Summary of the novel “The Hero of Our Time” by M. Yu. Lermontov


Bela

The author travels from Tiflis to the shifted ones and on the way gets acquainted with the captain-captain Maxim Maksimych. Men stop in the village to spend the night, and between them a conversation begins. The staff captain tells the author about his friend Pechorin.

Pechorin arrived in the fortress behind the Terek to serve. The character of the young man is mysterious and contradictory: “And the next time he sits in his room, the wind smells, assures that he has caught a cold, stuns, he flinches and turns pale, and with me went to the wild boar one on one…”.

Not far from the military fortress lived a local prince. His fifteen-year-old son Azamat often went to the fortress. Despite such a young age, Azamat had a hot temper, and many of his specially teased. When the prince married the eldest daughter, he invited Pechorin and Maxim Maksimych to a wedding. At the wedding, the young man saw Bela, the youngest daughter of the old prince. He

really liked the girl. Among the guests was also Kazbich, who had an unusually beautiful horse named Karagez. Because of his horse, many envied him and even tried to steal Karagez. There were rumors that this man had stolen cattle, walked with abrek for Terek and was engaged in other suspicious deeds.

On the street Maxim Maksimych accidentally hears the conversation between Azamat and Kazbich. Kazbich tells how Karagez once saved his life when he ran away from the Cossacks. The guy praises the horse and promises to do anything for him, even steal his sister Bela. Kazbich refuses and makes fun of Azamat. The son of the prince gets angry, and a fight arises. The guy yells that Kazbich wants to kill him. The noise rises, and the man hides on his horse.

The staff captain tells Pechorin about the conversation he has heard. During visits to the fortress, the hero starts teasing Azamat with a horse, bringing him to a frenzy. Then he agrees to exchange the horse of Karagez for Bela. In the evening the guy is already bringing his sister. The next day, Kazbich brings ten rams for sale. While he is in the house, Azamat

steals his horse. A heartbroken man lay on the road for about a day. After learning the name of the kidnapper, he went to the village with the goal of revenge.

Maxim Maksimych appeals to Pechorin’s conscience, but in vain: “What can I do with myself, if I like it?”. The young man makes Bela every day gifts, speaks of his love, but his courtship is in vain. The staff captain chuckles at the hero, but he suggests betting that in a week the girl will be his. New gifts did not help, and the young man tells Bela that he is leaving for good. The girl throws herself on Pechorin’s neck and says that she loves him. Kazbich, blinded by a thirst for revenge, kills Bela’s father.

In the morning the author with Maxim Maksimovich go further. Describes the free, wild and wild Caucasian nature. Headquarters captain tragically ends his story. From Bela for a long time they hid their father’s death, but then they said it. She cried for two days and calmed down. Pechorin more and more often exits from the fortress for hunting. Bela suffers because of this. When Maxim Maksimych and a girl walk along the fortress wall, they see Kazbich. Pechorin asks them to be more careful and forbids his beloved to leave the fortress. The staff captain reproaches the hero in coldness towards Bela. Pechorin responds that he is unhappy and brings misfortunes to others. He enjoyed success with women, but his heart remained free. He cooled to science as quickly as to the whistle of bullets in the Caucasus. It seemed to him that Bela would melt his heart, but this did not happen.

When Pechorin and Maxim Maksimych return from the hunt, they hear a shot. Kazbich tricked into the fortress, kidnapped Belu and wounded her with a dagger. Two days later the girl died. After the funeral of Bela Pechorin, he is ill for a long time, and soon he is transferred to Georgia.

Maxim Maksimych

After a short separation, the author again meets Maxim Maximich at the inn. Another carriage is approaching. From the footman Maxim Maksimych learns that the carriage belongs to Pechorin and that he will stay with the colonel for supper. The staff captain asks the footman to tell the owner that Maxim Maksimych is here. He is waiting for Pechorin at the gate, but he does not appear. Pechorin comes to Maxim Maksimych in his absence, and the author sends for him. The author notes that Pechorin is slim, of medium height, with thin fingers, his gait is lazy and careless, and there is something childish in a smile. The eyes remain cold even when the young man laughs. A breathless Captain-Captain comes running and wants to rush his comrade around his neck, but Pechorin only gives him a cold hand. He says that he was bored all this time, and now he is going to Persia,

Maxim Maksimych asks what to do with the diaries he has left. Pechorin answers: “What do you want” and leaves. The author goes to the road and asks Pechorin’s papers. The staff-captain gives and they dryly say goodbye.

