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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great read, and quite relevant I think to today's working class and the silly "I made this" crowd.
My first Dickens novel! (Sad, I know.) The story itself was a little underwhelming, but I enjoyed the character development and was pleasantly surprised at how good a writer Dickens is. This might be my first, but it will definitely not be my last!
hopeful
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
It was a challenging story to get accustomed to, since I had extremely high expectations for Charles Dickens. I was completely enthralled by the characters, and see some factual resemblance in the way the scene was set during that time and our everyday lives, in comparison to the present. The ending was a banger.
Found this a bit of a struggle. Sometimes Dickens can be a bit wordy. The story was interesting and I was definitely sympathetic with its central point of view. The direction of the story is fairly obvious and some of the characters, in typical Dickens style, are caricatures - which I generally enjoyed. Whilst it was obvious enough where the story was going, I was happy with the ending.
I've finally managed to read another Dickens novel (this one is assigned for one of my Oxford tutorials) and his storytelling is as witty and charming as I remember it being when I read GREAT EXPECTATIONS a few years ago.
I mean...it wasn't bad...
it was alright my b. not a ton of drama, just classism
it was alright my b. not a ton of drama, just classism
I love all things Dickens. When an author is able to reconnect all the seemingly insignificant details in a piece I find that so appealing as a reader. Dickens is the master at this. My favorite Dickens still remains A Tale of Two Cities but I think Hard Times might just be my second.
It's been a while since I read any Dickens, so perhaps I had just forgotten -- but I was amazed by how political this is. Factory conditions, divorce laws, you name it. Wow.
It's also among the smaller of Dickens' novels, so might be a good choice to start with, if some of the other behemoths intimidate you.
It's also among the smaller of Dickens' novels, so might be a good choice to start with, if some of the other behemoths intimidate you.