Good time reading hard times

I can confidently say that my first time reading Dickens proved to be much more enjoyable than I was expecting! I had preconceived notions that it would be a dense piece of literature full of archaic language and hard to understand. Hard Times ended up being an incredibly engaging and symbolic story that had me hooked until the very end -- and able to comprehend the plot line the entire way through. It is a story that reflects Charles Dickens' anti-utilitarian views through a host of lively, unique characters. These characters, ranging from middle-class families to slaving industrial workers to circus performers, live in a city called Coketown that greatly resembles Dickens' "beloved" London, and reveals the author's innermost opinions on the function of society. Each character exists to possess a deep representation that it was nearly impossible for me not to highlight and underline every other word. Dickens' writing style is also highly intriguing and incredibly intricate. As a writer myself, I found myself admiring it throughout. The story is split up into three parts and contains many twists and turns. I especially loved the ending, even though one part of it pertaining to my favorite character kind of wrecked me... I think the best books are the ones with conclusions that stick with, or even unsettle, you a bit, though. I would recommend this book to readers well-versed within Dickens' library as well as those who have only skimmed A Christmas Carol.


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My favorite quote from Hard Times:

"There is a wisdom of the Head... and there is a wisdom of the Heart."

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