Based on the first edition, Hard Times is informatively annotated with a lively introduction and helpful notes on cultural references, social and political mores, literary allusions, and unfamiliar word usage. In addition to a chronology coordinating Dickens' life with key historical events, the editors explore the political, economical, educational, and social state of England in the 1830s and 1840s. Many of these issues are reflected in the section of Victorian era reactions to Hard Times. A guide to further reading is provided as a service to students, scholars, and the curious