Penguin Select Classics: Hard Times

(Original, Unabridged Classic)

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“There is a wisdom of the head, and… there is a wisdom of the heart.”

The Industrial revolution was the era, when society thought that the correct way to function was with practicality, logic, focus on profits and material success; the tangible human emotions and imagination would just be in the way.

Thomas Gradgrind a wealthy banker raises his children, Louisa and Tom according to these rigid principles. He instils in them a belief for constant hustle and achievement, without any room for imagination.

Louisa grows into a woman devoid of self-expression, struggling with finding her place in society with her high ambitions.

Tom, on the other hand, succumbs to the temptations of the society, turning to dishonesty and manipulation to achieve his own ends.

Their journey to finding their purpose and internal peace, makes the reader question if happiness can be achieved solely through material gain? Is imagination, empathy, and compassion what gives the true meaning to life?