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A Hero of Our Time

by Mikhail Lermontov, Paul Foote (Translator, Introduction)

4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 · rating details · 11,063 ratings · 337 reviews

In its adventurous happenings, its abductions, duels, and sexual intrigues, A Hero of Our Time looks backward to the tales of Sir Walter Scott and Lord Byron, so beloved by Russian society in the 1820s and '30s. In the character of its protagonist, Pechorin, the archetypal Russian antihero, Lermontov's novel looks forward to the subsequent glories of a Russian literature t...more

Paperback, 185 pages

Published August 30th 1966 by Penguin Classics (first published 1840)

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Sep 28, 2012 محمود أغيورلي rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

بطل من هذا الزمان - ميخائيل ليرمونتوف -
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لقد طالما غُذي الناس بالحلوى حتى فسدت معدهم وينبغي ان يتناولوا الان عقاقيرة مرة ولاذعة .
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رايت ان المجد والسعادة لايتوقفان على الثقافة لان اسعد الناس جهلاء ولان المجد رهن بالحظ ولا حاجة للمرء الا الى البراعة اذا شاء الوصول اليه ..
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انه ليحزن المرء ان يرى شابا في ريعان صباه يفقد اجمل اماله واحلامه حين ترفع عن بصره الغشاوة الوردية التي كان ينظر من خلالها الى افعال الناس وعواطفهم ولكن يمكن للشباب دوما ان يستبدل با...more

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Oct 19, 2010 Basma rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

ترجمة د. سامي الدروبي.

بدأت بقراءة الرواية الوحيدة لـ ليرمونوف، وكالعادة مع هؤلاء الروس وجدت نفسي أفكر "لا أحد يكتب مثل الروس!".
سيطر علي إحساس "ديجافو" وأنا أقرأ، وكأني مررت هنا قبلا، مع أني الآن أترقب الآتي ولا فكرة لدي عما سيحدث.
وصلت إلى أن بوشكين هو مايحصل، هو سبب هذا الديجافو. يظهر لي بوشكين في القصائد الشرقية، الجنود المنفيين وحروب، جبال وحسناوات القوقاز.
مع انتهاء الثلث الأول من الرواية فكرت أن علي التمهل للتمتع أكثر بقراءتها. آسفني كونها الرواية الوحيدة، كيف تكون الوحيدة! أتعرفون هذا الإ...more

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Jul 30, 2010 Chin Hwa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of the most interesting, eye-opening books I've read. I'm not that familiar with Russian literature, but the more I read, the more I'm falling in love with them. This book has got to be one of the most extended, sustained meditation on the egotistical mind of a young casanova. But strangely, the novel doesn't make me despise its protagonist. There is something intriguing, almost refreshing about the calculated cruelty yet disarming honesty of the protagonist. He knows he can't commit and say...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

1. Memorable 5
2. Social Relevance 1
3. Informative 2
4. Originality 3
5. Thought Provoking 5
6. Expressiveness 5
7. Entertaining 3
8. Visualization 4
9. Sparks Emotion 4
10. Life Changing (Pivotal, crucial, determining, defining, momentous, fateful, consequential, climacteric, transformational) 1

5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 5, 3, 4, 4, 1 ====> 33/10 = 3.3

http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/51...

Lermontov died in a duel, like his great predecessor poet, Aleksandr Pushkin.
Even more so tragically strange (if not to sa...more

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Mar 24, 2010 Islam rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: كتب-للتحميل

حاول ليرمنتوف الذي لم يتجاوز عندما كتب هذه الرواية الخامسة والعشرين من عمره أن يرسم صورة واقعية لأبناء جيله فتركت روايته أثرا عميقا في حياة الكثير من الأجيال التالية. وقال ليرمنتوف في مقدمة روايته : "إن "بطل زماننا" ليست صورة لرجل واحد، بل صورة تضم رذائل جيلنا كله.. وإذا قال أحد إن الأخلاق لن تجني من ذلك خيرا، فلا تتعجلوا، فطالما غذي الناس بالحلوى حتى فسدت معدهم. ويجب عليهم الآن أن يتناولوا العقاقير المرة، وأن يتقبلوا الحقائق اللاذعة.. لقد أردت على سبيل التفكه أن أرسم صورة لإنسان هذا العصر كما ف...more

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Dec 09, 2008 Tyler rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Shelves: 19th-century

In this book without a plot, Lermontov's only novel, the author sketches a creative portrait of his generation. I got a kick out of it, because the young generation always seems to suffer from the same moral defects, no matter which particular generation it is.

