Hard Times (Deluxe Library Edition)

Set in the bleak industrial town of Coketown, the narrative explores the oppressive educational system led by Mr. Gradgrind, who prioritizes facts over imagination. The heartless factory owner, Mr. Bounderby, embodies a cold, calculating worldview, criticizing the townspeople for their emotional pursuits. Through the contrast of rigid practicality with the warmth of human connection, Dickens critiques the dehumanizing effects of industrialization and advocates for the importance of compassion and creativity in society.