A review by harryreadbook
A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This was such an interesting book; it definitely belongs with the other Russian classics. I really loved the writing, and, just like in dead souls, I got that strange feeling that comes when some of my own thoughts were already written down 200 years ago. The book has a very interesting structure with a narrator detailing his trip through the Caucasus and hearing stories from a travel companion for the first 2 short stories. Then the following 3 stories are taken from the journal of the subject of first stories. I didn't love this because I had really gotten into the book in the first part, and it took me a while to get as invested in the journal section. However, this structure definitely works for the books goals as we get to see a portrait of a man and then his thoughts and feelings which somewhat explain his odd behavior. The main character was a very peculiar nihilist who was detached from the world due to in part his own intelligence which keeps him from being a part of society and feeling equal to his peers. The part that sticks with me the most is his emotional outburst to Mary explaining his entire motives for his odd behavior followed just a few lines later celebrating the fact that it made her cry and his plan was working. That just highlights the importance of the journal where we can choose how much faith we put into his actions and how much into his words.