Reviews - Hard Times | The StoryGraph

1.15k reviews for:

Hard Times

Charles Dickens

3.33 AVERAGE

missbeckyy's review against another edition

1.0

slow-paced

ruby03's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

cinnamonspy's review against another edition

4.25

dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I enjoyed the theme of the book, which I've defined as follows:

The essence of humanity lies not in the physical facts of this world, but in the internal world of the soul, and when the latter area is ignored and regarded as irrelevant, the ones who control the impoverished masses of humanity will inevitably develop a blinding sense of superiority which leads to cruelty (intended or not), while the impoverished masses will be filled with an overwhelming sense of despair that shall lead to either the snuffing out of internal purpose or the rejection of the control imposed upon the souls.

Overall, I would say it is worth reading.

helsbelles's review against another edition

3.5

sad slow-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

zoekaroline's review against another edition

4.0

Everyone needs to read this book, especially in times like these.

mtmarriott's review against another edition

3.5

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Gonna start a Dickens kick this year, made sense to begin with his shortest novel (at least for me). Pretty good and I think there’s potential for a modern retelling of this story as opposed to doing Oliver Twist or Great Expectations for the 1000000th time but I can also see why it’s seen as lesser Dickens.

gingerliss's review against another edition

4.0

This one had to grow on me a little bit, not the Dickens I am used to, a bit different to his more dramatic works. Once I got into it though I did really enjoy it and look forward to giving it a second read in the future which will probably up it a star, in the end.
I like Dickens's humour which I was introduced to here. All in all a very interesting, sometimes hard, but very fulfilling in the end, read.