A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov is a Russian novel that delves deep into the psyche of a disillusioned aristocrat in the 19th century. Grigory Pechorin, the novel's protagonist, is a self-centered and cynical army officer who lives a life devoid of purpose. He recklessly risks his life, toys with the love of women, and destroys those who...More
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev(November 9 [O.S. October 28] , 1818 – September 3, 1883) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, translator and popularizer of Russian literature in the West.
His first major publication, a short story collection entitled A Sportsman's Sketches (1852), was a milestone of Russian realism. His novel Fathers and Sons (1862) is regarded as one of the major works of 19th-century fiction.
Turgenev's artistic purity made him a favorite of like-minded novelists of the next generation, such as Henry James and Joseph Conrad, both of whom greatly preferred Turgenev to Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. James, who wrote no fewer than five critical essays on Turgenev's work, claimed that "his merit of form is...More
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev(November 9 [O.S. October 28] , 1818 – September 3, 1883) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, translator and popularizer of Russian literature in the West.
His first major publication, a short story collection entitled A Sportsman's Sketches (1852), was a milestone of Russian realism. His novel Fathers and Sons (1862) is regarded as one of the major works of 19th-century fiction.
Turgenev's artistic purity made him a favorite of like-minded novelists of the next generation, such as Henry James and Joseph Conrad, both of whom greatly preferred Turgenev to Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. James, who wrote no fewer than five critical essays on Turgenev's work, claimed that "his merit of form is of the first order" (1873) and praised his "exquisite delicacy", which "makes too many of his rivals appear to hold us, in comparison, by violent means, and introduce us, in comparison, to vulgar things" (1896)
Book Summary
A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov is a Russian novel that delves deep into the psyche of a disillusioned aristocrat in the 19th century. Grigory Pechorin, the novel's protagonist, is a self-centered and cynical army officer who lives a life devoid of purpose. He recklessly risks his life, toys with the love of women, and destroys those who care for him. Pechorin embodies the Byronic hero, with his contradictory nature and his insight into his own character. The novel's nonchronological and fragmented narrative structure influenced major writers of Russian literature, including Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy. It also anticipated the antiheroes and antinovels of Western fiction in the 20th century. Set in the beautiful Caucasus region, the novel is noted for its beautiful descriptions and its compelling portrayal of Pechorin, the superfluous man who ultimately wastes his energies and potential.
Ivan turgenev
