>>>>>Ostap Bender
>>>>
>>>>THE Ostap Bender?
>>>>
>>>>I guess it's a nice change of pace from all quotations being from Shakespeare, Milton, George Bernard Shaw, or the Bible.
>>>
>>>Are Ilf & Petrov popular here in USA as well? I highly doubt it.
>>
>>Popular among the general populace?, no. But their The 1935 Travelogue of Two Soviet Writers is required reading in slavic studies...
>
>I see. I didn't read it myself. But "12 Chairs" and "Golden Calf" are very popular among Russians and very funny.

'1935 Travelogue' is a very nice book. It was printed in 60s, probably, the only trustworthy book about America that was allowed to be printed in Soviet Union. Actually, Ilf & Petrov had to add couple chapters at the end 'condemning imperialiasm'; without them it was a good book, imo; not "12 Chairs" level, but close to "Golden Calf".