The so-called hero of this generation, its exemplar, is devoid of creditable feeling:

--- ... I'm incapable of friendship. Of two friends one is always the slave of the other, though often neither will admit it.

--- ... life has left me with...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Noor Orfahly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

مقتطفات

آه من هذه الآسيا التي لا يمكن أن يطمأن فيها إلى شيء و لا إلى أحد

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ان زوال الافتتان هذا قد نشأ كسائر المودات في أعلى طبقات المجتمع ثم هبط إلى أدناها حتى صار مبتذلا و إن الذين يشعرون اليوم بالضجر حقاً أكثر من غيرهم يحاولون إخفاء هذا الداء على أنه آفة و عيب

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ورب قصة نفس من النفوس مهما تكن صغيرة تكون أشيق و أنفع من قصة شعب بأسره و لا سيما حين تكون ثمرة ملاحظات أجراها على نفسه فكر ناضج ثم كتبها لا تدفعه إلى كتابتها رغبة عابثة في إثارة الدهشة و الشوق في أنفس القراء

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لقد تفاهمنا بسرعة و انعقدت بينن...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Terry rated it 3 of 5 stars

The shade of Byron, or perhaps more accurately of the Byronic hero (that petulant and brooding vampiric pretty boy that has fascinated us since the days of the famous celebrity-poet), looms large, though in a decidedly ironic fashion, in Lermontov’s _A Hero of Our Time_. The titular ‘hero’ Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin, seen both from the outside and from within, displays from every angle the nearly perfect vision of the ‘tragic’ Byronic douche bag. From his ability to sway any woman with littl...more The shade of Byron, or perhaps more accurately of the Byronic hero (that petulant and brooding vampiric pretty boy that has fascinated us since the days of the famous celebrity-poet), looms large, though in a decidedly ironic fashion, in Lermontov’s _A Hero of Our Time_. The titular ‘hero’ Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin, seen both from the outside and from within, displays from every angle the nearly perfect vision of the ‘tragic’ Byronic douche bag. From his ability to sway any woman with little more than a glance from his deep, sorrowful, mesmeric eyes and a healthy dose of the cold shoulder, to his barely suppressed glee at the ease with which he can manipulate the feelings and actions of those he sees as his inferiors (everyone really) with little more than a bon mot or roll of the eyes, and his long internal monologues bemoaning the tragic fate that has unfairly made him a pariah in the eyes of the world Pechorin is an exemplar of the Byronic template. Presented as several linked stories, starting out with a frame narrative that lets us see Pechorin from the outside which then moves to the personal journal of the man himself, the stories of Pechorin’s life as relayed by Lermontov are dripping with bitterness and irony.

There is a playful, maybe even precious, level of self-awareness in this novel as Lermontov gleefully fills his protagonist with all of the foibles and features of the self-loving (and loathing) Byronic hero. Pechorin is also often used as a mouthpiece for the social and intellectual issues of the day that Lermontov wants to bring front and centre. At times he displays an almost post-modern regret for the lost innocence of mankind and his earlier beliefs:

…And we, their miserable descendants, roaming over the earth, without faith, without pride, without enjoyment, and without terror – except that involuntary awe which makes the heart shrink at the thought of the inevitable end – we are no longer capable of great sacrifices…because we know the impossibility of such happiness…[and] we pass from doubt to doubt…

At others he spouts typically romantic paens to the grandeur of nature, the tininess of mankind and the greatness of his own spirit destined to be crushed by life and fate.

Ultimately when considering this novel it’s important to realize that, true to its title, it’s all about Pechorin . Whether considering the first part of the novel in which he is viewed with an almost hero-worshipping fascination by the old soldier Maksim Maksimych who relays his reminiscences to our unnamed narrator, or we read the words of the man himself in his private journals, Pechorin truly is (in his own mind at least) a hero of his time. It’s fair to say that Pechorin is a keen observer of the faults and weaknesses of others, however he pairs this with delusions of self-awareness that are monumental in their erroneousness. Indeed Lermontov playfully has his hero allude (sneeringly of course) to the manner in which an adversary acts as though his “aim is to make himself the hero of a novel. He has so often endeavoured to convince others that he is being created not for this world and doomed to certain mysterious sufferings…” This statement, once you get to know Pechorin, displays Lermontov’s liberal use of irony which is nearly dripping from the page. Of course Pechorin is also a model roué whose motto comes out as he reflects on the type of women he has been able to seduce and destroy: “I must confess that, in fact, I do not love women who possess strength of character. What business have they with such a thing?” Everything and everyone is a tool to be used, most especially to divert him and relieve his soul from its monumental ennui and dissatisfaction with daily life. He is a man whose philosophy seems to hearken back to the teaching of Machiavelli and perhaps even looks forward to those to come of Nietszche:

