Mikhail Lermontov's a Hero of Our Time

Mikhail Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time is perhaps the most enigmatic work of one of Russia's most enigmatic nineteenth-century authors. If at first the novel appears to be an episodic series of ripping yarns featuring a hero of "romantic dash and cynicism" (Nabokov), it is also complicated by strains of social and political criticism, unsettled (and unsettling) Romantic irony, moral ambiguity, and the sometimes questionable motives of its protagonist. This Companion guides students and...
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Mikhail Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time is perhaps the most enigmatic work of one of Russia's most enigmatic nineteenth-century authors. If at first the novel appears to be an episodic series of ripping yarns featuring a hero of "romantic dash and cynicism" (Nabokov), it is also complicated by strains of social and political criticism, unsettled (and unsettling) Romantic irony, moral ambiguity, and the sometimes questionable motives of its protagonist. This Companion guides students and teachers alike through the subtle and often contradictory undercurrents of Lermontov's engaging storytelling. It aims to stimulate and inform discussion among non-specialists, while also identifying major issues in scholarship and providing an annotated bibliography of critical works in both English and Russian.