50 pages • 1 hour read
A Hero Of Our Time
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Summary
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Character Analysis
Themes
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Overview
A Hero of Our Time is a classic work of Russian literature written by Mikhail Lermontov and published in 1840. It exemplifies the “superfluous man” trope common in later Russian literature, in which a person of great talent and genius is unable to express these talents healthily due to personal and societal circumstances of some kind. The novel, a work of historical fiction, was highly influential for its critique of tsarist Russian society and for its iconic antihero, who came to symbolize the issues and flaws of Lermontov’s generation.
This guide uses the 2015 Digireads.com edition of the novel, which is based on the 1916 translation by J. S. Wisdom and Marr Murray published by Alfred A. Knopf. In some versions of the novel, Books 4 and 5 are reversed so that “Princess Mary” is the last story in the novel. In the current edition, “Princess Mary” is Book 4, while “The Fatalist” is Book 5.
Content Warning: The guide references biased descriptions of women and the people of the Caucasus that are present in the original text.
Plot Overview
The novel is divided into five parts with two major narrators. In Books 1 and 2, Unlock all 50 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
