Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: An overlooked classic

The first I ever heard of this book was in a quote prefacing Camus' "The Fall." I stumbled upon a used copy and decided to give it a shot. I'm glad I did, because it is a very interesting and entertaining read. I know of few other novels, especially from this period, that manage to cover as much ground both in terms of narrative action and thematic exploration in so few pages. The novel's themes of love, death, and fate clearly set a precedent for later writers like Dostoyevsky and Turgenev, but Lermontov's voice and style are his own. I give it 4 1/2 stars since it is somewhat rough around the edges. I wonder what Lermontov might have written had he not died so young (and in such romantic fashion!). I look forward to reading his poetry, if I can find it.