About the value of Dickens as a social historian, critic John Ruskin wrote: "Dickens is consistent in his basic tendency and purpose in every book he wrote. All of his works, but especially 'Hard Times', should be studied with great care by those interested in social problems. They will find many biased and seemingly unfair phenomena. However, if they examine all the evidence and, on the other hand, it will become clear that his own opinion is ultimately correct, expressed bluntly and with sharpness...". 'Hard Times' have a constant value, not only for the student of social conditions, but also for the ordinary reader.