…ambition is nothing more nor less than a thirst for power, and my chief pleasure is to make everything that surrounds me subject to my will. To arouse the feeling of love, devotion and awe towards oneself – is not that the first sign, and the greatest triumph, of power?

After having lived this philosophy to the full and having destroyed, or nearly destroyed, the lives of numerous ‘friends’ and ‘lovers’ and things finally start to go sour Pechorin even has the audacity to wonder “Why do they all hate me?” There but for the grace of God.

I enjoyed this novel, primarily for its delicious irony, and was shocked to find that upon its release it was apparently taken as an honest tribute to the Byronic rake, so much so in fact that the author felt obliged to spell things out in a preface to the second edition. In it the author described the reading public of Russia as “like a simple-minded person from the country who, chancing to hear a conversation between two diplomatists belonging to hostile courts, comes away with the conviction that each of them has been deceiving his Government in the interest of a most affectionate private friendship”. Meow. I guess irony wasn’t in vogue then, since so far as I was concerned you couldn’t miss it. Sadly it might be said that Pechorin is as much a hero of our time as he was in his own.
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Feb 19, 2013 Elizabeth (Alaska) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1001-books, listen-alaska-kindle, rws-winter-12-13

In spite of my 3 stars, I had no trouble wanting to keep reading. I would place it at the top of my 3-star range. This just wasn't what I was expecting, and I was sort of off-balance for the first half because of that.

The first person narrator of the beginning third of the book described the contents as "travel notes". We are introduced to a couple of characters who I expected to get to know better. However, it was Pechorin who continues throughout, through diary entries. Not sure which word I s...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Ensiform rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, russian, stories

A collection of previously published stories about Pechorin, a Russian officer, who turns out to be hardly a hero. Said to be the first Russian psychological novel. In my opinion, the author himself was more interesting (he wrote this – his sole novel – between the ages of 21-25, killed in a duel over a trivial insult at 26) than his book, which had awkward, obviously translated phrases (something I have an automatic eye for these days), way too much purple prose and little action/poignancy. On...more

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Jan 06, 2011 BoekenTrol rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: LiniP

Recommended to BoekenTrol by: my professor for Russian literature

Shelves: bookcrossing, bookcrossing_ringbook, books-i-own, english_language, literature_and_fiction

The Dutch version of this book I have read in my first year at university. Thought it was a great book. I loved the descriptions, the language, the venue (the Caucasus). For me reading Lermontov was the first 'meeting' with Russian literature, and it was love at first sight.
In my third year I read the Russian book, and liked it even better.

This English version of one of my favorite books I bought especially for the "Favorite Books Roundabout", so that the others in this ring, who do not read Du...more

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Jan 11, 2013 DeeNa Ayman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jan-readings

ممممم .. فعلياً أمنحها 3 نجمات ونصف ...

جميلة هذه الرواية .. لمستني شخصياً .. فهذا البطل يذكرني بنفسي في كثير من الأمور ...

وضعها الكاتب على شكل خمس قصص .. تبدو لوهلة أنها غير مترابطة .. لكن حين تنهي الكتاب تجدها جميعاً تبلور الشخصية الرئيسية ...

ومما لفت نظري هذين الاقتباسين ::

".. لأن الطموح ليس إلا الظمأ إلى السيطرة، وغاية اللذة عندي أن أخضع من يحيط بي .."
".. لأنني في حقيقة الامر عاجز عن الصداقة، ذلك لأن أحد الصديقين لابد أن يكون عبداً للآخر .."

بطل غريب ... لكنه بطل من هذا الزمان !~

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Jan 07, 2009 Antof9 rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2004-read

I'm having a hard time formulating my thoughts on this book review! First, I wish I had read this first, or perhaps not immediately after Spring Torrents, as I didn't like it nearly as much as Turgenev's book.

