{"product_id":"hard-times-paperback-18","title":"Hard Times - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eCharles Dickens\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eMint Editions\u003c\/b\u003e (Contribution by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Set in an industrial city in Northern England during the Victorian era, Thomas Gradgrind, a wealthy and retired man, devotes his life to the rationalist philosophy, and raises his children, Louisa and Tom, to never engage in any imaginative activity. The two grow up feeling confused, like something is missing in their lives, yet are unable figure out what exactly that is and affected differently by their upbringing. Louisa struggles to feel joy, and Tom struggles to find ethical standards. When Josiah Bounderby, a crass, rich man, asks for Louisa's hand in marriage, she cannot find a rational reason not to marry him. He would elevate her social status, was a friend of her father, and employed her brother at his bank. She decides to marry Bounderby, despite feeling no love for him. Meanwhile, Stephen, a poor laborer in one of the city's factories, who is struggling under the oppression of the upper classes, meets Tom and Louisa, inspiring them in different ways. When the city is shocked by a scandalous and devastating bank robbery, Stephen, Tom, and Louisa's lives are forever changed, and Gradgrind must question the strict beliefs on which he relies. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eHard Times\u003c\/i\u003e by \u003cb\u003eCharles Dickens\u003c\/b\u003e is revered not only for its skillfully constructed prose, but also its critique of capitalist and utilitarian philosophy. \u003cb\u003eDickens'\u003c\/b\u003e empathetic portrayal of the effects of such beliefs raises concern and advocates for the conservation of human creativity and joy in a way that is still applicable today. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e With an eye-catching cover design and a modern font, \u003ci\u003eHard Times\u003c\/i\u003e by \u003cb\u003eCharles Dickens\u003c\/b\u003e is a thought-provoking novel written by the greatest and most influential writers of the Victorian era. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eUtilitarian Thomas Gradgrind must reflect on his beliefs as he watches the downfall of his children in a town riddled with immorality, unhappiness, and poverty. \u003c\/b\u003e Set in Coketown, an industrialist city in the Victorian era, \u003ci\u003eHard Times\u003c\/i\u003eby the celebrated author, \u003cb\u003eCharles Dickens, \u003c\/b\u003e depicts a society run by capitalist beliefs, and examines the effects such rationalist views has on the human spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 274\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.58 x 8 x 5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e December 01, 2020\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAccelerated Reader:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQuiz Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hard Times\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInterest Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e Upper Grades, 9-12\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReading Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9.3\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePoint Value:\u003c\/strong\u003e 20\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47251153289465,"sku":"9781513267487","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0789\/2782\/3097\/files\/d0NGLzltalgyMmZDYlpRZWZNaGx6QT09_564befbb-ca8f-412f-9306-8a3185d71169.webp?v=1768670414","url":"https:\/\/bookscloud.io\/products\/hard-times-paperback-18","provider":"BooksCloud Book Dropshipping","version":"1.0","type":"link"}