Lermontov - A Hero of Our Time

A Hero of Our Time is an often overlooked classic of Russian literature regarded as the first Russian novel of Russian psychological realism. Centered around the adventures of a morally bankrupt army officer named Pechorin, the book takes place in the Caucasus in the early 19th Century. Seemingly bored with life, Pechorin draws pleasure from playing psychological games and attempting to dominate those around him. His tales of derring-do, manipulation and female seduction are enthralling in their unfolding and disturbing in their sheer pointlessness.

In the introduction Lermontov writes that the book was not just a portrait of one man but of all his generation’s vices. Many critics, however, have taken the character of Pechorin to be more of a self-portrait than Lermontov would admit...


The novel is told by three separate voices: firstly by Maksim Maksimych, an ageing army officer; secondly by an unnamed traveler/narrator, presumably Lermontov himself; and thirdly by Pechorin through his journals. At one point the unnamed narrator ruminates, “Some readers will want to know my impressions of the character of Pechorin. My answer is the title of this book. ‘Ahh, this is wicked irony,’ they will say. I don’t know.”

Some gems of Pechorin’s wisdom include, “I am not capable of close friendship: of two close friends, one is always the slave of the other, although frequently neither of them will admit it. I cannot be a slave, and to command in such circumstances is a tiresome business, because one must deceive at the same time.”

About women he believes, “It is difficult to convince women of something; one must lead them to believe that they have convinced themselves,” and laments, “Women! Women! Who will understand them? Their smiles contradict their glances, their words promise and lure, while the sound of their voices drives us away. One minute they comprehend and divine our most secret thoughts, and the next, they do not understand the clearest hints.”

A Hero of Our Time is gripping in its exposition of Pechorin. He stands as one of the most intriguing characters in Russian literature and is as applicable to the modern world as he was to Lermontov’s generation. Meanwhile, the mysterious and enchanting backdrops against which Pechorin’s adventures are set are beautifully rendered by Lermontov’s prose and will make you fall in love with the Caucasus without ever having visited.

As for Lermontov, although he produced quite a bit of highly praised poetry he would never write another novel. His penchant for the odd spot of dueling saw his life cut short. He was killed in a duel in 1841 at the age of 27.

Some notable translations of A Hero of Our Time were done by Vladimir Nabokov and Paul Foote. You can buy the book from Amazon or any major bookstore.