This summer went exceedingly cool on all accounts, books included. I began to get a bang from reading things in original. Amongst the latter, I found quite agreeable such ones as “Agnes Grey” by Anne Bronte, “The Great Gatsby” by Fitzgerald, “The moon and Sixpence” by Maugham, but I’d like to share my impressions about one of the Dickens masterpieces by the name of “Hard Times”.
All the characters are well-written and rather real, just like you always have it with Dickens. There is a character that excited me most, his name Thomas Gradgrind. The book begins with his views and ideas of the model school education and things pupils are bound to know. These concepts of him seemed to me just wonderful, had they not been grossly exaggerated. If I were a teacher in school, my greatest dream would be to have my disciples reciting these precisely features of, say, horse Dickens put in Bitzer’s mouth (one of the classmates of Sissy Jupe) that are “quadruped, graminivorous, forty teeth, namely twenty-four grinders, four eye-teeth, and twelve incisive”. But, needless to say though, I’d be well aware of the possible consequence of having pupils’ imagination withered on the vine. It made me curious reading the sayings of Gradgrind when he’d been telling all who’d listened “You’re never to fancy” and “Facts alone are wanted in life.”And it made me happy in the end when, ultimately, Mr Gradgrind changed his mind about his settled philosophy, his ideas further becoming a trifle mild, at the sight of his daughter’s misfortune.
I didn’t like at all Mr Gradgrind’s daughter, Louisa, especially when it came to the matter of marriage. Apparently, her father cared little about whether she’d agree on taking Bounderby’s proposal or reject it, giving her carte blanche on that account. Louisa, asking shrewd questions like “Father, do you think I love Mr Bounderby?” or “Father, do you want me to love Mr Bounderby?” or “Father, do you think Mr Bounderby loves me?”, nevertheless, agreed, saying she didn’t really care, which made me reckon her stupid enough, notwithstanding she was a pitcher filled to the brims with facts alright. That makes me feel good when thinking that Dickens also thought facts and information in your head not enough for seeming a smart person. For being such, one need to use them in life, not closeting them hermetically inside.
Conversational exchanges between Stephen and Rachael didn’t strike me much, given that they were seemingly prone to use “thou” and “thee”, which confused me most, because I couldn’t gather along all the book why the deuce they were doing that. Later, it dawned on me they, being a lower class, must have just read Bible too diligently.
The end of the book seemed for me lugubrious and unimpressive. I expected something that would’ve made things right and happy for everyone. Or, at least, happy for just someone. But all the people were left sad and kind of lost.
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12.09.2009 в 22:21This summer went exceedingly cool on all accounts, books included. I began to get a bang from reading things in original. Amongst the latter, I found quite agreeable such ones as “Agnes Grey” by Anne Bronte, “The Great Gatsby” by Fitzgerald, “The moon and Sixpence” by Maugham, but I’d like to share my impressions about one of the Dickens masterpieces by the name of “Hard Times”.
All the characters are well-written and rather real, just like you always have it with Dickens. There is a character that excited me most, his name Thomas Gradgrind. The book begins with his views and ideas of the model school education and things pupils are bound to know. These concepts of him seemed to me just wonderful, had they not been grossly exaggerated. If I were a teacher in school, my greatest dream would be to have my disciples reciting these precisely features of, say, horse Dickens put in Bitzer’s mouth (one of the classmates of Sissy Jupe) that are “quadruped, graminivorous, forty teeth, namely twenty-four grinders, four eye-teeth, and twelve incisive”. But, needless to say though, I’d be well aware of the possible consequence of having pupils’ imagination withered on the vine. It made me curious reading the sayings of Gradgrind when he’d been telling all who’d listened “You’re never to fancy” and “Facts alone are wanted in life.”And it made me happy in the end when, ultimately, Mr Gradgrind changed his mind about his settled philosophy, his ideas further becoming a trifle mild, at the sight of his daughter’s misfortune.
I didn’t like at all Mr Gradgrind’s daughter, Louisa, especially when it came to the matter of marriage. Apparently, her father cared little about whether she’d agree on taking Bounderby’s proposal or reject it, giving her carte blanche on that account. Louisa, asking shrewd questions like “Father, do you think I love Mr Bounderby?” or “Father, do you want me to love Mr Bounderby?” or “Father, do you think Mr Bounderby loves me?”, nevertheless, agreed, saying she didn’t really care, which made me reckon her stupid enough, notwithstanding she was a pitcher filled to the brims with facts alright. That makes me feel good when thinking that Dickens also thought facts and information in your head not enough for seeming a smart person. For being such, one need to use them in life, not closeting them hermetically inside.
Conversational exchanges between Stephen and Rachael didn’t strike me much, given that they were seemingly prone to use “thou” and “thee”, which confused me most, because I couldn’t gather along all the book why the deuce they were doing that. Later, it dawned on me they, being a lower class, must have just read Bible too diligently.
The end of the book seemed for me lugubrious and unimpressive. I expected something that would’ve made things right and happy for everyone. Or, at least, happy for just someone. But all the people were left sad and kind of lost.