Mikhail Lermontov
Russian author and poet whose novel A Hero of Our Time is the first Russian psychological novel and a foundational text of Russian Romanticism. His brooding Byronic hero Pechorin became a defining literary archetype.
Works
- A Hero of Our TimePsychological novel following a disillusioned officer's moral decline and quest for meaning
- Princess MaryNovella depicting an officer's seduction and betrayal of a young princess in the Caucasus
- TamanShort story about a Russian officer's mysterious encounter with smugglers on the Crimean coast
- BelaNovella depicting an officer's capture and love for a Circassian princess in the Caucasus
- The FatalistPhilosophical story questioning fate, free will, and predestination through a gambler's gamble
- The DemonPhilosophical poem about a fallen angel's bitter wandering and contempt for humanity
- MtsyriRomantic poem about a young novice monk escaping his monastery for freedom and adventure
- Collected PoemsCollected verse exploring themes of love, nature, alienation, and spiritual yearning