One thing that jumped out at me right away and then throughout the book was noticeable in its similarity to Spring Torrents, and I even remarked on it in my review for that book: ". . .abandoned himself to those sensations of newly apprehended love which it is pointless to describe. He who...more I'm having a hard time formulating my thoughts on this book review! First, I wish I had read this first, or perhaps not immediately after Spring Torrents, as I didn't like it nearly as much as Turgenev's book.

One thing that jumped out at me right away and then throughout the book was noticeable in its similarity to Spring Torrents, and I even remarked on it in my review for that book: ". . .abandoned himself to those sensations of newly apprehended love which it is pointless to describe. He who has experienced them knows their languor and sweetness; there is no way of explaining them to one who has not." In this excerpt, I thought it such a beautiful, poetic (if you will, given the current book) way to basically say "I can't describe how new love feels to you if you haven't experienced it. I won't even attempt it!"

On the other hand, in this book when I noticed comments like that, they seemed almost like a cop-out. As if the author was really just too busy to be bothered to explain them to us. Perhaps if I hadn't noticed it 5 or so times, I wouldn't have felt that way. . . The only time I didn't find it annoying was this, for it was perfectly apt: "And then we had one of those conversations which make no sense on paper, which you can't repeat and can't even remember." A great description of what happens on those late-night talks when you're first starting to know one another.

I found the introduction by Paul Foote very interesting, and also helpful as a preface to the book. His ending was particularly entertaining. After describing Lermontov's life, how the book was accepted, his poetry, various literary devices, its effect on future Russian writing, etc., he ends with this: "Critis apart, A Hero of Our Time has been highly rated by generations of readers worldwide, who appreciate its qualities as a serious socio-historico-psychological novel -- and as a cracking good yarn."

As someone who always reads the Preface, I chuckled to read this part, "But the reader doesn't usually care in the least about a book's moral purpose or about journalists' attacks on it, so he doesn't bother to read the Preface."

I was very angry with Pechorin's response to Maxim Maximiych, after an absence of so long, and the callous manner in which he greeted him. Was it because memories of Maxim reminded him too much of memories of Bela? I don't think so. I think it is more symbolic of the shallow, uncaring type of person that Pechorin is. Maxim's final comment seems perfect (and applicable in life; not just to Pechorin): "As I've always said, no good ever comes of a man who forgets an old friend." This seems to be descriptive of Pechorin throughout the book -- he uses people for a time and at his whim. When he is done with them, he forgets about them. Perhaps the journal entry in Primcess Mary, describing his relationship with Werner is good in that he admits he's a lousy friend -- "We soon understood each other and became close acquaintances, for I'm incapable of friendship." -- but I found this part even more disturbing: "Of two friends one is always the slave of the other, though often neither will admit it. I can never be a slave, and to command in these circumstances is too exacting, for you have to pretend at the same time. Besides, I have money and servants enough." And there you have someone's sad commentary on friendship.

In Taman, I was very irritated when I read his prejudices against the blind. Also, the one-eyed, the deaf, the dumb, the legless, the armless. . . I just found this very small-minded, even given the time in which it was written. And was gratified when the blind boy could hear Yanko's oars 10 minutes before he could ;)

The odd dry humor was fun -- In Princess Mary, the entry for 13 May opens thusly: "This morning the doctor called. His name is Werner, though he's a Russian. There's nothing so odd about that -- I once knew a man called Ivanov who was a German." Maybe it's because I know a Swiss man named "Werner", I don't know, but this did make me chuckle.

Maybe the best adage to take away from this book is in The Fatalist, when discussing predestination, and Maxim's lack of forward thinking bothers the writer. I happened to like his response: "Bad luck on that poor chap, though. He should have known better than talk to drunks after dark." Wise counsel, always, to my mind :)(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Colin Helpio rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you are looking to get into the old Russian classics look no further; this is the book for you. Finishing just under 200 pages it can be read in a few days and with relative ease. The novel is a compilation of travelers notes describing the escapades of a restless playboy. Our hero, Pechorin, travels, fights and breaks hearts across the Russian frontier. The book jumps from event to event leaving no space for all that heady Russian stuff(Dostoevsky!). Pechorin's acts can, at times, be downrig...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Mel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 19th-century-fiction, russian-lit, translation

I really enjoyed this book. It felt a little odd and a little disjoiinted, the different lenghts and perspective short stories were a bit odd but it was still a very interesting read. Even in translation the writing came across beautifully and I was struck by many of the passages. (The translation I read was the revised one by Paul Foote). I really liked the characterisation of Pechorin. I found him interesting and complicated, while bored with everything he still managed to have very amusing ad...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Filzah rated it 5 of 5 stars

