90 pages • 3 hours read
Studs TerkelHard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression
Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1970A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Hard Times by Studs Terkel is an oral history of the Great Depression, featuring interviews with 160 individuals from varied backgrounds, including migratory workers, union organizers, and government officials. Through these personal recollections, Terkel explores themes such as labor strife, race, political turmoil, and the psychological impact of the Depression, while contrasting the experiences of those who lived through it with the perspectives of younger generations. The book includes depictions of suicide, mental health issues, and extreme stress.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Studs Terkel's Hard Times masterfully captures the human experience of the Great Depression through compelling oral histories. Critics praise its depth and emotional resonance, while some find its episodic nature lacks cohesion. Overall, Terkel's vivid portrayal of resilience and hardship is both enlightening and moving.
Who Should Read Hard Times?
Readers who would enjoy Hard Times by Studs Terkel are history enthusiasts and fans of oral histories. They appreciate firsthand accounts of societal struggles. Comparable books include The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee, which also explore the human impact of economic hardships.
480
Biography • Nonfiction
United States • 1930s
1970
Adult
18+ years
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