Mikhail Lermontov Criticism
Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov (1814-1841) occupies a pivotal role in Russian literature as a poet, novelist, and dramatist whose work marked the transition from Romanticism to Realism, a shift furthered by his innovative contributions. Best known for his psychological novel, A Hero of Our Time, Lermontov's oeuvre explores themes of existential despair and the Byronic hero, reflecting the influence of Byron and the Romantic tradition established by Alexander Pushkin. His nuanced character study in this novel, particularly the alienated and complex protagonist Pechorin, prefigures the psychological intricacies found in the later works of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, as discussed by Gary Rosenshield.
Lermontov's literary career was also shaped by his personal experiences, including his upbringing by a domineering grandmother in the wake of his mother's death and his exile due to his criticism of the tsarist regime. His poetry, such as The Novice and The Demon, demonstrates his engagement with themes of personal freedom and societal constraints, epitomizing Russian Romanticism. The latter work has been likened to a Russian Prometheus by Henry Lanz, who highlighted its narrative mastery.
Lermontov's influence endures through his approximately three hundred lyrics and eighteen narrative poems, showcasing a blend of Romantic grandeur and prescient realism that critiques heroism and individualism within the Russian context. His narrative poems like Demon and Mtsyri further explore these themes, as analyzed by Katharina Hansen-Löve. Critics including John Garrard acknowledge Lermontov's dual role as a Romantic and foundational realist, and his legacy is recognized by figures like Vladimir Nabokov and Janko Lavrin.
His novel A Hero of Our Time, consisting of five parts, presents a narrative that reveals Pechorin's disillusioned worldview and manipulation of others, culminating in a critique of societal flaws, as clarified by R. L. Kesler. Initially controversial for its moral implications, the novel is now heralded as a cornerstone of Russian literature, marking the advent of the psychological novel. Critics such as Andrew Barratt and D. P. Briggs argue that Lermontov's use of irony and narrative complexity prefigures later literary developments in Russian fiction.
Lermontov's introduction of impressionism and narrative innovation to Russian literature has solidified his status as a profound commentator on human nature and societal dynamics. Despite the limited English scholarship, his work remains a quintessential representation of Russian Romanticism, influencing later poets such as Blok and Pasternak. His life, marked by turbulence and innovation, continues to resonate for its emotional depth and literary significance, bridging the gap between the Romantic and Realist movements in Russia, as discussed in Anatoly Liberman's analysis of Lermontov's poetry and its impact.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Lermontov, Mikhail Yuryevich (Vol. 126)
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Narrative Poems
(summary)
In the following essay, Garrard examines Lermontov's narrative poems, tracing the poet's gradual transition from Romanticism to Realism and his developing ability to handle problems of narrative stance over the course of his writing career.
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Lermontov as a Poet
(summary)
In the following essay, Liberman provides a brief overview of Lermontov's reputation as a poet, praising him for his introduction of impressionism into Russian literature.
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Lermontov and the Romantic Tradition: The Function of Landscape in A Hero of Our Time.
(summary)
In the following essay, Marsh explores connections between Lermontov's paintings and his landscape descriptions in A Hero of Our Time.
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Conclusion to A Wicked Irony: The Rhetoric of Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time
(summary)
In the following essay, Barratt and Briggs suggest that the ironic stance operating within Lermontov's text has led to numerous misunderstandings regarding interpretation of the novel.
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Understanding Irony
(summary)
In the following essay, Gilroy explains specific features of Romantic irony and discusses its use in A Hero of Our Time.
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Prisoners of the Caucasus: Ideologies of Imperialism in Lermontov's ‘Bela’
(summary)
In the following essay, Scotto discusses nineteenth-century notions of orientalism and imperialism evidenced in Pechorin's treatment of Bela as an exotic “other” in A Hero of Our Time.
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The Structure of Space in Lermontov's ‘Mcyri.’
(summary)
In the following essay, Löve characterizes Lermontov's poem “Mcyri” as a work that negotiates the difference between the familiar and the unknown in spatial, cultural, and personal terms.
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Lermontov's Farewell to Unwashed Russia: A Study in Narcissistic Rage
(summary)
In the following essay, Rancour-Laferriere explores Lermontov's contempt for what he considered the backwardness of his native land expressed in “Proščaj, nemytaja Rossija,” Lermontov's farewell poem.
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Women and Horses in Mikhail Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time
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In the following essay, Matual discusses the numerous comparisons between women and horses in Lermontov's novel, claiming that the latter are regarded more favorably by the male characters.
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Lermontov and the Omniscience of Narrators
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In the following essay, Goldfarb examines Lermontov's innovative use of narrative style in A Hero of Our Time.
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Heroism and Individualism: The Russian Context
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In the following essay, Golstein asserts that while individualism was valued in the West in the nineteenth century, it was routinely discouraged in Russia, accounting for his country's often negative appraisal of Lermontov's representations of the individual hero.
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Pushkin's Heir
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In the following essay, Ekshtut explores the influence of Pushkin on Lermontov's life and work.
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Narrative Poems
(summary)
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Essays
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Mikhail Yurevich Lermontov: A Hero of Our Time
(summary)
In the following essay, originally published in 1942, he focuses on Lermontov's portrayal of his protagonist, Pechorin, as typical of "the fashion and idiosyncrasy of a generation" of young Russians.
