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naomi_hyde 's review for:
Hard Times
by Charles Dickens
I definitely had a hard time getting through this book. I found that the plot was tedious and unfulfilling, that the characters were insipid and lacked depth, and that the relationships between the characters were dispassionate.
Firstly, the overall plot of the novel was uninteresting and lacklustre; I do not recall a single stirring or exciting occurrence happening throughout. This may be effectively demonstrating the way the characters’ lives are ruled by ‘Facts’, and therefore their lives are monotonous and dull; yet to a reader, this simply causes one to lose interest.
I did not think the characters were presented and described very clearly or meticulously, which meant that I did not become emotionally attached to any of them in the way that one should when reading a book. There was some pathos evoked for characters such as Louisa and Stephen who suffered individually for the faults of others, and I did feel quite joyous when Bounderby was revealed to be quite a fraud. Nevertheless, I did not enjoy the book very much due to my lack of deep consideration for the characters.
One aspect I did enjoy, and fervently admired, was Dickens’ writing style. The many metaphors and imagery that he used were exceptional and inspiring. I particularly liked the way he compared the spirals of smoke to the coiling of snakes, and the monotony of the mills to the workings of elephants. The comparison with the snakes hinted at a sense of unrest and dishonesty within the town, which was then elucidated by the revelations that Bounderby lied about his upbringing and that Louisa was ardently unhappy about her marriage to Josiah. In addition, I thought that the imagery of the elephants could allude to the circus introduced at the beginning of the novel. Elephants were used in circuses as a form of entertainment, and the way Dickens compares the mechanisms of the mills to the footsteps of elephants, highlights this allusion. There is also a sense of irony that elephants are used in circuses when the town is based on ‘Fact’ and openly discourages any form of amusement or fancy. In this way, I thoroughly revered Dickens’ prose.
Regarding the blurb, I thought it was quite misleading. The blurb inferred that Sissy Jupe would have a more significant influence on the Gradgrind family yet I did not feel that she was a very important character. Arguably, she was the person who caused Louisa to deviate from her rigid and strict lifestyle; however I do not think she made a big impression on Louisa, and she did not have a very significant role in the novel thereafter.
Overall, I regret choosing this book as my first Dickens novel. I found the plot weak and the characters insubstantial. Nonetheless, Dickens’ prose kept me reading, and it will certainly stir me to read his other, hopefully more interesting, novels.
Firstly, the overall plot of the novel was uninteresting and lacklustre; I do not recall a single stirring or exciting occurrence happening throughout. This may be effectively demonstrating the way the characters’ lives are ruled by ‘Facts’, and therefore their lives are monotonous and dull; yet to a reader, this simply causes one to lose interest.
I did not think the characters were presented and described very clearly or meticulously, which meant that I did not become emotionally attached to any of them in the way that one should when reading a book. There was some pathos evoked for characters such as Louisa and Stephen who suffered individually for the faults of others, and I did feel quite joyous when Bounderby was revealed to be quite a fraud. Nevertheless, I did not enjoy the book very much due to my lack of deep consideration for the characters.
One aspect I did enjoy, and fervently admired, was Dickens’ writing style. The many metaphors and imagery that he used were exceptional and inspiring. I particularly liked the way he compared the spirals of smoke to the coiling of snakes, and the monotony of the mills to the workings of elephants. The comparison with the snakes hinted at a sense of unrest and dishonesty within the town, which was then elucidated by the revelations that Bounderby lied about his upbringing and that Louisa was ardently unhappy about her marriage to Josiah. In addition, I thought that the imagery of the elephants could allude to the circus introduced at the beginning of the novel. Elephants were used in circuses as a form of entertainment, and the way Dickens compares the mechanisms of the mills to the footsteps of elephants, highlights this allusion. There is also a sense of irony that elephants are used in circuses when the town is based on ‘Fact’ and openly discourages any form of amusement or fancy. In this way, I thoroughly revered Dickens’ prose.
Regarding the blurb, I thought it was quite misleading. The blurb inferred that Sissy Jupe would have a more significant influence on the Gradgrind family yet I did not feel that she was a very important character. Arguably, she was the person who caused Louisa to deviate from her rigid and strict lifestyle; however I do not think she made a big impression on Louisa, and she did not have a very significant role in the novel thereafter.
Overall, I regret choosing this book as my first Dickens novel. I found the plot weak and the characters insubstantial. Nonetheless, Dickens’ prose kept me reading, and it will certainly stir me to read his other, hopefully more interesting, novels.