I'm reading Lermontov's A Hero of our Time. It's a great book in my opinion, although for some reason this writer is not so much liked by every Russians (if I remember well, Nabokov doesn't even mention him in his Lectures on Russian Literature). It is concisely written and void of old-style grandiloquent declamations (those are in fact mocked more than once). I like the fact that, as opposed to Pushkin, Lermontov was not *too hardly* influenced by French and French literature and does not sprinkle gallicisms every now and then. If I had to investigate the book's influences I'd rather think of, say, Byron.
Anyway, this book is a very important part of Russian culture, Pechorin's character especially is well-known, to the point that he became some sort of archetype or cliché of some sort. I believe that anyone interested in Russian culture ought to read it.

Also,
Quote Originally Posted by Johanna
I don't like to read poetry in English.
Have you read Coleridge?

Quote Originally Posted by translationsnmru
Rhythm is also very important.
It is indeed. This may be hard to conceptualize for non-Russians, because rhythm is not equally important in every languages (French poetry for example is very different), so if you don't mind I'd like to provide an example.

Опять поминальный приблизился час.
Я вижу, я слышу, я чувствую вас:

И ту, что едва до окна довели,
И ту, что родимой не топчет земли,

И ту, что, красивой тряхнув головой,
Сказала: «Сюда прихожу, как домой».

Хотелось бы всех поимённо назвать,
Да отняли список, и негде узнать.

Для них соткала я широкий покров
Из бедных, у них же подслушанных слов.

О них вспоминаю всегда и везде,
О них не забуду и в новой беде,

И если зажмут мой измученный рот,
Которым кричит стомильонный народ,

Пусть так же они поминают меня
В канун моего погребального дня.
Stress falls on bold vowels. Every verse shares the same rythm, that is: abcdefghijk.
Rockzmom, I've hosted a recording of this made by a professional Russian reader for you to listen. It begins at 0:58. http://www.fileshost.com/download.php?id=C8C92EF11