《艱難時世》描寫了工業市鎮焦煤鎮的生活。小說通過對葛雷梗和龐得貝這樣的大人物及其命運的描寫，譴責了資本家的剝削行徑、批判了功利主義的實用原則、鞭撻了一味追求物質利益的生活方式和非人道主義教育的精神壓迫。
《艱難時世(世界文學名著英語原著版)》(作者狄*斯)是“中譯經典文庫”繫列之一，本版本是英語原著版。

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