Lermontov's only full-scale novel, which prophetically describes the duel in which he later lost his own life. The hero of the novel, Pechorin is an intense individual, a military officer who kidnaps beautiful daughter of Circassian tribesman and who, according to Lermantov's own introduction, is a composite portrait, made up of all the vices which flourish, full grown, amongst the generation of the time. A timeless classic representing nihilistic aspect of Romanticism.

On July 25, 1841, at Pyatigorsk, fellow soldier Nikolai Martynov, who had been the butt of Lermontov's jokes, challenged Lermontov to a duel. The duel took place two days later at the foot of Mashuk mountain. Lermontov deliberately chose the edge of a precipice for the duel, so that if either combatant was wounded, he would fall and his fate would be sealed. Lermontov was killed by Martynov's first shot. Much of his best verse was posthumously discovered in his pocket-book.

This edition is a new revision aiming to bring English translation as close as possible to Lermontov's original vision. There has been some confusion in various English editions containing entries of Pechorin's diary, not present in Lermontov's original and various other alterations of Lermnontov's original structure of the novel. This edition has been compiled after close examination of Russian originals and follows originally intended structure. This edition is part of a new series of Romantic writing, aiming to give readers a complete experience of both classic and contemporary Romantics.