Pechorin’s Magazine

Taman

The narrative is conducted on behalf of Pechorin. He arrives in Taman late at night on the shift. Because of the absence of a state apartment, a young man is lodged in a hut by the sea. There lives an orphan, a blind boy. At night Pechorin notices how a blind man with a knot sneaks to the seashore, begins to follow him. On the beach a boy approaches the boy and says that Janko will not be today. However, the blind hopes that Janko will still sail, because he is brave. After some time, a boat sails, loaded with something. In it sits a man in a mutton hat. Pechorin comes back. Soon he sees a girl who was with a boy on the beach. The young man asks her name, but she does not tell him. Then the hero threatens to inform the commandant that he saw her at night by the shore.

One day the girl comes to Pechorin, kisses him and makes an appointment the next night on the beach. The young man takes a pistol with him and goes on a date. Waiting for Pechorin girl leads him to the boat. When they leave the shore, the girl throws the gun into the water and tries to dump Pechorin. During the bout, he throws the girl overboard. She reaches the shore, and soon a blind man comes with a bag and Janko. Janko, along with the girl, sail away and leave the boy. He begins to cry. Pechorin understands that he met with a smuggling company. Returning to the hut, he discovers in his sack, which carried a blind man, his dagger, a saber with a silver frame, a casket. In the morning Pechorin goes to Gelendzhik.

Princess Mary

Pechorin comes to Pyatigorsk and sees many bored people: young ladies, fathers of the family and other people.

At the source, he meets his acquaintance – dandy Grushnitsky. This man is busy only with himself and is known as a noble brave man. Young people once met in the current detachment, and now Grushnitsky talks about the “water society”. It is made up mainly by people with austerity, and the only interesting persons are Princess Ligovskaya and her daughter Mary. At the time of the conversation, they are just passing by, and Pechorin notices that Grushnitsky likes Mary.

The girl has long eyelashes and “velvet eyes”, she is pretty and dresses with taste. Pechorin is visited by the Russian doctor Werner – a materialist, but in the soul of a poet. He has one leg shorter than the other, a large head, he is short. Pechorin and the doctor understand each other with a half-word. Werner says that the Princess is sure that Grushnitsky is demoted to the soldiers for a duel and is very interested in them. A relative came to Ligovsky, according to the description of which Pechorin recognizes Vera. Once he loved this woman very much.

After lunch, Pechorin sees Ligovsky surrounded by a crowd of young people. He begins to tell anecdotes to the familiar officers, and gradually the whole audience lures to him. Princess, deprived of the society of cavaliers, offended by Pechorin. All the next days Pechorin continues to behave in a similar way, for example, he buys a Persian carpet, which Meri wanted to buy. Grushnitsky tries to get acquainted with the princess and like her, but Pechorin assures him that the girl will fool him for a long time, and then she will marry some rich man. The young man is in love and even engraved on the bought ring the name of his beloved. “It is obvious that he is in love, because he became even more trustful than before, he even had a silver ring with black, the local work…”

Soon at the source Pechorin meets Vera. “A long forgotten tremor ran through my veins at the sound of this sweet voice, she looked me in the eyes with her deep and calm eyes: they expressed incredulity and something like a reproach.” Vera is married for the second time to a rich old man, who is Ligovsky’s distant relative. Pechorin decides to take care of Mary, so that he has the opportunity to meet with Vera in the Ligovsky house. He calls love “a wicked habit of the heart” and considers it sufficient just to be someone’s favorite. On the way to the mountains a young man meets Grushnitsky and Mary. Pechorin decides to fall in love with Mary, when the romantic Grushnitsky bored her.