The pinnacle of Russian Romanticism. The prototypical Byronic hero, Lermontov's Pechorin is the successor to Pushkin's Onegin, but more polished, sinister and self-destructive. Those who are familiar with Russian Literature will know of the connection between the two different protagonists, and how both authors nailed the characterization of the anti-hero. While Onegin at times seem to be at an emotional impasse which renders him incapable of expressing his feelings, there is less uncertainty in...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-mainstream

A HERO OF OUR TIME. (1839-1840). Mikhail Lermontov. ****.
Lermontov (1814-1841) was primarily known for his poetry in the Romantic style, this being his only novel. He was said to be the one true Romantic poet produced by Russia, and the one who reflected most stongly the current trend of Byronism. He had a great influence on Dostoevesky, and was much admired by both Tolstoy and Chekhov. He had a short and adventurous life, and was killed in a duel in 1841. In this short novel, he takes up the l...more A HERO OF OUR TIME. (1839-1840). Mikhail Lermontov. ****.
Lermontov (1814-1841) was primarily known for his poetry in the Romantic style, this being his only novel. He was said to be the one true Romantic poet produced by Russia, and the one who reflected most stongly the current trend of Byronism. He had a great influence on Dostoevesky, and was much admired by both Tolstoy and Chekhov. He had a short and adventurous life, and was killed in a duel in 1841. In this short novel, he takes up the life of his hero, Gregory Pechorin, a man whose life rather reflects the adventures of Lermontov himself. It is not a novel in the true sense of the word, but a collection of five tales – all centered around one or more of Pechorin’s adventures. The tales are supposedly taken from the notebooks of Pechorin which he gave to one of his friends as being of no further use to him. His friend then went on to publish these tales. The tales are not in chronological order. The first two occur after the following three, but this doesn’t make any difference since the format is not one of a continuous plot. The whole purpose of this piece is to show the personality of Pechorin as it reflected the true nature of most men at the time of the action. Pechorin then becomes the role model of Lermontov’s “hero.” In the first tale, “Bela,” we meet Pechorin through the eyes of Maxim Maximysh. Pechorin meets Bela, a beautiful young woman, at the wedding of a local chieftain and an adventure ensues. The next tale, “Maxim Maximych,” gains us more insight into his character while letting us learn more about Maxim during his next encounter. Throughout all these tales we learn more and more about Pechorin and his attitude about life. “At the age of twenty-five, he has experienced all that life has to offer and found nothing to give him more than passing satisfaction or interest. He sees that life has let him down, failed to provide for him the high purpose that would be worthy of his superior powers. So he is reduced to dissipating his very considerable energies in petty adventures. He embarks on these with few illusions that he is doing more than making a temporary escape from boredom.” This approach to a fictional hero was very different from that normally encountered in Russian literature of the time, where the “hero” has noble characteristics, and follows the paths normally dictated by society at the time. Lermontov lets us see his “hero” as he really is. Recommended.
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Sep 30, 2010 Martha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic, extremely-poignant, humorous, historical, philosophical, poignant, romantic

Our association began when I met Werner in S-- at a noisy, crowded party of young men. As the evening wore on, the conversation turned to matters philosophical and metaphysical. They were discussing beliefs, and everyone believed in something or other.

'For my part,' said Werner, 'I'm convinced only of one thing.'

'What's that?' I asked, anxious to hear his views, for so far he had said nothing.

'That one fine day, sooner or later, I shall die,' he answered.

'I'm better off than you,' I said. 'I'm c...more

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Aug 25, 2010 Polomoche rated it 4 of 5 stars

This novel is so good we really need to start with the translator's note.

First published in 1840, 'A Hero of Our Time' was translated to English by Nabokov in 1958, framing the experience wonderfully for the modern reader. We have been directed here by the highest of references and are being led through by his very capable hand, as if a master chef not only recommended a fine restaurant, but went with you and helped order and explain all the courses. One is thus pleasantly reassured before even...more

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Jul 16, 2010 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, the-russians, own

"The full moon, red as the lurid glow of a fire, was just coming up over the jagged skyline of the housetops. The stars shone placidly in the dark-blue firmament, and I was amused at the thought that there once were sages who believed the heavenly bodies have a share in our wretched squabbles over a bit of territory or some other imaginary rights. Yet these lamps, which they thought had been lighted only to illuminate their battles and triumphs, still burn with undiminished brilliance, while the...more

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Dec 09, 2011 wally rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

on the kindle, although this seems to be the "ebook" version...as one of the 1st pages says "by j.h. wisdom & marr murray".

