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Description
Designed to appeal to the book lover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautifully bound pocket-sized gift editions of much loved classic titles. Bound in real cloth, printed on high quality paper, and featuring ribbon markers and gilt edges, Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.
Hard Times is perhaps the archetypal Dickens novel, full as it is with family difficulties, estrangement, rotten values and unhappiness. It was published in 1854 and it is the story of the family of Thomas Gradgrind, and occurs in the imaginary Coketown, an industrial city inspired by Preston. Gradgrind is a man obsessed with misguided ‘Utilitarian’ values that make him trust facts, statistics and practicality more than emotion and is based upon James Mill (the Utilitarian leader). He directs his own children, Louisa and Tom, in this same way: enforcing an artless existence upon them. Contemporary critics such as Macaulay savaged the book for its supposed ‘sullen socialism’ but it has become well thought-of since the favour of George Bernard Shaw.
Illustrated by Harry French, with an afterword by David Stuart Davies.
Hunting for a Hard-to-Find Item?
If you’ve found our site while searching for a rare or high-demand item, feel free to call or message us! We’re happy to set it aside for you.
While we do our best to keep our online listings updated, some books may sell out in our physical shop before changes are reflected online. We appreciate your understanding and are here to help!
