Mikhail Lermontov
Penguin Classics
2009 (1840)
208
Paperback
Classics
Xmas Gift
The first major Russian novel, A Hero of Our Time was both lauded and reviled upon publication. Its hero, twenty-five-year-old Pechorin, is a beautiful and magnetic but nihilistic young army officer, bored by life and indifferent to his many sexual conquests. Chronicling his unforgettable adventures in the Caucasus involving brigands, smugglers, soldiers, rivals, and lovers, this classic tale of alienation influenced Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Chekhov, and holds up a mirror not only to Lermontov's time but also to our own.
A Hero of Our Time was an okay read but not as enjoyable as I had anticipated. I wanted to read the original novel after seeing the movie, but I feel the movie expressed the story in a more fun manner. Don't get me wrong, the book was not bad, but it also wasn't captivating. Odd moments would capture my attention and interest, but then it would waver again. This is an important text in terms of being the beginning the Russian novel form, and so is interesting to read from that point of view, and the portrayal of the titular hero does create a memorable character. Nonetheless, this is not a book I see myself wanting to reread in the future, so I am giving it 3 stars.
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