"profound influence of byron and being itself a study of the byronic type of character...." says so

book 1 bela the heart of a russian
chapter 1...i was travelling post from tiflis...

an eye-narrator...describes lost luggage, his driver, an ossete singing zealously...the glorious scenery...they stop at a dukhan at the foot of mount koishaur...a crowd there....and a caravan...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Thirteenth Peer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: russian, e-books, fiction, books-i-own

I read an older translation by a Lipmann which I thought was decent. I found it through google books.

I thought it was interesting how the author started with his own circumstances, then introduced a character who tells a tale of the true subject, then the author introduces the true subject himself who then tells the tale of his own life through the supposed medium of his journals. I don't have any particular comment other than that it is an interesting layering of fictionality.

As for the charact...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Sheri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: poverty-class-issues

I picked this up because I saw a reference to it in something I recently read (I can't remember if it was Northanger Abbey or Uncle Silas) and it sparked my curiousity: turns out it is just Russian moralizing set up as a story within a story.

The flow of the story and the "horrible" actions taken by Pechorin are (of course) outdated enough that I don't find him nearly as reprehensible as Lermontov means for me to find him. Instead, I think he is a cad and very irresponsible, but on the whole ent...more I picked this up because I saw a reference to it in something I recently read (I can't remember if it was Northanger Abbey or Uncle Silas) and it sparked my curiousity: turns out it is just Russian moralizing set up as a story within a story.

The flow of the story and the "horrible" actions taken by Pechorin are (of course) outdated enough that I don't find him nearly as reprehensible as Lermontov means for me to find him. Instead, I think he is a cad and very irresponsible, but on the whole entertaining. I realize, this is a product of my time. If anything, I expected there to be a bit more scandal (along the lines of Dangerous Liasons...where is the sex in this novel? Really he only beds Vera, who is already an old lover).

However, I really loved several of his musings. Pechorin's struggles with his (slight) guilt over his quest for power and entertainment (really his biggest problem is boredom, something which is understandable in modern times) are very poignant. His thoughts on the pursuit of happiness and the struggle with apathy rival that of David Foster Wallace (without the 900 pages of Infinite Jest to illustrate). Two of my favorites are here and should speak for themselves:

"my chief pleasure is to make everything that surrounds me subject to my will. To arouse the feeling of love, devotion and awe towards oneself--is not that the first sign, the greatest triumph, of power? To be the cause of suffering and joy to another--without in the least possessing any definite right to be so--is not that the sweetest food for our pride? And what is happiness?--Satisfied pride."

"Out of the storm of life I have borne away only a few ideas--and not one feeling. For a long time now I have been living, not with my heart, but with my head. I weigh, analyse my own passions and actions with severe curiosity, but without sympathy. There are two personalities within me: one lives--in the complete sense of the word--the other reflects and judges him"

As an endnote, I did notice a problem with consistency; Pechorin (in his diary) says that he will never marry (or not until late in life) because he is afraid of a prophesy that his wicked wife would kill him. However, he marries Bela (in the first story we hear of him); she is not wicked, nor does she kill him.(less)

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Feb 07, 2012 Anastasia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classici, russia

"Forse domani morirò! ...E sulla terra, nessuno che mi abbia veramente capito".

Un eroe del nostro tempo ,..titolo assolutamente ironico visto a chi si riferisce, racconta dell'incarnazione dei vizi e delle virtù del giovane nobile russo dei tempi di Lermontov. In parole povere, racconta dell'ufficiale Pecorin (che si pronuncia Picciòrin, non fate i beoti come me, che lo leggo letteralmente).
E com'era la gioventù nobile del 1830? Egocentrica e naturalmente egoista, menefreghista, di certo furba,...more "Forse domani morirò! ...E sulla terra, nessuno che mi abbia veramente capito".

