Audiobook tip
Lermontov: “A hero of our time”
Duels, love intrigues and a deep look into the Russian soul
The Russian writer Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841) died in a duel at the age of only 26. Because of his early death, he is considered the “greatest unfulfilled promise in world literature”.
© akg-images/ / Picture Alliance
With the character of Pechorin, Mikhail Lermontov created one of the first dandies in world literature. “A Hero of Our Time” tells stories from the life of a bored soldier who plays with the lives and feelings of other people like chess pieces.
What is “A Hero of Our Time” about?
The novel tells five stories from the life of the soldier Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin, who seems to have seen it all before and who is so jaded that there are no moral boundaries for him. In one episode, Pechorin kidnaps a horse at a Muslim wedding and robs the beautiful Circassian Bela. Now that he has her, his interest in the woman is quickly cooling. When she is finally murdered, he doesn’t even feel sad – just bored.
The largest part is taken up by the story of how Pechorin conquers the heart of Princess Mary. Not because he loves her, but out of sheer boredom. And to annoy the simple-minded Grushnitsky, who has fallen for the girl. Finally there is a duel in which Pechorin kills his adversary. Now that the way is clear for their love, he coldly dumps the princess. The whole conquest was meaningless. What makes him a modern “hero”: Pechorin reflects all this with a razor-sharp mind. He is fully aware of the absurdity of his actions, making him a forerunner of existentialism.
Who’s speaking?
This novel will be read by the actor and voice actor Osman Ragheb. He was almost 80 at the time of the recording and has a wonderful fairy tale uncle voice, which may remind one or the other listener of fairy tale records from childhood and which is why one likes to follow the hero Pechorin on his whimsical adventures.
Why is the audio book worth it?
We often think of Russia as a European country with a hinterland. In fact, over the past few centuries, Russian tsars like Peter the Great and artists like Peter Tchaikovsky have oriented themselves strongly towards the West. But that is only a small part of Russia: There is also the Asian heritage, the multi-ethnic state with horse tribes such as the Circassians, its endless expanses and imposing high mountains. Lermontow was one of the first Russian writers to turn away from the dignified metropolises of St. Petersburg or Moscow and emphasize the Asian part of the Russian soul.
At the same time, Lermontov introduces a completely new type of hero to world literature: the dandy. A stylish man who is always looking for pleasure but never finds it – because he has seen everything before and therefore cannot really get excited about anything.
What bothers?
Mikhail Lermontov’s novel consists of five short stories. But instead of following this structure when dividing the chapters, the audio book version has opted for a different path: the six and a half hour long material is arbitrarily divided into approximately 75 minute sections. It’s as pointless as it is loveless.
Best place:
“After all this one must become a fatalist! But who really knows if he’s convinced of something or not?…And how often do we mistake delusion or error of mind for conviction!…I love it, in everything to doubt; this tendency does not hinder the determination of character; on the contrary, as for me, I always go forward bolder when I do not know what awaits me. Worse than death can not happen – and death cannot be avoided .”
Who is the audio book for?
Even if the book was published in 1840, the protagonist Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin is an extremely modern character, because he is not a radiant “hero” in the classic sense, but a torn person who at the same time reflects on his own actions with a crystal-clear mind. This classic can therefore still be recommended without reservation to every listener today.