The tenth novel written by Dickens, "Hard Times" was first published in
1854. The story is set in the fictitious Victorian industrial mill-town
of Coketown and examines English society while satirising the social and
economic conditions of the era. Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870)
was an English writer and social critic famous for having created some
of the world's most well-known fictional characters. His works became
unprecedentedly popular during his life, and today he is commonly
regarded as the greatest Victorian-era novelist. Although perhaps better
known for such works as "Oliver Twist" or "A Christmas Carol", Dickens
first gained success with the 1836 serial publication of "The Pickwick
Papers", which turned him almost overnight into an international
literary celebrity thanks to his humour, satire, and astute observations
concerning society and character. This classic work is being republished
now in a new edition complete with an introductory chapter from
"Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens" by G. K.
Chesterton.