Un eroe del nostro tempo ,..titolo assolutamente ironico visto a chi si riferisce, racconta dell'incarnazione dei vizi e delle virtù del giovane nobile russo dei tempi di Lermontov. In parole povere, racconta dell'ufficiale Pecorin (che si pronuncia Picciòrin, non fate i beoti come me, che lo leggo letteralmente).
E com'era la gioventù nobile del 1830? Egocentrica e naturalmente egoista, menefreghista, di certo furba, ma soprattutto terribilmente annoiata. Una noia tale che ti vien la depressione.

"- Per quanto mi riguarda, sono convinto soltanto di una cosa..- disse il dottore.
- Di quale? - gli domandai, ansioso di conoscere l'opinione di un uomo che fino a quel momento aveva taciuto.
- Del fatto che, prima o poi, un bel mattino morirò! - rispose.
- Io sono più ricco di voi! - dissi. - Sono convinto anche di un'altra cosa, e cioè che una bruttissima sera ebbi la disgrazia di nascere. -"

Non so se anche voi notate l'estrema gioia di vivere che pervade queste righe. Ecco, questo spirito non si altera, si stabilisce già all'inizio con Pecorin che non può gioire del piacere e della tristezza perché ci ha fatto talmente tanta abitudine, che non li sente più, sente solo un gran vuoto. Uno pensa, "sicuramente verso la fine scoprirà la gioia di vivere e s'impegnerà a riscattare tutto il tempo sprecato nel passato!".
Bisogna essere ingenui per sperarlo davvero. Il tempo lo spreca, ma non se ne cura, si preoccupa solo di lamentarsi e di compiangersi per via del suo mal di vivere superiore a qualsiasi sofferenza dei suoi cari (chiamali "cari", Pecorin tiene solo a se stesso). Non si cura di tutte le donne che attira volontariamente a sé e puntualmente trascura, perché in fondo loro potranno pur soffrire per l'amore respinto, ma lui soffre di più. Lui, povero giovane incompreso dall'intero genere umano.
In fondo, come lascia ad intendere lui, le donne sono solo oggettini graziosi con cui inebriarsi, addirittura il carattere non è roba adatta a loro. Adesso gli mando sotto casa Elizabeth Bennett, vedete che non oserà mai più sentenziare simili scempiaggini.
Un minuto di silenzio per tutte le vittime del suo fascino, prontamente cadute in depressione.
Anche se di certo un certo qualcosa ce l'ha, sarà merito dell'abile penna di Lermontov e di una sorta di pregio connaturato in qualsiasi scrittore russo che si ritrova davanti al compito di descrivere qualsiasi cosa, sarà merito dello stesso personaggio che non smette mai di destare curiosità nel lettore.
E devo dire questo tira e molla, questa sorta di antipatia a volte smorzata da certe paginette che inevitabilmente attraggono la lettrice di turno verso il nostro Pecorino, ha funzionato persino su di me. Non riesco a farmi piacere Pecorin, però c'è quel retro che non riesce a fartelo condannare in toto, non riesce a farti fare davvero un passo indietro davanti al suo personaggio.
In realtà Pecorin è forse uno dei personaggi più ambigui in cui io mi sia mai imbattuta.
Eppure sinceramente non l'ho trovato di chissà quale profondità, mia madre dice che è stupefacente che Lermontov a soli vent'anni abbia scritto un libro del genere, io rispondo che non ci vedo nulla di sorprendente, sono tutte riflessioni che io, sedicenne, ho già fatto. Anzi, gran parte delle sue opinioni sono difficilmente condivisibili da me, ragazza del nuovo millennio.
Io credo, piuttosto, che il punto forte del libro sia nelle descrizioni dei paesaggi, dello stesso Pecorin. Si vede quanto Lermontov sia innamorato della natura e dei paesaggi che descrive, quelle sono veramente pagine in cui si respira la bellezza.

Lettura dal punto di vista di impressioni strettamente personali un po' così così, ma assolutamente interessante per il suo valore letterario.

PS: La Bennett è già partita, io le ho detto che stavo scherzando, ma lei se l'è presa parecchio leggendo di questo Pecorin. (less)

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Jul 11, 2010 Frankie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: russian

Dostoevsky makes several allusions to Lermontov's Pechorin as the first literary type of the nihilist of the disillusioned Russian generation coming of age in the late nineteenth century. This is what brought me to Lermontov. What repelled me, until now, was the impression I had of him as a Byronic writer. Happily, and after reading some of his verse and this novel, I find that he's more influenced by Pushkin than Byron. In fact, he seems to be winding Byron up.

