels there is the drunken gambler, the so called gentleman who has something to hide, the vindictive old spinster, the honest workman and the young lady who has been wron...more
As usual, Dickens' prose is wonderful. I find myself paying close attention to keep up with his metaphors and chuckling in amazement at his ingenuity once the connections are drawn.
As usual, his characterizations are strong albeit somewhat stereotypical and even ludicrous in some cases. In fact, the absurdity of some of his characters initially really bothered me, though once the story got moving, I completely forgot to feel critical.
As usual, his plot twists apparently...more
As usual, his characterizations are strong albeit somewhat stereotypical and even ludicrous in some cases. In fact, the absurdity of some of his characters initially really bothered me, though once the story got moving, I completely forgot to feel critical.
As usual, his plot twists apparently...more
Appreciate the strong criticism of reason, rationalism, and industrio-capitalism, but the tale itself lacks subtlety even by Dickens' standards. Surprisingly, it feels too short, as I barely even figured out who the main protagonists were before the climax and denouement came along. A much more developed (and IMO, consequently more scathing) criticism of modern society and living conditions can be found in Bleak House. It's 800 or so pages, but well-used. Maybe Dickens is an author who is si...more
AN EPIGRAM ON INDUSTRIALIZATION
The tall chimneys of the shabby factories inexorably belched long tracts of black smoke, which hovered in the air like venomous serpents. It scattered its dimness up high, polluting the radiant blue sky with filth as it covered the atmosphere with its soot, painting a grim picture of artificial darkness that foretold a sign of an impending doom.
This seemingly ominous premonition spread all over Europe as the "uncoiled serpents of smoke"...more
The tall chimneys of the shabby factories inexorably belched long tracts of black smoke, which hovered in the air like venomous serpents. It scattered its dimness up high, polluting the radiant blue sky with filth as it covered the atmosphere with its soot, painting a grim picture of artificial darkness that foretold a sign of an impending doom.
This seemingly ominous premonition spread all over Europe as the "uncoiled serpents of smoke"...more
Fancy versus Fact.
Mr. Gradgrind hat eine Leidenschaft: Fakten, Fakten, Fakten. In diesem Sinne erzieht er auch seine beiden Kinder Louisa, Tom, Adam, Malthus und Jane, deren Mutter sich nur um ihre eingebildeten Krankheiten kümmert. Ein recht freudloses Leben, gegen welches Louisa und Tom langsam aufzubegehren beginnen, indem sie heimlich den Zirkus besuchen. Mr. Gradgrind ist entsetzt. Er beschließt Nägel mit Köpfen zu machen, und Louisa mit Josiah Bounderby zu vermählen, einem ebenfa...more
Mr. Gradgrind hat eine Leidenschaft: Fakten, Fakten, Fakten. In diesem Sinne erzieht er auch seine beiden Kinder Louisa, Tom, Adam, Malthus und Jane, deren Mutter sich nur um ihre eingebildeten Krankheiten kümmert. Ein recht freudloses Leben, gegen welches Louisa und Tom langsam aufzubegehren beginnen, indem sie heimlich den Zirkus besuchen. Mr. Gradgrind ist entsetzt. Er beschließt Nägel mit Köpfen zu machen, und Louisa mit Josiah Bounderby zu vermählen, einem ebenfa...more
February 7, 2012 is Dickens' 200th birthday (at least, it would be if he were still alive). I read something about the bicentennial and realized that I hadn't read anything by him since I was in high school many moons ago. Now seemed like a good time to correct that, and Hard Times seemed like an appropriate choice "for these times." Indeed, it's hard to avoid seeing parallels between the "job creators" of now and the ones Dickens portrayed in 1854. Sample passage: "This...more
It was a very intriguing commentary/ satire on education. Mr. Grandgrind and Mr. Bounderby are all about "facts." No wondering, imagination, passions or desires should be explored or even thought of under their system. Everything can be solved by mathematical and scientific analysis. Dickens exposes the ridiculous elements in this theory and shows what it leads to in the end. He weaves several different lives together in an unexpected way-- showing the elite class vs. working class in ...more
Original Review...
Looking about at the commentary on this book, most of it discusses not the novel itself, but rather the rightness or wrongness of Dickens' political premise in writing it. This is understandable, I suppose - the book is, without a doubt, meant to be a political one. The novel discusses the interweaving stories of several industrial titans and a poor worker and his friends, in a fictional industrial English city, called Coketown. The book is meant to be a damning indictmen...more
Looking about at the commentary on this book, most of it discusses not the novel itself, but rather the rightness or wrongness of Dickens' political premise in writing it. This is understandable, I suppose - the book is, without a doubt, meant to be a political one. The novel discusses the interweaving stories of several industrial titans and a poor worker and his friends, in a fictional industrial English city, called Coketown. The book is meant to be a damning indictmen...more
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A prolific 19th Century author of short stories, plays, novellas, novels, fiction and non; during his lifetime Dickens became known the world over for his remarkable characters, his mastery of prose in the telling of their lives, and his depictions of the social classes, mores and values of his times. Some considered him the spokesman for the poor, for he definitely brought much awareness to thei...more
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“There is a wisdom of the head, and... there is a wisdom of the heart.”
—
182 people liked it
“She was the most wonderful woman for prowling about the house. How she got from one story to another was a mystery beyond solution. A lady so decorous in herself, and so highly connected, was not to be suspected of dropping over the banisters or sliding down them, yet her extraordinary facility of locomotion suggested the wild idea.”
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Bounderby was priceless and I don't agree with he was made to b...more
updated Aug 31, 2009 03:37am
Mar 23, 2011 10:04am