A Hero of our Time

Valmont

I just finished reading 'A Hero of our Time' by Mikhail Lermontov. I was really impressed and found it an excellent read. The different points of view we hear the story from give it much depth and clarity. Also the character of Pechorin was great, he seemed a world apart from other popular anti-heros.

I loved the irony of the duel at the end of 'Princess Mary', considering Lermontov was killed in a duel when he was very young. Quite a tragedy, he was a very talented writer.

What did anyone else think of it?

Catullus

Hey yes I really liked that book. There's something about the rogue character like Pechorin in Russian books that seems so winning. Even Raskolnikov or Bazarov come across as so attractive to read about.

It is truly bizarre about that duelling deal though. I'm not sure but maybe he was a regular dueller and it was bound to happen? I liked the story in the end about the 'death prediction' most of all.

Valmont

'The Fatalist' It was strange, got me thinking.

Like it said in the introduction, I was expecting there to be some sort of conclusion in 'The Fatalist' but there wasn't, it was just another adventure.

Maybe Dostoyevsky was influenced by Lermontovs Pechorin when he was writing Crime and Punishment. Both narratives focus on their protagonists faults and misgivings rather than their good qualities. A refreshing approach in my opinion. It doesn't take away from their appeal though, it makes them far more interesting. Both were incredibley complex characters. I think that shows Lermontovs skill as writer considering the length of his book.

Catullus

Perhaps he was influenced to an extent, but i still hold to my theory that Dostoevsky, as a keen translator of Balzac, wrote Raskolnikov as an inversion of Rastignac from Papa Gioriot. Something seems really similar between both of them aside entirely from their destinations.
You could maybe even invoke the Russian tradition of the wicked double!

It's a funny book overall, Lermontov's. You get used to conclusions so that when one doesn't provide one you reallt take note. After all this I might even go back and give it another read!

Valmont

Never heard of that book, maybe I'll give it a read when I have finished what I'm reading at the moment. Cheers