A Hero of Our Time
Mikhail Lermontov
Psychological Fiction
1840
Book Summary:
A Hero of Our Time can be best described as a novel pretending to be a biography. The novel starts out with the Preface before it turns to the short Biography of Bella. During Bella's story, we hear about a man named Pechorin, and Maxim Maximych who has his own story after that of Bella. Then we have the Foreword which we presume to be written by the same person who wrote both the story of Bella and Maximych. Next up is the story of Pechorin, told by Pechorin after his death through the reading of his journal. In Pechorin's Journal, there are three other stories which can be summed up by the main character in each, besides Pechorin of course. The stories of Taman, Princess Mary, and the Fatalist each take place in different parts of Pechorin's life.
My Review:
It has been a very long time since I have read something that made me sit back and rethink my life after reading it. However, this beautiful story was something extraordinary. Although the writing style is very different than what I am used to, and I had no idea where many of the locations and nationalities were, every page was a journey. Not only did I stop to research the locations, and the long-forgotten nationalities that this story speaks of, but I also stopped to reflect on each story after it had finished.
All of this being said, it was not by any means an easy read. It took me many months to get through the book, and I must admit that I was not always pleased with it. However, unlike many novels you will have read in your life, this one does not feel like a story. You start to connect with the characters as if they were lifelong friends, and feel in their pain when things do not go as planned. Lermontov was somehow able to make 300 pages seem like an entire lifetime.
Review Summary:
Readability: 2.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Total Pages: 287 (Varies by version)
Reading Time: 48 hours
Would I Recommend This Book: Definitely Yes
