History Literature / TheLittleGoldenCalf

* KarmaHoudini: Koreiko. He amassed his ten millions by such acts as trading first need goods in a war-torn city, robbing trains with food meant for starving peasants, and exploiting the government by getting investments into his sham enterprises. When Bender gets his one million, he leaves Koreiko alone with nine.
** [[SelfInflictedHell On the other hand Koreiko never gets to spend a single rouble out of his ill-gotten fortune, lives a lonely and miserable life and will eventually die knowing that all his efforts were to no avail]], with absolutely no chance of living to see the fall of the Union (and even if he had such longevity, the 1947 money reform would render it all worthless).
*** If you think of it, his KarmaHoudiniWarranty is likely to expire soon anyway. Since the police has got their hands on Shura, who'll have to explain carrying around 50 grands, he's bound to spill the beans about Koreiko, and then it's open season for underground millionairs!
* LonelyAtTheTop: Koreiko amassed a huge wealth, but he cannot spend it openly and, out of constant fear of exposure, is forced to [[{{Irony}} live in object misery]], so much so that he cannot even woo a girl he likes. Bender more or less joins hims there when he wrings his part of the wealth out of Koreiko.

*** FridgeHorror: Once the police finds those money on him, he's in for plunder of public property, which at that time warranted ''a death penalty'', unless (maybe) he'd be willing to rat Bender out.

* KarmaHoudini: Koreiko. He amassed his ten millions by such acts as trading first need goods in a war-torn city, robbing trains with food meant for starving peasants, and exploiting the government by getting investments into his sham enterprises. When Bender gets his one million, he leaves Koreiko alone with nine. Granted, anything else would be out of character.

*** If you think of it, his Houdini status will very likely be short-lived regardless. Since the police has got their hands on Shura, who'll have to explain carrying around 50 grands, he's bound to spill the beans about Koreiko, and then it's open season for underground millionairs!

!!In addition to the tropes in ''TheTwelveChairs'', this book provides examples of:

* CatchPhrase: In addition to those from ''TheTwelveChairs'', Bender got "I will be the one commanding the parade!" ("Командовать парадом буду я!") Panikovsky has "You're a poor, miserable person!" ("Вы жалкая, ничтожная личность!")

* UnexplainedRecovery: Bender was described as dead at the end of ''TheTwelveChairs''. In ''The Little Golden Calf'', he briefly mentions his past partnership with Vorobyaninov and thanks surgeons for saving his life.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Bender is adamant that his "money-extraction" techniques are "relatively honest", and that he never crosses the criminal code (although the police would probably disagree with him). Even he's disgusted by the machinations of the Herculesians and Koreiko.

*** FridgeHorror: Once the police finds those money on him, he's in for plunder of public property, which at that ime warranted ''a death penalty'', unless (maybe) he'd be willing to rat Bender out.

** [[SelfInflictedHell On the other hand Koreiko never gets to spend a single rouble out of his ill-gotten fortune, lives a lonely and miserable life and will eventually die knowing that all his efforts were to no avail]], with absolutely no chance of living to see the fall of the Union (and even if he had such longevity, the 1947 money reform would render it all worthless). I'd say Karma had some especially exquisite torment in stock for him.

* StickyFingers: Shura. In his last scene he got [[spoiler: captured by a mob after he tried to steal a wallet. He didn't even want the money -- he did it just out of habit]].

* InsaneTrollLogic: How Panikovsky convinces Shura, that the aforementioned kettlebells are indeed made of gold.

** There are strong hints, that Bender has no idea what he was talking about and was making it up on the fly. It is not the first time he does so, nor the last.

* RevisedEnding: In its original serialized form, the novel ended with Ostap Bender giving away his useless wealth to the government and marrying Zosya Sinitskaya. In the final, universally known edition, he instead loses it when trying to cross the Romanian border. The 2005 miniseries combines both endings: Kozlevich drives him and Zosya to the ZAGS after he fails to cross the border.

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* EvenEvilHasStandards: Bender is adamant that his "money-extraction" techniques are "relatively honest", and that he never crosses the criminal code. Even he's disgusted by the machinations of the Herculesians and Koreiko.

** [[SelfInflictedHell On the other hand Koreiko never gets to spend a single rouble out of his ill-gotten fortune, lives a lonely and miserable life and will eventually die knowing that all his efforts were to no avail]], with absolutely no chance of living to see the fall of the Union (and even if he had such longevity, the hyperinflation of 1992-1993 would destroy all of his savings). I'd say Karma had some especially exquisite torment in stock for him.

* SecretlyWealthy: Koreiko, who is referred to as an "underground millionaire", but not for reasons described in the trope. He's hiding his millions because he knows he can't use his money in Soviet Union and so he lives as a poor man (almost bordering on poverty), working on extremely low pay job, and basically all his posessions are two iron kettlebells to keep himself in good health -- all to live for the day soviet regime falls. Perhaps we should we say he is ObfuscatinglyPoor.

** Also a number of unnamed one, setup by Koreyko or mentioned by Funt.

--->'''Shura:'''"What if they aren't made of gold?"
--->'''Panikovsky:''' "Now that's rich! And what, I daresay, are they made of then?"
--->'''[[TheDitz Shura]]:'''"Wow! You're right, now I see it!"

--->'''Panikovsky:''' Keep sawing, Shura, keep sawing, they're made of gold! ("Пилите, Шура, пилите, они золотые!")

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The third book, initially called ''The Great Combinator''.

** ''The automobile is not a luxury thing, it's, first of all, the transport! Let's strike on the roadless plains with all four wheels!''

* LonelyOnTop: Koreiko amassed a huge wealth, but he cannot spend it openly and, out of constant fear of exposure, is forced to [[{{Irony}} live in object misery]], so much so that he cannot even woo a girl he likes. Bender more or less joins hims there when he wrings his part of the wealth out of Koreiko.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Bender is adamant that his "money-extraction" techniques are "relatively honest", and that he never crosses the criminal code.

** On the other hand Koreiko never gets to spend a single rouble out of his ill-gotten fortune, lives a lonely and miserable life and will eventually die knowing that all his efforts were to no avail, with absolutely no chance of living to see the fall of the Union (and even if he had such longevity, the hyperinflation of 1992-1993 would destroy all of his savings). I'd say Karma had some especially exquisite torment in stock for him.

* MisaimedFandom: One of the editions of the duology was preceded with a preface by a reviewer who considered the book celebrating the eventual triumph of socialism by showing the futility of Bender's attempts to coexist with the Soviet system, and blamed the authors for being too soft with "parasites" like him. In fact, even though he is purely motivated by the prospect of wealth, Bender almost universally comes up as morally superior to his opponents, including those on the side of the regime.

** In hindsight, the ultimate irony is that even if someone like Koreiko lived to see the fall of the regime, they ''still'' wouldn't profit from it. The reform of 1992 made Soviet money near-worthless.

** On the other hand Koreiko never gets to spend a single rouble out of his ill-gotten forutne, lives a lonely and miserable life and will eventually die knowing that all his efforts were to no avail, with absolutely no chance of living to see the fall of the Union (and even if he had such longevity, the hyperinflation of 1992-1993 would destroy all of his savings). I'd say Karma had some especially equisite torment in stock for him.