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Hard Times
- Narrated by: Michael Pennington
- Length: 2 hrs and 52 mins
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Hard Times
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Summary
Penguin Classics presents Hard Times, Charles Dickens's stark exposé of capitalist exploitation during the industrial revolution, now adapted for downloadable audiobook. Read by the actor Michael Pennington.
Coketown is dominated by the figure of Mr Thomas Gradgrind, school headmaster and model of Utilitarian success. Feeding both his pupils and family with facts, he bans fancy and wonder from any young minds. As a consequence his obedient daughter Louisa marries the loveless businessman and 'bully of humanity' Mr Bounderby, and his son Tom rebels to become embroiled in gambling and robbery. And, as their fortunes cross with those of free-spirited circus girl Sissy Jupe and victimized weaver Stephen Blackpool, Gradgrind is eventually forced to recognize the value of the human heart in an age of materialism and machinery.
Part of a series of abridged, vintage recordings taken from the Penguin Archives.
Affordable, collectable, quality productions - perfect for on-the-go listening.
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What listeners say about Hard Times
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- LadyShaftesbury
- 07-07-14
Enjoyable introduction to Dickens
If you could sum up Hard Times in three words, what would they be?
Gentle, Easy, Captivating
What did you like best about this story?
This is my first Dickens story and I found it to be a very enjoyable introduction to the genre, taking me to smoke filled mills and involving me with the characters.
What does Michael Pennington bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Michael Pennington gave the characters more depth and feeling making them more real.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
yes and I think I did!
Any additional comments?
This was also my first experience at an audio book and was part of my BA Hons coursework. It made the experience a very enjoyable one and one I couldn't wait to repeat!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Laurence Henderson
- 10-07-18
Not my cup of tea!
I had to read this for my OU course. I chose Audible as reading the book itself was sending me to sleep. The narrator was excellent bringing characters to life and making sense of the accented words and language.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- sian townsend
- 03-10-15
Hard Times - Aptly named
Is there anything you would change about this book?
The narration. The narrator was fine. But the language of the narration was difficult to get to grips with
What did you like best about this story?
It is an accurate depiction of 19th century life
What about Michael Pennington’s performance did you like?
Yes, see above
Do you think Hard Times needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
No, there is always a time to quit while you are ahead. This book is best left as it is
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