A Hero of Our Time: Difference between revisions

| title_orig = Герой нашего времени ({{transl|ru|Geroy nashevo vremeni}})

| publisher = Iliya Glazunov & Co ({{lang-|ru|Типография Ильи Глазунова и Ко}})

'''''A Hero of Our Time''''' ({{lang-rurus|Герой нашего времени}}, {{transl|rulinks=1|Geróyr=Gerój náshevonášego vrémeni|p=ɡʲɪˈroj ˈnaʂɨvə ˈvrʲemʲɪnʲɪ}}) is a [[novel]] by [[Mikhail Lermontov]], written in 1839, published in 1840, and revised in 1841.

Pechorin is the embodiment of the [[Byronic hero]]. Byron's works were of international repute and Lermontov mentions his name several times throughout the novel. According to the Byronic tradition, Pechorin is a character of contradiction. He is both sensitive and [[Cynicism (contemporary)|cynical]]. He is possessed of extreme arrogance, yet has a deep insight into his own character and epitomizes the [[Melancholia (temperament)|melancholy]] of the [[Romantic hero]] who broods on the futility of existence and the certainty of death. Pechorin's whole philosophy concerning existence is oriented towards the nihilistic, creating in him somewhat of a distanced, alienated personality. The name Pechorin is drawn from that of the [[Pechora River]], in the far north, as a homage to [[Alexander Pushkin]]'s [[Eugene Onegin]], named after the [[Onega River]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Murray | first = Christopher | coauthors = | title =Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760–1850 | page = 498 | edition = | year = 2004 | publisher = Taylor & Francis | location = New York | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=bXnMs-YDEF4C&pg=PA498&lpg=PA498&dq=pechora+river+lermontov&pg=PA498| isbn = 1-57958-423-3}}</ref>

However, Pechorin's behavior soon changes after Bela gets kidnapped by his enemy Kazbich, and becomes mortally wounded. After 2two days of suffering in delirium Bela spoke of her inner fears and her feelings for Pechorin, who listened without once leaving her side. After her death, Pechorin becomes physically ill, loses weight and becomes unsociable. After meeting with Maxim again, he acts coldly and antisocial, explicating deep depression and disinterest in interaction. He soon dies on his way back from Persia, admitting before that he is sure to never return.

In [[Ingmar Bergman]]'s 1963 film ''[[The Silence (1963 film)|The Silence]]'', the young son is seen reading the book in bed. In the opening sequence of Bergman's next film, ''[[Persona (1966 film)|Persona]]'' (1966), the same child actor is seen waking in what appears to be a mortuary and reaching for the same book.

In 2014, German stage director Kateryna Sokolova adapted the novel focusing on its longest novella, ''Princess Mary''. The play, directed by Kateryna Sokolova, premiered at the Schauspielhaus Zürich on 28 May.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.katerynasokolova.com/en/portfolio/a-hero-of-our-time/|title=A Hero of Our Time|work=Kateryna Sokolova|access-date=2017-04-07|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408084448/http://www.katerynasokolova.com/en/portfolio/a-hero-of-our-time/|archive-date=2017-04-08|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.schauspielhaus.ch/de/play/421-Ein-Held-unserer-Zeit|title=Ein Held unserer Zeit {{!}} Schauspielhaus Zürich|website=www.schauspielhaus.ch|access-date=2017-04-07|archive-date=2017-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407233929/http://www.schauspielhaus.ch/de/play/421-Ein-Held-unserer-Zeit|url-status=dead}}</ref> The production received universal acclaim,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nzz.ch/zuerich/zuercher_kultur/nihilismus-und-ehre-1.18312035|title=Lermontow-Roman in der Schauspielhaus-Kammer: Nihilismus und Ehre|last=Steiger|first=Claudio|date=2014-05-30|work=Neue Zürcher Zeitung|access-date=2017-04-07|language=de-CH|issn=0376-6829}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://bazonline.ch/kultur/theater/Kurz--kritisch-im-Mai/story/12843804|title=Kurz & kritisch im Mai|date=2014-05-30|work=Basler Zeitung, Basler Zeitung|access-date=2017-04-07|language=de|issn=1420-3006}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/kultur/theater/Kurz--kritisch-im-Mai/story/12843804|title=Kurz & kritisch im Mai|date=2014-05-30|work=Tages-Anzeiger, Tages-Anzeiger|access-date=2017-04-07|language=de|issn=1422-9994}}</ref> especially praising it for not having lost "neither the linguistic finesse nor the social paralysis of Lermontov’s Zeitgeist",<ref name=":0" /> both of which constitute the novel's Byronic character.

On July 22, 2015, The Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow premiered a ballet adaptation of "''Hero of Our Time"''. The ballet was choreographed by San Francisco Ballet's Choreographer in Residence, Yuri Possokhov, and directed by [[Kirill Serebrennikov]] - who is also the author of the libretto. The score was commissioned purposefully for this production and composed by Ilya Demutsky. This production focuses on three novellas from Lermontov's novel - Bela, Taman, and Princess Mary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/813/ |title=Repertoire |publisher=Bolshoi.ru |access-date= |accessdate=2018-08-29}}</ref>

Translations:<ref>Based on B. L. Kandel, [http://feb-web.ru/feb/lermont/texts/selected/gnv/gnv-203-.htm ''Bibliography of translations of "A Hero of Our Time" into foreign languages''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827082110/http://feb-web.ru/feb/lermont/texts/selected/gnv/gnv-203-.htm |date=August 27, 2011 }} (Russian); published in: ''A Hero of Our Time.'' Moscow, 1962, pp. 209–210.</ref><ref>Translations from Longworth on as cited in COPAC catalogue.</ref>

#''Sketches of Russian life in the Caucasus. By a Russe, many years resident amongst the various mountain tribes.'' London,: Ingram, Cook and Co., 1853. 315 pp. "The illustrated family novelist" series, #2. (a liberal translation with changed names of the heroes; "Taman" not translated).

