A Hero of Our Time: A Novel

Naben Ruthnum

ISBN 10: 077109650X / ISBN 13: 9780771096501

Published by McClelland & Stewart Inc., 2022

About this Item

After all that - how, you might wonder, could one not become a fatalist? Here is a fine new translation of the first great Russian novel, A Hero of Our Time, which brings tales of Romantic adventure to a new pitch of intensity and reflection. Lermontov's hero, Pechorin, is a young army officer posted to the Caucasus, where his adventures--amorous and reckless--do nothing to alleviate his boredom and cynicism. World-weary and self-destructive, Pechorin is yet is full of passion and romantic ardor, sensitive as well as arrogant. The episodic narrative transports the reader from the breathtaking terrain of the Caucasus to the genteel surroundings of spa resorts. Told in an engaging yet pointedly ironic style, the story expresses Lermontov's own estrangement from the stifling conventions of bourgeois society and the oppression of Russian autocracy, but it also captures a longing for freedom through acts of love and bravery. Andrew Kahn's introduction sheds light on the novel's relation to orientalism and the ethnographic and anthropological discourses of the day, and his informative notes illuminate a wide range of historical, literary, and geographical references. This new edition is the only one to include Pushkin's Journey to Arzrum, in which Pushkin describes his own experiences of Russia's military campaigns in the Caucasus, offering a fascinating counterpoint to Lermontov's novel. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Seller Inventory # CIN077109650XG

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Hero of Our Time: A Novel
• Publisher: McClelland & Stewart Inc.
• Publication Date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 077109650X
• ISBN 13: 9780771096501
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

For fans of Yellowface and American Fiction, A Hero of Our Time is a vicious takedown of superficial diversity initiatives and tech culture, with a beating heart of broken sincerity that the Toronto Star calls "a powerful, unexpected reading experience."

Osman Shah is a pitstop on his white colleague Olivia Robinson’s quest for corporate domination at AAP, an edutech startup determined to automate higher education.
Osman, obsessed by Olivia’s ability to successfully disguise ambition and self-interest as collectivist diversity politics, is bent on exposing her. Aided by his colleague turned comrade-in-arms Nena, who loathes and tolerates him in equal measure, Osman delves into Olivia's twisted past. But at every turn, he's stymied by his unfailing gift for cruel observation, which he turns with most ferocity on himself, without ever noticing what it is that stops him from connecting to anyone in his past or present. As Osman loses his grip on his family, Nena, and everything he thought was essential to his identity, he confronts an enemy who may simply be too good at her job to be defeated.

A Hero of Our Time cracks the veneer of well-intentioned race conversations in the West, dismantles cheery narratives of progress through tech and “streamlined” education, and exposes the venomous self-congratulation and devouring lust for wealth, power, and property that lurks beneath.

About the Author

Naben Ruthnum lives in Toronto, and is the author of Curry: Eating, Reading, and Race. As Nathan Ripley, he is the author of two thrillers, Find You In the Dark and Your Life is Mine. He also writes for film and television.