Hard Times is a novel by Charles Dickens set in the fictional industrial town of Coketown. It follows Thomas Gradgrind, an educator devoted to facts, and explores the human costs of utilitarianism and industrial life. It is worth listening to for its vivid characters and social critique.
For teachers and schools: paste the code into your site or blog.
Cover illustration generated by AI.
Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.
Opening of the book
Hard Times and Reprinted Pieces [0] By CHARLES DICKENS With illustrations by Marcus Stone, Maurice Greiffenhagen, and F. Walker LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL, LD. NEW YORK: CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS 1905 CONTENTS BOOK THE FIRST. SOWING PAGE CHAPTER I The One Thing Needful 3
CHAPTER II Murdering the Innocents 4 CHAPTER III A Loophole 8 CHAPTER IV Mr. Bounderby 12 CHAPTER V The Keynote 18 CHAPTER VI Sleary’s Horsemanship 23 CHAPTER VII Mrs. Sparsit 33 CHAPTER VIII Never Wonder 38 CHAPTER IX Sissy’s Progress 43 CHAPTER X Stephen Blackpool 49 CHAPTER XI No Way Out 53 CHAPTER XII The Old Woman 59 CHAPTER XIII Rachael 63 CHAPTER XIV
The Great Manufacturer 69 CHAPTER XV Father and Daughter 73 CHAPTER XVI Husband and Wife 79 BOOK THE SECOND. REAPING CHAPTER I Effects in the Bank 84 CHAPTER II Mr. James Harthouse 94 CHAPTER III The Whelp 101 CHAPTER IV Men and Brothers 111 CHAPTER V Men and Masters 105 CHAPTER VI Fading Away 116 CHAPTER VII Gunpowder 126 CHAPTER VIII Explosion 136 CHAPTER IX Hearing the Last of it 146 CHAPTER X
Mrs. Sparsit’s Staircase 152 CHAPTER XI Lower and Lower 156 CHAPTER XII Down 163 BOOK THE THIRD. GARNERING CHAPTER I Another Thing Needful 167 CHAPTER II Very Ridiculous 172 CHAPTER III Very Decided 179 CHAPTER IV Lost 186 CHAPTER V Found 193 CHAPTER VI The Starlight 200 CHAPTER VII Whelp-Hunting 208 CHAPTER VIII Philosophical 216 CHAPTER IX Final 222
Readnara
