An epigraph is a short quotation at the beginning of a book or chapter that is intended to convey its themes. The Fall begins with an epigraph by Mikhail Lermontov commenting on his only novel, the 1839 A Hero of Our Time.

The Fall is an intentionally dense text. Its second-person narration is not common in fiction and often confuses readers. There is only one named character in the book, Jean-Baptiste Clamence, who delivers the narrative through seemingly disconnected anecdotes and monologues about human nature. Camus begins with an epigraph that hints at his intentions in order to help readers navigate the difficult text. A Hero of Our Time features an “immoral character” in its protagonist, Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin (1). Like Clamence, Pechorin treats women poorly and believes life is a game to dominate. The book’s title suggests Pechorin is a “hero,” and when it was published, readers bristled against seeing such a terrible man called a hero. Lermontov presents Pechorin as a mirror held up to the society of his time. He suggests that Pechorin is an accumulation of everything his society values. If Pechorin is a hero, Lermontov is not to blame; he is making observations of his surroundings as an author.