Synopses & Reviews
"Of lasting appeal to readers of all countries and centuries." — Vladimir Nabokov
Russian literature's first major prose novel, this gripping work was a primary influence on Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and other great nineteenth-century writers. Mikhail Lermontov, "the poet of the Caucasus," drew upon his personal Byronic exploits to create these tales of treachery, abductions, and sexual intrigue. Published in 1840, one year before the author's death at age twenty-six in a duel, the novel retains its overwhelming power and fascination.
Centered on the escapades of Pechorin, a dashing young officer and the hero of the title, the book consists of a series of interconnected short stories. The picaresque adventures revolve around Pechorin's escapades and reflect his cynical but passionate worldview. Set amid the rugged Caucasian wilderness — an exotic land populated by bandits and smugglers, transplanted society women, and lawless freebooters — it offers a thrilling blend of brutality, elegance, and enduring romance.
Synopsis
Russian literature's first major prose novel, this gripping work was a primary influence on Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and other great 19th-century writers. The author drew upon his personal Byronic exploits to create these picaresque adventures amid the rugged Caucasus in the company of bandits, freebooters, and beautiful women.
Synopsis
Treachery and sexual intrigue abound in this gripping and influential Russian novel. Its picaresque tales trace a Byronic hero's exploits amid the rugged Caucasian frontier.
Table of Contents
Translators' Foreword
Author's Preface
Book I. Bèla
Book II. Maksim Maksimych
Foreword to Extracts from Pechorin's Diary
Book III. Tamañ
Book IV. The Fatalist
Book V. Princess Mary