Hard Times by Charles Dickens

In the industrial town of Coketown, strict utilitarianism rules every aspect of life, as children are taught facts above all else. Thomas Gradgrind, a schoolmaster, raises his children with no room for imagination—but the rigid system begins to unravel when emotions, poverty, and injustice emerge. The plot follows several characters whose lives intersect around love, labor, and rebellion. As personal and societal costs mount, the novel critiques a world without compassion. It’s a sharp, moving indictment of industrial England.