Lermontov is by no means the best writer i have read as a part of my russian wintertime affairs, but it is impressive what he manages to do so early into the birth of the russian novel. In 1840 he manages to write a novel that plays with both chronology and genre. Writings of muscovite dandies, circassians who fall to the ground sobbing like a child when their horse is stolen and in the final story, a gambler testing his fate by putting a pistol to his forehead. All traced through the titular "hero" Grigory Pechorin

All in all a enjoyable read, although many russian writers would do everything Lermontov can, but better, in later years. Lermontov would not live to see it of course, as he, fittingly, died in a duel in 1841.

I usually skip prefaces in these, but i would like to add that the translators preface written by Vladimir Nabokov is a very enjoyable read, although i would recommend reading it as a postface instead of as a preface.

Read the Everyman's Library edition.