Twelve chairs

Author: (Russian) Ilf and Petrov
Translator: Zhang Peiwen
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-05-01
Features: As the storm of revolution approached, the noblewoman Betukhova hid her life's savings in one of a set of twelve chairs. Only on her deathbed did she reveal this secret to Father Fyodor, her confessor, and her, Volobyaninov. Thus, a struggle for the search and seizure of wealth began between the priest on one side and the on the other. The quest for the treasure took the reader across the corners of the Russian land, involving all sorts of characters. The plot was full of twists and turns, absurd yet believable. However, the novel's main purpose was not to offer the reader a humorous and entertaining adventure story, but to use the clever structure of this tale to expose, with sharp satire, the "small world" of petty bourgeoisie, mediocrities, and all kinds of social parasites before the readers. (This included the decaying nobles, old officials, old merchants, and old clergy who resurfaced and stirred in the backdrop of rapid social change, as well as the emerging bourgeoisie who seized opportunities during the "New Economic Policy" era, as well as bureaucratic officials who ignored the feelings of the people, self-serving individuals, and so-called writers and poets who, under the guise of artistic innovation, churned out shoddy works, even those that were morally corrupt and harmful.) The thrust of the satire pointed directly at their common traits—greed, selfishness, profit-seeking, and materialism.