At a ball in the restaurant Pechorin dances with Mary, saves her from a drunken lord and asks for forgiveness for her behavior. Dislike of the girl gives way to favor. Visiting Ligovsky, a young man communicates only with Vera, which is very offensive to Mary. She compliments with Grushnitsky, which she was already tired of annoying Pechorin. Pechorin understands that very soon a girl will fall in love with him. He conquers Mary’s heart to feel his power over her. “But there is an immense pleasure in possessing a young, barely blossoming soul!” It is like a flower, whose best scent evaporates towards the first ray of the sun, it must be ripped off at that moment and, breathing it out, tossed on the road: maybe someone will raise! “

Grushnitsky was promoted to officers, and he expects to surprise Mary with new epaulettes. On a walk, Pechorin tells Mary that he was always attributed to inclinations, which he does not have. Mary tells Vera that she is in love with Pechorin, he is tormented by jealousy. Pechorin promises Vera to go after her to Kislovodsk, where she is going with her husband. Grushnitsky puts on a new uniform and goes to Mary, but the girl rejects him. At the head of Grushnitsky, a “gang” is formed, which spreads the rumor that Pechorin will marry Mary. The hero leaves for Kislovodsk to see Vera more often. Ligovskys also go there. When crossing the mountain river Mary becomes ill, Pechorin supports her, hugs and kisses. The girl confesses to the hero in her feelings, but he reacts somehow coldly and indifferently. Pechorin irritates the men of the “water society” their arrogance, and they decide to teach him a lesson. Grushnitsky plans to call him to a duel, and the dragoon captain will not load pistols.

Mary again confesses to Pechorin in love, but he says that he can not reciprocate and never marry, as the fortune teller predicted his death from the evil wife. When a magician comes to Kislovodsk and everyone goes to the show, Pechorin spends the night with Vera. The dragoon captain and Grushnitsky saw him and the next morning they publicly accused him of being at the Ligovsky’s at night. The hero summons Grushnitsky to a duel. Pechorin’s second becomes Werner. The doctor suspects that only one pistol will be loaded – Grushnitsky’s pistol. On the eve of the duel, Pechorin reflects on death: “Well, die so die! Loss for the world is small, and I myself am very boring… And, perhaps, tomorrow I will die! .. And not a single creature will remain on earth, which would understand me perfectly. Some people read me worse, others are better than I really am… After this, is it worth the effort to live? And all live – out of curiosity: you expect something new… It’s funny and annoying! “In the morning he assures Werner that he is ready for death and does not fear her, since he is bored to live.” The hero offers Grushnitsky as a place for a duel to the rock: the wounded man will fall down and the cause of his death will not arouse any suspicion. The die points to Grushnitsky’s first shot. Pechorin hopes that his opponent will come to his senses and will not commit meanness. Grushnitsky easily injures the hero, after which he asks Werner to reload his pistol. offers the officer a refusal get up from his slander and is ready to forgive him, but Grushnitsky screams that he hates his rival. “Pechorin kills an officer with his shot. that he is ready for death and does not fear it, because he is bored to live. The hero offers Grushnitsky as a place for a duel to the rock: the wounded will fall down and the cause of his death will not cause any suspicion. The lot indicates the first shot Grushnitsky. Pechorin hopes that his opponent will come to his senses and will not commit meanness. Grushnitsky easily injures the hero, after which he asks Werner to reload his pistol. Pechorin offers the officer to give up his slander and is ready to forgive him, but Grushnitsky screams that he hates his rival. With his shot Pechorin kills an officer. that he is ready for death and does not fear it, because he is bored to live. The hero offers Grushnitsky as a place for a duel to the rock: the wounded will fall down and the cause of his death will not cause any suspicion. The lot indicates the first shot Grushnitsky. Pechorin hopes that his opponent will come to his senses and will not commit meanness. Grushnitsky easily injures the hero, after which he asks Werner to reload his pistol. Pechorin offers the officer to give up his slander and is ready to forgive him, but Grushnitsky screams that he hates his rival. With his shot Pechorin kills an officer. that his opponent will come to his senses and will not commit meanness. Grushnitsky easily injures the hero, after which he asks Werner to reload his pistol. Pechorin offers the officer to give up his slander and is ready to forgive him, but Grushnitsky screams that he hates his rival. With his shot Pechorin kills an officer. that his opponent will come to his senses and will not commit meanness. Grushnitsky easily injures the hero, after which he asks Werner to reload his pistol. Pechorin offers the officer to give up his slander and is ready to forgive him, but Grushnitsky screams that he hates his rival. With his shot Pechorin kills an officer.

