'There is a wisdom of the head, and? there is a wisdom of the heart.' One of Dickens's shortest novels, and admired by critics such as F. R. Leavis and George Bernard Shaw, Hard Times offers a profound social commentary on nineteenth century England. Set in the fictional industrial city of Coketown - characterised by its ash-strewn factories, polluted environment and soulless spirit - Hard Times centres on the strict, no-nonsense schoolmaster, Thomas Gradgrind, who values fact, rationalism and self-interest above all else. His teachings weigh heavily on his children - Louisa and Tom - who unsuccessfully strive for happiness into their adult years. A condemning critique of the dehumanising effects of industrialisation, championing the importance of imagination and compassion, Hard Times is a pertinent tale which explores significant social questions relevant to this very day. This audiobook edition is expertly read by Paterson Joseph. Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime and, by the twentieth century, critics and scholars had recognized him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories are widely read, performed and adapted today.