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karen_unabridged's review against another edition
4.0
Has the distinction of being the shortest Dickens novel. Biting satire and commentary without his usual swollen cast of characters. Recommended to anyone, but particularly anyone who has given up on a Dickens novel in the past.
paul63's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
viciouslyhabren's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Dickens's writing is amazing.
alexa_d90's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
dnglvr's review against another edition
5.0
I have been reading Dickens in close to publication order. The uniqueness of Hard Times, book ten, was very obvious after reading the first two chapters. The village of Coketown assumes a leading character role with great care put into its development. An interesting side note is this book was published one year after Elizebeth Gaskell published Cranford, a book where Cranford becomes a main character.
Hard Time is soaked with spirituality including many biblical references. He includes a story of a “Prodigal Father” as well as the martyrdom of Stephen. The three books within Hard Times are Sowing, Reaping and Garnering. The book is full morality stories addressing utilitarianism, overwhelming greed, inequitable distribution of income, economics determining societal privilege, the consequences of love versus self interest, and the great character Cecilia, the a Christ-like mystic, who transcends the physical, intellectual and emotional worlds. I do appreciate the turn Dickens takes during the peak of his writing skills and highly recommend this book!
Hard Time is soaked with spirituality including many biblical references. He includes a story of a “Prodigal Father” as well as the martyrdom of Stephen. The three books within Hard Times are Sowing, Reaping and Garnering. The book is full morality stories addressing utilitarianism, overwhelming greed, inequitable distribution of income, economics determining societal privilege, the consequences of love versus self interest, and the great character Cecilia, the a Christ-like mystic, who transcends the physical, intellectual and emotional worlds. I do appreciate the turn Dickens takes during the peak of his writing skills and highly recommend this book!
f4rce's review against another edition
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
movingthebookmark's review against another edition
2.0
My problem with Hard Times is that I just didn't care about anyone or anything. Sometimes I wish Dickens was a novelist instead of a serialist. I felt like he was just winging it. This started off strong but by the end I felt I was reading a completely different story.
noe_pd's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75