Produced by Judith Boss
A HERO OF OUR TIME
By J. H. Wisdom & Marr Murray
Translated From The Russian Of M. Y. Lermontov
FOREWORD
THIS novel, known as one of the masterpieces of Russian Literature, under the title "A Hero of our Time," and already translated into at least nine European languages, is now for the first time placed before the general English Reader.
The work is of exceptional interest to the student of English Literature, written as it was under the profound influence of Byron and being itself a study of the Byronic type of character.
The Translators have taken especial care to preserve both the atmosphere of the story and the poetic beauty with which the Poet-novelist imbued his pages.
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
BOOK I. BELA
BOOK II. MAKSIM MAKSIMYCH
FOREWORD TO EXTRACTS FROM PECHORIN'S DIARY
BOOK III. TAMAN
BOOK IV. THE FATALIST
BOOK V. PRINCESS MARY
APPENDIX. THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
BOOK I BELA
THE HEART OF A RUSSIAN
CHAPTER I
I was travelling post from Tiflis.
All the luggage I had in my cart consisted of one small portmanteau half filled with travelling-notes on Georgia; of these the greater part has been lost, fortunately for you; but the portmanteau itself and the rest of its contents have remained intact, fortunately for me.
As I entered the Koishaur Valley the sun was disappearing behind the snow-clad ridge of the mountains. In order to accomplish the ascent of Mount Koishaur by nightfall, my driver, an Ossete, urged on the horses indefatigably, singing zealously the while at the top of his voice.
What a glorious place that valley is! On every hand are inaccessible mountains, steep, yellow slopes scored by water-channels, and reddish rocks draped with green ivy and crowned with clusters of plane-trees. Yonder, at an immense height, is the golden fringe of the snow. Down below rolls the River Aragva, which, after bursting noisily forth from the dark and misty depths of the gorge, with an unnamed stream clasped in its embrace, stretches out like a thread of silver, its waters glistening like a snake with flashing scales.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Yurevich Lermontov
- 2: And with all those Ossetes helping
- 3: The Ossetes surrounded me clamorously and demanded tips
- 4: Why even our Kabardians or Chechenes
- 5: Call me simply Maksim Maksimych
- 6: ' remarked Grigori Aleksandrovich
- 7: And recognised my old acquaintance Kazbich
- 8: And there was my Karagyoz flying along
- 9: ' Kazbich remained silent for a long
- 10: He went to see Grigori Aleksandrovich
- 11: Karagyoz shall be her bridegroom's gift
- 12: Early next morning Kazbich rode over
- 13: That you have carried off Bela
- 14: And Grigori Aleksandrovich was standing
- 15: Pechorin accordingly determined upon a last expedient
- 16: They dashed off in pursuit of Kazbich
- 17: Intersected each other and stretched out
- 18: We descended Mount Gut into the Chertov Valley
- 19: We will never reach Kobi to day
- 20: Grigori Aleksandrovich dressed her up like a doll
- 21: And the view from the rampart was superb
- 22: And sure enough it was Kazbich
- 23: Because the happiest people are the uneducated
- 24: At length I recognised Kazbich
- 25: But what did Kazbich want to carry her off for
- 26: Then she spoke of Pechorin also
- 27: Pechorin turned pale as a sheet
- 28: BOOK II MAKSIM MAKSIMYCHAFTER parting with Maksim Maksimych
- 29: Tell him that Maksim Maksimych is here
- 30: But Maksim Maksimych had anticipated me
- 31: And exposed to view linen of dazzling whiteness
- 32: But still there was no sign of Maksim Maksimych
- 33: Cried Maksim Maksimych suddenly
- 34: The kind hearted Maksim Maksimych had become the obstinate
- 35: The headborough conducted us round the town
- 36: I am easily swayed by prejudice
- 37: Her daughter ran away and crossed the sea with a Tartar
- 38: Yanko is not afraid of the storm
- 39: He said in a whisper It is uncanny here
- 40: Singing and gambolling without a moment's interruption
- 41: And whoever ought not to hear it
- 42: I clutched at my belt my pistol was gone
- 43: After a short silence Yanko continued
- 44: But we have heard of them from trustworthy people
- 45: Answered Vulich in a hollow voice
- 46: Vulich went into the other room and sat by the table
- 47: Vulich had sprinkled some fresh powder on it
- 48: And two Cossacks came running out of a byway
- 49: I had involuntarily foretold his fate to poor Vulich
- 50: I followed the movements of the Cossack
- 51: 25 and northward rises Mashuk
- 52: Grushnitski is looked upon as a man of distinguished courage
- 53: There is Princess Ligovski with her daughter Mary
- 54: Grushnitski was standing by the well itself
- 55: I directed my lorgnette at her
- 56: Men such as Werner love women so passionately
- 57: What did Princess Ligovski tell you about me
- 58: I did not contradict Princess Ligovski
- 59: And there is a little black mole on her right cheek
- 60: Grushnitski has assumed an air of mystery
- 61: All the best society of Pyatigorsk is to be found there
- 62: Reflecting in such wise I came right up to the grotto
- 63: Vera frequently visits the Princess
- 64: I resemble a Kabardian more than many a Kabardian himself
- 65: Grushnitski cast a discontented glance at me
- 66: Grushnitski follows Princess Mary everywhere like a shadow
- 67: I invited her to waltz with me
- 68: The Princess promised long ago to dance the mazurka with me
- 69: Said Grushnitski very earnestly
- 70: I went aside to the window with Vera
- 71: On the third with Grushnitski
- 72: Had I regarded the latter as an invincible beauty
- 73: Added Grushnitski in a whisper to me
- 74: Epitaphs in general seem ridiculous
- 75: To confide the secrets of her heart to Vera a happy choice
- 76: I finished up the evening at Princess Ligovski's
- 77: Have you asked her to dance the mazurka with you
- 78: That the grey cloak suits Monsieur Grushnitski much better
- 79: Under the command of Grushnitski
- 80: That you are going to marry Princess Mary
- 81: I HAVE been in Kislovodsk three days now
- 82: In the gorge through which the Podkumok flows
- 83: And my lips touched her tender cheek
- 84: Not Grushnitski but Grushnitski is a fine fellow
- 85: Something tells me that her prediction will be realized
- 86: Grushnitski has ceased to bow to me
- 87: It was Grushnitski and the captain of dragoons
- 88: If Grushnitski had happened to guess the truth
- 89: Grushnitski stood before me in violent agitation
- 90: ' Grushnitski was saying 'he has insulted me publicly
- 91: Greedily draining their feelings
- 92: Werner has a by no means warlike countenance
- 93: The captain winked to Grushnitski
- 94: Be good enough to measure six paces
- 95: He said to Grushnitski rather loudly
- 96: Glancing cunningly at Grushnitski
- 97: Grushnitski would not even look
- 98: My servant told me that Werner had called
- 99: And set off at full gallop along the road to Pyatigorsk
- 100: I thought my breast would burst
- 101: Here Princess Ligovski sighed heavily
- 102: You would despise me from this moment
- 103: Why can you not believe in the reality of Pechorin
- 104: Chto za okaziya how unfortunate