Product Description

A masterpiece of Russian prose, Lermontov's only novel was influential for many later 19th century authors, including Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Chekhov. Lermotov's hero, Pechorin, is a dangerous man, Byronic in his wasted gifts and his cynicism, and desperate for any kind of action that will stave off boredom. In five linked episodes, Lermontov builds up a portrait of a man caught in and expressing the sickness of his times.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48609 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-28
• Original language: Russian
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Review
'galloping new translation' - The Independent

The Evening Standard
'A hero for our times, too, perhaps.'

From the Author
When this novel appeared in Russia in 1840 there was shock, there was horror. It was a slander and a libel and a slur on the younger generation. This often happens when a novel or play touches to the quick, but we do have to admit to our appetite for shock and horror. The equivalent in our time was The Angry Young Men, and while the fuss and noise was largely the creation of the Media, nevertheless it all went on for about ten years, and that couldn’t have happened if people hadn’t wanted to be shocked. There were actually reports of fathers trying to horsewhip their daughters’ impudent suitors. Splendidly anaphronistic stuff.
The emotions A Hero of Our Time evoked went rather deeper. Lermontov, unpleasantly attacked, said the book was indeed a portrait, not of himself, but of a generation. He was far from apologetic and spoke out of that sense of responsibility and authority then possessed by Russian writers. They saw themselves, and were generally regarded, as a public conscience. The writers of no other country have ever enjoyed this role.
So when Lermontov said he had diagnosed the illness but it was not his business to prescribe the cure, he disappointed.

Customer Reviews

Life, death and male introspection in 19thC Dagestan
On one level this is a fantastic piece of travel writing detailing a young officer's journey from the elegant drawing rooms of Russia's heartland to the wild and lawless Southern Caucasus. However the book also follows the moral journey of the Hero, and allows Lermontov to put the boot into the stale and self serving ruling classes who's banality is nearly as gigantic as his ennui. Whilst the geographical journey takes in crazy characters, wild situations and beautiful places, the moral adventure examines the Hero's alienation not just from his peers but from the rest of humanity. Lermontov's Hero is not simply disgruntled however, he has an alternative, if somewhat manufactured amorality which is in many ways very appealing. All in all an excellent read conbining costume drama, travel writing and philosophical introspection: Like Sartre only well written and interesting.

What heroism is really all about?
Lermontov's book is a brilliant precursor to the great Russian novels of the 19th century. It is principally the story of Pechorin, the hero of the title, a Russian officer posted to the Caucasus. He is, however, not a hero in the classical sense, but rather an ambiguous character. Where traditional heroes are motivated by the desire to do good, Pechorin is motivated by the desire to avoid boredom. When he chases women it is not for love, but to give himself a project, regardless of the effects he has on his targets. Although, he arouses the admiration of his fellow officers, they are also repelled by his callousness and lack of morals. He is a great antihero, beginning a tradition that was later followed by Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky and other Russian authors, with their morally ambiguous protagonists. Lermontov's hero is more classically romantic than those of the other author, but Lermontov stops short of making Pechorin into some sort of Boy's Own hero. The distaste with which the other characters view Pechorin constantly remind the reader that at the heart of his rogueish exterior is a really selfish man, one who we both admire and pity. Although later books have achieved characters like Pechorin with more subtlety, he remains the archetype . I enjoyed reading this book immensely, and, if any of the above intrigues you, suggest that you will as well.

A Hero of OUR Time
I first read this book as a 'set text' at Uni but have reread it many times since. It struck me when I first read it that this book reflects a great deal of the apathy and frustration that are the trademarks of the so-called 'Generation X' - the phrase coined by the media to refer to 20-somethings in the late 1990's (my generation). The book was written at the end of the 19th century and Pechorin's feelings and emotions reflected very well the misunderstood angst of Generation X as we approached the end of the 20th century (or perhaps more likely, it reflects a feeling common to many generations of young people?)
The 'Hero' is such an antihero that the title can be perceived as an ironic jibe at the protagonist and those who would consider him 'heroic' but also as a condemnation of an era that can only produce such a man as a 'hero'. Whilst we as readers are to some extent supposed to disapprove of Pechorin's ammorality, I found myself as a disenchanted twenty-something, sympathising with our Hero's dark point of view, enjoying Lermontov's black humour and ruing the fact that Lermontov died too young to amass a great body of work.
Go read it and form your own opinion!