The first example of the psychological novel in Russia, A Hero of Our
Time influenced Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Chekhov, and other great
nineteenth-century masters that followed. Its hero, Pechorin, is Byronic
in his wasted gifts, his cynicism, and his desire for any kind of
action-good or ill-that will stave off boredom. Outraging many critics
when it was first published in 1840, A Hero of Our Time follows
Pechorin as he embarks on an exciting adventure involving brigands,
smugglers, soldiers, rivals, and lovers.
This edition includes a new introduction, chronology, suggestions for
further reading, maps, and full explanatory notes.