Hard Times - Charles Dickens

Dickens uses art to confront ideology that would have certainly discarded artists had it been able to thrive. 18th and 19th century England is on display as the Industrial Revolution is in full swing. Man is degraded to his economic value, education is attempting to produce rational drones and the city is a metaphorical cancer on nature. Such is the life portrayed in this novel. Dickens makes no apology for his rejection of industry and modernism and he conjures sympathy in the reader.

The characters are less developed than in Dickens' other writing but are memorable for their absurdity, failure and/or innocence. It is an enjoyable story.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn (1850)

Dana says: I have wanted to read this book for a very long time.  This the first Hawthorne book I have ever read I think. The first few chapters were a bit slow and I was thinking, "oh boy, what have I gotten myself in to?" but by the end of chapter 3 I was hooked. I won't comment on the story as most people are familiar with it but I will say reading it along with a few different guides from Leland Ryken (Christian Guides to the Classics on Scarlet Letter and Realms of Gold, chapter 6 on Scarlet Letter) was extremely helpful in understanding the authors intent and worldviews expressed in the book. I will also comment on the fact that this is one of the few books I have read so far that very obviously stands apart in a class of its own and really evidences why it is such a famous, classic, and timeless work. Masterfully written and certainly warrants rereading in the future!  Also, it should be noted that this book produced the best discussion at Ladies Book Club to date.