《艰难时世》描写了工业市镇焦煤镇的生活。小说通过对葛雷梗和庞得贝这样的大人物及其命运的描写，谴责了资本家的剥削行径、批判了功利主义的实用原则、鞭挞了一味追求物质利益的生活方式和非人道主义教育的精神压迫。

《艰难时世(世界文学名著英语原著版)》(作者狄更斯)是“中译经典文库”系列之一，本版本是英语原著版。

BOOK THE FIRST SOWING

Chapter 1 The OneThing Needful

Chapter 2 Murdering the Innocents

Chapter 3 A Loophole

Chapter 4 Mr. Bounderby

Chapter 5 The Key-note

Chapter 6 Sleary's Horsemanship

Chapter 7 Mrs. Sparsit

Chapter 8 Never Wonder

Chapter 9 Sissy's Progress

Chapter 10 Stephen Blackpool

Chapter 11 No Way Out

Chapter 12 The Old Woman

Chapter 13 Rachael

Chapter 14 The Great Manufacturer

Chapter 15 Father and Daughter

Chapter 16 Husband and Wife

BOOK THE SECOND REAPING

Chapter 1 Effects in the Bank

Chapter 2 Mr. James Harthouse

Chapter 3 The Whelp

Chapter 4 Men and Brothers

Chapter 5 Men and Masters

Chapter 6 Fading Away

Chapter 7 Gunpowder

Chapter 8 Explosion

Chapter 9 Hearingthe Last of It

Chapter 10 Mrs. Sparsit's Staircase

Chapter 11 Lower and Lower

Chapter 12 Down

BOOK THE THIRD GARNERING

Chapter 1 Another Thing Needful

Chapter 2 Very Ridiculous

Chapter 3 Very Decided

chapter 4 Lost

Chapter 5 Found

Chapter 6 The Starlight

Chapter 7 Whelp-hunting

Chapter 8 Philosophical

Chapter 9 Final