From Faith, a young man receives a note in which she informs her that she confessed to her husband in her love for Pechorin, and now they leave for good. Pechorin tries to catch up with Vera, but only drives his horse to death and returns to Kislovodsk. The next day he gets a new appointment and goes to Ligovsky to say goodbye. Pechorin tells Mary that he just laughed at the vei, she also responds that she hates the young man. He, thanks to her, leaves.

Fatalist

In the village, officers after the card game talk about the predetermined fate of the human. Brave and secretive lieutenant Vulich offers to know whether a person can know in advance about his death. Pechorin concludes with him a bet, arguing that there is no predetermination. Vulich tries to shoot himself, but a misfire occurs. Shot in the air, the young man discovers that the gun was still loaded. Pechorin says that Vulich will soon die, and leaves home. On the way home, he sees a pig slaughtered by a Cossack. This drunken Cossack is already being caught by comrades. At night, the hero is informed that the Cossack killed Vulich and locked himself in an empty house on the outskirts. No one can get him out of there. The young man decides to try his fate, like Vulich, and take the criminal alive. While the captain distracts the Cossack, Pechorin makes his way through the window to the house. The offender shoots, but does not fall into the hero. A young man grabs the Cossack’s hands, and soon he turns out to be bound. Pechorin argues: “After all this, it seems that it does not seem like a fatalist?” But who knows for sure whether he is convinced of what or not? .. And how often do we accept for deception the deception of feelings or the mistake of reason! .. I like to doubt the everyone: this arrangement of the mind does not interfere with the determination of character – on the contrary, what concerns me, I always go forward more boldly, when I do not know what awaits me, for nothing will happen worse than death – and you will not pass away death! ” Returning to the fortress, the hero tells Maxim Maksimych about what happened. The staff-captain regrets Vulich and says that, apparently, he was written that way. it seems, not to become a fatalist? But who knows for sure whether he is convinced of what or not? .. And how often we accept for deception the deception of feelings or the mistake of reason! .. I like to doubt everything: this arrangement of the mind does not interfere with the determination of character – on the contrary, what concerns me, then I always go forward more boldly, when I do not know what awaits me. After all, death will not happen worse than death – and you will not die! “Returning to the fortress, the hero tells Maxim Maksimych about what happened.” The staff captain regrets Vulich and says that apparently he was written like that. it seems, not to become a fatalist? But who knows for sure whether he is convinced of what or not? .. And how often we accept for deception the deception of feelings or the mistake of reason! .. I like to doubt everything: this arrangement of the mind does not interfere with the determination of character – on the contrary, what concerns me, then I always go forward more boldly, when I do not know what awaits me. After all, death will not happen worse than death – and you will not die! “Returning to the fortress, the hero tells Maxim Maksimych about what happened.” The staff captain regrets Vulich and says that apparently he was written like that. then I always go forward more boldly when I do not know what awaits me. After all, death will not happen worse than death – and you will not die! “Returning to the fortress, the hero tells Maxim Maksimych about what happened.” The staff captain regrets Vulich and says that apparently he was written like that. then I always go forward more boldly when I do not know what awaits me. After all, death will not happen worse than death – and you will not die! “Returning to the fortress, the hero tells Maxim Maksimych about what happened.” The staff captain regrets Vulich and says that apparently he was written like that.


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Summary of the novel “The Hero of Our Time” by M. Yu. Lermontov