A damning indictment of Utilitarianism & the dehumanising influence of the Industrial Revolution, Charles Dickens`s ” Hard Times” is edited with an introduction & notes by Kate Flint in ” Penguin Classics”. In ” Hard Times”, the Northern mill-town of Coketown is dominated by the figure of Mr Thomas Gradgrind, school headmaster & model of Utilitarian success. Feeding both his pupils & family with facts, he bans fancy & wonder from any young minds. As a consequence his obedient daughter Louisa marries the loveless businessman & `bully of humanity` Mr Bounderby, & his son Tom rebels to become embroiled in gambling & robbery. &, as their fortunes cross with those of free-spirited circus girl Sissy Jupe & victimized weaver Stephen Blackpool, Gradgrind is eventually forced to recognize the value of the human heart in an age of materialism & machinery. This edition of ” Hard Times” is based on the text of the first volume publication of 1854. Kate Flint`s introduction sheds light on the frequently overlooked character interplay in Dickens`s great critique of Victorian industrial society. Charles Dickens is one of the best-loved novelists in the English language, whose 200th anniversary was celebrated in 2012. His most famous books, including ” Oliver Twist”, ” Great Expectations”, ”A Tale of Two Cities”, ” David Copperfield” & ” The Pickwick Papers”, have been adapted for stage & screen & read by millions. If you enjoyed ” Hard Times”, you might like Dickens` ” Bleak House”, also available in ” Penguin Classics”. ”A masterpiece...a completely serious work of art”. (F.R. Leavis).