The delightful sarcasm, even of th...more

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Jul 09, 2011 Jan-Maat added it

Shelves: 19th-century, russia-and-soviet-union, read-in-translation, fiction

The book is made up of a series of stories featuring the "hero" Pechorin. There emphasis is on the unexciting side of Russia's expansion southwards featuring garrison life and encounters with smugglers. There's a contrast between the jaded Russian and the Caucasian - it is already an occidental/oriental relationship with a full set of assumptions about the particular type of otherness that distinguishes the oriental from the incoming Russians.

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Mar 26, 2011 Dylan Suher rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's so refreshing to read a writer who is just really damn good at telling a story. Lermontov is a master of narrative, he seems to know all the devices, all the approaches appropriate for getting the tale across in the way he wants it to be received. The work is an engaging study of the Russian periphery and its role in the emerging Russian romantic consciousness, as well as a good book about the peculiar existential state of boredom. I want to read more good books about boredom. "Princess Mar...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Olga rated it 5 of 5 stars

Одно из немногих произведений, оставивших след со школьной программы.
Когда мы его проходили в те времена, я помню я взахлеб прочитала про Печорина и... написала разгромное сочинение, суть которого примерно заключалась в следующем: "Зачем Лермонтов ТАК назвал эту повесть?" Какой же это герой нашего времени, который чуть ли не рекламируется Лермонтовым, который достаточно мягко, на мой вгляд тогда, преподнес все несчастья, которые постигали люди от него, и чуть ли не оправдывал (потому что давал...more Одно из немногих произведений, оставивших след со школьной программы.
Когда мы его проходили в те времена, я помню я взахлеб прочитала про Печорина и... написала разгромное сочинение, суть которого примерно заключалась в следующем: "Зачем Лермонтов ТАК назвал эту повесть?" Какой же это герой нашего времени, который чуть ли не рекламируется Лермонтовым, который достаточно мягко, на мой вгляд тогда, преподнес все несчастья, которые постигали люди от него, и чуть ли не оправдывал (потому что давал объяснени) поведение Печорина. Я помню я получила 5 за сочинение, но все же учительница лично меня пыталась убедить в том, что в этом-то всем и есть ирония, высмеяние общества. Я отвечала, что все пониманию, но все равно считаю, что неправильно было о таком человеке писать повесть с таким названием :)))

Прошло много лет, и я читаю гениальную повесть Лермонтова снова. Сейчас я лучше понимаю всю иронию, и не считаю, что кто-то может не понять названия, точнее сути Печорина и что именно хотел показать автор этим собирательным образом героя - человека до крайности эгоистичного, черствого, апатичного, без тяги к самосовершенствоанию или хотя бы соответствию социальному обществу. Но одновременно со всем этим Печорина жалко, но жалко даже не потому, что он такой плохого человек, а потому, что он очень несчастен и жить ему абсолютно неинтересно. По-моему, это действительно очень страшно. Жить для кого-то и для чего-то, постоянно к чему-то стремиться и уметь получать удовольствие от достижения цели и, не менее важно, умение ценить то, что имеешь - прекрасные качества, наличие которых ценишь все больше, переосмыслив прочитанное.(less)

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Oct 03, 2012 Lori rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the past couple years, I've read The Brothers Karamazov and re-read Anna Karenina. My son read Hero of Our Time for the second time and highly recommended it as I continue my pursuit of the Russians. The simplicity of it, in contrast to the big Russian novels, is striking. There is an almost cartoon-y quality to the hero, Perchorin's, adventures. Reading the book is like watching an old silent movie - the eavesdropping beneath windows, the duels, the chance meetings, the galloping horses. And...more

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Dec 01, 2008 Seán rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008

Even with some creaky old plot devices, AHOOT is brilliantly structured: multiple narrators giving voice to different aspects of Lermontov, decent stories told well, and dabs of philosophizing here and there. This edition itself is pretty spectacular: a no-frills translation by Messrs. Nabokov and a beautiful cover by Edward Gorey.

BONUS QUESTION: Is it from "The Fatalist" we get the term Russian Roulette?

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About Mikhail Lermontov

Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov (Михаил Юрьевич Лермонтов), a Russian Romantic writer, poet and painter, sometimes called "the poet of the Caucasus", was the most important Russian poet after Alexander Pushkin's death. His influence on later Russian literature is still felt in modern times, not only through his poetry, but also by his prose.

Lermontov died in a duel like his great predecessor poet, Ale...more

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