A review by kpanagod
Hard Times by Charles Dickens, Gage McWeeny, Jeff Nunokawa

4.0

4.35⭐️s

This book very obviously fits into the Victorian “social problem” genre; Dickens tries very little to conceal his personal notions in this book. Most characters are rather exaggerated and 2D but they serve the purpose of propelling Dickens’ arguments. However, I really enjoyed reading this. I’ve been converted to a die-hard Charles Dickens lover (his writing, not the man personally).

The way he writes is so entertaining and witty. While reading Dickens, I often find myself laughing out loud (he’s such a cheeky little lad). At times I struggled with reading dialogue from characters with heavier accents (like Stephen Blackpool) but it wasn't too difficult to decipher and very few characters speak with heavy accents.

The most prevalent themes are the tension between Fact and Fancy, the industrialization of society (both externally and internally), and discussion of class (a classic Dickens commentary subject); interesting stuff.

Idk man, I could talk about this book for hours but I won't. Overall: I am obsessed with Dickens’ writing and am excited to read more.