Hard TimesHuge Print Press, 1858 - Всего страниц: 614 Written deliberately to increase the circulation of Dickens's weekly magazine, "Household Words, Hard Times" was a huge and instantaneous success upon publication in 1854. Yet this novel is not the cheerful celebration of Victorian life one might have expected from the beloved author of "The Pickwick Papers" and "The Old Curiosity Shop," Compressed, stark, allegorical, it is a bitter expose of capitalist exploitation during the industrial revolution-and a fierce denunciation of the philosophy of materialism, which threatens the human imagination in all times and places. With a typically unforgettable cast of characters-including the heartless fact-worshipper Mr. Gradgrind, the warmly endearing Sissy Jupe, and the eternally noble Stephen Blackpool-"Hard Times" carries a uniquely powerful message and remains one of the most widely read of Dickens's major novels. |
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agen answered asked Barnaby better Bitzer Bloomsbury Square Bounderby's brother Chigwell cried crowd curtsey dark daughter dear Dennis Dolly door Emma eyes face father fell fellow fire gentleman girl glanced gone Gradgrind hand hangman Haredale head hear heard heart heerd Holborn hope hour Hugh jail James Harthouse Josiah Bounderby Jupe Kidderminster knew lady light locksmith looked Louisa ma'am manner Maypole mean mind Miss Miggs morning never Newgate nine oils old woman passed poor prison Rachael returned rioters round seemed seen silence Sir John Sissy Slackbridge Sleary Sparsit Stephen Blackpool stood stopped street sure Tappertit tears tell thee there's thing thought Thquire to-night told Tom Gradgrind took town turned Varden vintner voice walked whelp whispered Willet windlass window wonder word young
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Стр. 204 - The speaker, and the schoolmaster, and the third grown person present, all backed a little, and swept with their eyes the inclined plane of little vessels then and there arranged in order, ready to have imperial gallons of facts poured into them until they were full to the brim.
Стр. 206 - ... he ever possessed. His cold eyes would hardly have been eyes, but for the short ends of lashes which, by bringing them into immediate contrast with something paler than themselves, expressed their form. His short-cropped hair might have been a mere continuation of the sandy freckles on his forehead and face. His skin was so unwholesomely deficient in the natural tinge, that he looked as though, if he were cut, he would bleed white. "Bitzer," said Thomas Gradgrind, "your definition of a horse.
Стр. 222 - ... in the town were painted alike, in severe characters of black and white. The jail might have been the infirmary, the infirmary might have been the jail, the Town-hall might have been either, or both, or anything else, for anything that appeared to the contrary in the graces of their construction. Fact, fact, fact, everywhere in the material aspect of the town; fact, fact, fact, everywhere in the immaterial.
Стр. 204 - Gradgrind. With a rule and a pair of scales, and the multiplication table always in his pocket, sir, ready to weigh and measure any parcel of human nature, and tell you exactly what it comes to. It is a mere question of figures, a case of simple arithmetic. You might hope to get some other nonsensical belief into the head of George Gradgrind, or Augustus Gradgrind, or John Gradgrind, or Joseph Gradgrind (all suppositions, non-existent persons), but into the head of Thomas Gradgrind no, sir!
Стр. 276 - Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone at her !' There have been plenty to do that. Thou art not the man to cast the last stone, Stephen, when she is brought so low.
Стр. 203 - ... by the speaker's square wall of a forehead, which had his eyebrows for its base, while his eyes found commodious cellarage in two dark caves overshadowed by the wall. The emphasis was helped by the speaker's mouth, which was wide, thin, and hard set. The emphasis was helped by the speaker's voice, which was inflexible, dry, and dictatorial. The emphasis was helped by the speaker's hair, which bristled on the skirts of his bald head, a plantation of firs to keep the wind from its shining surface...
Стр. 461 - Sleary, musing as he looked down into the depths of his brandy and water: " one, that there ith a love in the world, not all Thelf-interetht after all, but thomething very different; t'other, that it hath a way of ith own of calculating or not calculating, whith thomehow or another ith at leatht ath hard to give a name to, ath the wayth of the dogth ith!
Стр. 207 - No, sir!' - as the custom is, in these examinations. 'Of course, No. Why wouldn't you?' A pause. One corpulent slow boy, with a wheezy manner of breathing, ventured the answer, Because he wouldn't paper a room at all, but would paint it. 'You must paper it,' said the gentleman, rather warmly.
Стр. 207 - whether you like it or not. Don't tell us you wouldn't paper it. What do you mean, boy?" ** I'll explain to you, then," said the gentleman, after another and a dismal pause, " why you wouldn't paper a room with representations of horses. Do you ever see horses walking up and down the sides of rooms in reality —in fact? Do you?" "Yes, sir!" from one-half. " No. sir!" from the other. " Of course, no," said the gentleman, with an indignant look at the wrong half.
Стр. 215 - Mrs. Gradgrind, a little, thin, white, pink-eyed bundle of shawls, of surpassing feebleness, mental and bodily; who was always taking physic without any effect, and who, whenever she showed a symptom of coming to life, was invariably stunned bysome weighty piece of fact tumbling on her; Mrs. Gradgrind hoped it was a dry ditch? 'No! As wet as a sop. A foot of water in it,