本书是英文版世界文学名著“名著典藏”丛书之《艰难时世》。是十九世纪英国著名批判现实主义作家狄更斯的又一巨著。小说描绘了资产阶级的唯利是图、工人群众的贫困和苦难，以及劳资的矛盾和斗争。作者以一种近乎漫画式的笔调出神入化地展示了一系列典型的人物性格。

在工业小城焦煤镇，人们被禁锢和奴役着，没有个人自由。所谓的“教育家”格拉德格林倡导一套窒息人性的教育方式，结果反而扼杀了自家儿女的天性。而焦煤镇的巨富庞得贝为维护“自我奋斗成功”的虚假形象，不惜抛弃生母，最终落得一个众叛亲离的下场。

BOOK THE FIRST. SOWING

CHAPTER 1 The One Thing Needful

CHAPTER 2 Mudering the Innocents

CHAPTER 3 A Loophole

CHAPTER 4 Mr. Bounderby

CHAPTER 5 The Keynote

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 Hearing the 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