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The Byronism of Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time
(summary)
In the following essay, the critic asserts that the Byronism of A Hero of Our Time is due to Lermontov's parallel development of qualities similar to those of Byron rather than to the influence or his imitation of the English poet.
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The Hero and the Age
(summary)
In the following excerpt from his book-length study of Lermontov, Lavrin analyzes A Hero of Our Time and places Lermontov's novel within the Russian literary tradition.
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An introduction to A Hero of Our Time
(summary)
In the following essay, Foote places A Hero of Our Time in the context of Lermontov's life and of Russian literature, and discusses Lermontov's portrayal of his protagonist.
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A Hero of Our Time
(summary)
In the following essay, Reeve discusses Lermontov's novel in the context of Russian literary developments of the period.
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A Hero of Our Time
(summary)
In the following essay, he examines the central theme of vengeance in A Hero of Our Time, as well as the novel's chronology, plot, and psychological portrayal of character.
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Herbert Eagle (essay date 1974)
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Lermontov's 'Play' with Romantic Genre Expectations in A Hero of Our Time
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Eagle argues that Lermontov undercuts romantic literary conventions in each segment of A Hero of Our Time.
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Lermontov's 'Play' with Romantic Genre Expectations in A Hero of Our Time
(summary)
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Literature and Serfdom: Gogol, Lermontov and Goncharov
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Calder assesses A Hero of Our Time as Lermontov's single 'great novel.'
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A Hero of Our Time and the Historicism of the 1830s: The Problem of the Whole and the Parts
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Ripp examines the structure of A Hero of Our Time.
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Duality and Symmetry in Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time
(summary)
In the following essay, Rowe examines the symmetrical pairing of elements such as episodes, actions, descriptions, speeches, and characters in A Hero of Our Time.
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Old Wine in New Bottles: The Legacy of Lermontov
(summary)
In the following essay, Garrard argues for a reassessment of Lermontov's importance in establishing the novel in nineteenth-century Russian literature.
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Dramatic Genre as a Tool of Characterization in Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time
(summary)
In the following essay, Cox asserts that the intense self-examination to which Pechorin subjects himself renders A Hero of Our Time a precursor to the psychological realism that dominates much subsequent Russian literature.
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Lermontov: A Hero of Our Time
(summary)
In the following essay, Richards examines the episodic structure of Lermontov's novel, comparing and contrasting it with other nineteenth-century Russian novels and with the more familiar pattern of traditional English and French novels of the same period.
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Fatalism in A Hero of Our Time: Cause or Commonplace?
(summary)
In the following essay, Rosenshield examines the theme of fate as a supernatural power determining the course of human life in A Hero of Our Times.
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Fate and Narrative Structure in Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time
(summary)
In the following essay, Kesler examines A Hero of Our Time as a critique of both the romantic hero and those circumstances of literary production that produced and destroyed the romantic movement in Russian literature.
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Lermontov's Reading of Pushkin: The Tales of Belkin and A Hero of Our Time
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Meyer maintains that Lermontov modeled A Hero of Our Time on Aleksandr Pushkin's Póvesti Békina (Tales of Belkin) story cycle.
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Mikhail Yurevich Lermontov: A Hero of Our Time
(summary)
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Lermontov, Mikhail Yuryevich
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An introduction to Lermontov: A Study in Literary Historical Evaluation
(summary)
In the following essay—originally published in Germany in 1924—Eikhenbaum analyzes Lermontov's poetry as an expression of his "historical individuality" rather than his "natural (psycho-physical) individuality."
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Demon-Prometheus
(summary)
In the essay below, Lanz considers the similarities between the classical myth of Prometheus and The Demon, noting that "the Demon is the Russian Prometheus."
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The Lermontov Mirage
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Nabokov reviews Lermontov's contributions to Russian poetry.
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Lermontov
(summary)
In the excerpt below, Lavrin discusses the literary influences in Lermontov's writings, providing an overview of his life and career.
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Artistic Maturity: 1837-1841
(summary)
In the essay below, Mersereau treats the themes of Lermontov's mature verse, noting that the year 1837 marks the beginning of Lermontov's last period of creative activity and his arrival at complete artistic maturity.
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Lermontov's Hussar Poems
(summary)
In the following essay, Hopkins challenges a prevalent criticism of Lermontov's 'Junker' or 'Hussar' poems that dismisses them as juvenile 'pornography,' citing evidence that they may have influenced both the poet's literary reputation and subsequent writings.
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Lermontov's Literary Ballads
(summary)
In the following essay, Katz traces the thematic, stylistic, and linguistic sources of Lermontov's literary ballads, highlighting the poet's contributions to the genre.
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Lermontov and Posterity
(summary)
In the essay below, Garrard summarizes Lermontov's literary legacy, his politics, and his contributions to Russian literature.
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Byron and the Evolution of Lermontov's Poetry 1814-1841
(summary)
Below, Diakonova shows how Byronism affected Lermontov's artistic development.
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An introduction to Lermontov: A Study in Literary Historical Evaluation
(summary)
- Further Reading