#''The hero of our days.'' Transl. by [[Theresa Pulszky.]] London,: T. Hodgson, 1854. 232 pp. "The Parlour Library". Vol.112. ("Fatalist" not translated).

#''A hero of our own times. Now first transl. into English.'' London,: Bogue, 1854. 231 pp., ill. (the first full translation of the novel by an anonymous translator).

#''A hero of our time.'' Transl. by R. I. Lipmann. London,: Ward and Downey, 1886. XXVIII, 272 pp. ("Fatalist" not translated).

#''Taman''. In: ''Tales from the Russian. Dubrovsky by Pushkin. New year's eve by Gregorowitch. Taman by Lermontoff.'' London,: The Railway and general automatic library, 1891, pp. 229–251.

#''Russian reader: Lermontof's modern hero, with English translation and biographical sketch by Ivan Nestor-Schnurmann.'' Cambridge,: Univ. press, 1899. XX, 403 pp. (a dual language edition; "Fatalist" not translated)

#''The heart of a Russian.'' Transl. by J. H. Wisdom and Marr Murray. London,: Herbert and Daniel, 1912. VII, 335 pp. (also published in 1916 by Hodder and Stoughton, London—N.Y.—Toronto).

#''The duel. Excerpt from The hero of our own time.'' Transl. by T. Pulszky. — In: ''A Russian anthology in English''. Ed. by C. E. B. Roberts. N. Y.,: 1917, pp. 124–137.

#''A traveling episode''. — In: ''Little Russian masterpieces''. Transl. by Z. A. Ragozin. Vol. 1. N. Y.,: Putnam, 1920, pp. 165–198. (an excerpt from the novel).

#''A hero of nowadays''. Transl. by John Swinnerton Phillimore. London,: Nelson, 1924.

#''Taman'''. — In: Chamot A. ''Selected Russian short stories''. Transl. by A. E. Chamot. London, 1925—1928, pp. 84—97.

#''A hero of our time''. Transl. by Reginald Merton. Mirsky. London,: Allan, 1928. 247 pp.

#''Fatalist. Story.'' Transl. by G.A. Miloradowitch. — In: ''Golden Book Magazine''. Vol. 8. N. Y., 1928, pp. 491—493.

#''A hero of our own times''. Transl. by Eden and Cedar Paul for the Lermontov centenary. London,: Allen and Unwin, 1940. 283 pp. (also published by Oxford Univ. Press, London—N.Y., 1958).

#''Bela''. Transl. by Z. Shoenberg and J. Domb. London,: Harrap, 1945. 124 pp. (a dual language edition).

#''A hero of our time''. Transl. by Martin Parker. Moscow,: Foreign languages publ. house, 1947. 224 pp., ill. (republished in 1951 and 1956; also published by Collet's Holdings, London, 1957).

#''A hero of our time. A novel.'' Transl. by [[Vladimir Nabokov]] in collab. with [[Dmitri Nabokov]]. Garden City, N.Y.,: Doubleday, 1958. XI, 216 pp. "Doubleday Anchor Books".

#''Major poetical works''. Transl., with an introduction and commentary by Anatoly Liberman. Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press, 1983.

#''A hero of our time''. Transl. withby anMartin introductionParker, revised and notes by Natasha Randall; forewordedited by Neil Labute. NewCornwell, YorkLondon: PenguinDent, 2009.1995

#''A hero of our time''. Translated by Philip LongworthTransl. With an afterword by WilliamMarian ESchwartz. Harkins,Modern LondonLibrary, 1964, & New York : New American Library 19642004.

#''A hero of our time''. Transl. bywith Martinan Parker, revisedintroduction and editednotes by Natasha Randall; foreword by Neil Cornwell,LaBute. LondonNew York: DentPenguin, 19952009.

#''A hero of our time''. Transl. by Nicholas Pasternak Slater, Oxford World's Classics, 2013.

*{{cite book |title=Lermontov's "A Hero of Our Time": A Critical Companion |editor1-first=Lewis |editor1-last=Bagby |year=2002 |publisher=Northwestern University Press |location=Chicago |isbn=978-0-8101-1680-1 |url= |accessdate=}} {{in lang|en}}

*[http://www.eldritchpress.org/myl/hero.htm Full text (English translation) of "A Hero of Our Time" at Eldritch Press] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041011112724/http://www.eldritchpress.org/myl/hero.htm |date=2004-10-11 }}. {{in lang|en}}

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110928140919/http://www.broadwaybaby.com/edinburgh-fringe/10442-a-hero-of-our-time Review of "''A Hero of Our Time"'' stage production] {{in lang|en}}

[[Category:1840 Russian novels]]

[[Category:Novels set in the 19th-century RussiaRussian Empire]]