How well do you know literature? Do you keep up with all of the newest fiction releases? Does classic literature hold a special place in your brain?
Test your literary skills in this original quiz! (Answer key located at bottom of the page)
What Jane Austen novel features a protagonist who fondly reads Gothic novels with the novel itself often being viewed as a satire of traditional Gothic novels?
Samuel Richardson’s Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded is widely considered the first modern novel of what genre?
The Lion King is often considered a parallel to what Shakespeare play?
Which British author began his writing career by freelance reporting at London’s law courts?
On May 27, 1936, what author wrote the following?: “Minor tragedy stalked. My setter pup, left alone one night, made confetti of about half of my manuscript book. Two months work to do over again. It set me back. There was no other draft. I was pretty mad, but the poor little fellow may have been acting critically. I didn’t want to ruin a good dog for a manuscript I’m not sure is good at all. He only got an ordinary spanking … I’m not sure Toby didn’t know what he was doing when he ate the first draft. I have promoted Toby-dog to be a lieutenant-colonel in charge of literature.”
What novel spent 98 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List 55 years ago but never held the top spot?
What is the name of the monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein?
In what Edinburgh hotel did J.K. Rowling finish writing the final Harry Potter novel?
Which author left the copyright of one of his works to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children?
Which C.S. Lewis novel took 10 years to write and was originally destroyed because his friends didn’t like it?
Green Eggs and Ham is a result of what bet between Dr. Seuss and his editor?
What genre initially received a mixed reception from schools and libraries, especially due to worries over the portrayals of violence and strong language, among other factors?
What is the protagonist’s name in the first novel of The Lunar Chronicles?
Who are the three most distinguished modernist writers to experiment with writing in stream of consciousness?
According to the author, the inspiration for what series came from channel surfing on TV?
Dr. Philip Zimbardo presents an in-depth look into what infamous psychology experiment in his nonfiction novel entitled The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil?
Which murder mystery writer once disappeared for 10 days, the events of which are still theorized about?
Randy Wayne White is an American writer of crime fiction based largely around what Florida island?
Roald Dahl’s childhood job as a taste tester for Cadbury chocolate was most likely the inspiration for what children’s book?
What 1967 book was the winner of a Newbery Medal and Newbery Honor and took place within the Metropolitan Museum of Art?
Based on the plot, what is the name of the following novel?: When an eccentric millionaire dies, he names sixteen people as the heirs to his fortune, but one of them is his murderer. The recipients are split into random pairs and given a clue. The ones who solve the murder will win the inheritance.
Answer Key
In Austen’s Northanger Abbey, the protagonist Catherine is particularly fond of the writing of Ann Radcliffe.
Though the ancient Greeks had some of the earliest recorded romance novels, many scholars cite Samuel Richardson’s Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (pub. 1740) as being the first modern love-romance novel. The novel was initially written as both a version of conduct literature about marriage and as a form of epistolary literature.
From an uncle killing his brother to the deceased son speaking with the ghost of his father, The Lion King carries many parallels with Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
In 1827, Charles Dickens had to drop out of school to help out his family, and he began working as an office boy. The job became the beginning of his writing career, which led to Dickens beginning his freelance reporting career.
After his dog chewed up half of the original manuscript for Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck wrote this announcement.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960 and spent over 95 weeks on the bestseller list, but it never rose to the top spot. However, six other novels ranked in that top spot during those two years.
A common misconception is that the monster is named Frankenstein when that is, in fact, the doctor’s name. The monster is referred to throughout the novel as “the Creature.”
Before J.K. Rowling checked out of The Balmoral Hotel in 2007, she signed a bust of Hermes in her room with the following message: “J.K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11th Jan 2007.” Today, the signed bust remains preserved in a glass cabinet.
Upon his death, J.M. Barrie left the copyright of Peter Pan to the hospital. The copyright has been a significant source of income for the hospital since the rights were given in 1929.
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is the second book in The Chronicles of Narnia (per chronological order). It was rumored to be based off of three girls who lived with Lewis during World War I.
Dr. Seuss’s editor Bennett Cerf bet him that he couldn’t write a book using 50 or fewer words. Since its publication, the book has sold more than 8 million copies.
In the beginning, many teachers and librarians struggled to accept the Young Adult genre that targeted books for teenagers. Many were worried about potential criticism and backlash from parents due to the issues that were often raised in these types of novels. During this wave of reception, YA novels were generally considered little more than problem novels and romances.
Cinder is the protagonist of Marissa Meyer’s first novel in The Lunar Chronicles.
With her novels To the Lighthouse and The Waves, Virginia Woolf joined James Joyce and William Faulkner as three of the most well-known stream of consciousness writers. Woolf is also well-known for her free indirect narration.
Suzanne Collins said that her inspiration for The Hunger Games trilogy came from channel surfing one night between reality programs and actual footage of the Iraq War.
Zimbardo exposes day-to-day operations and insights from the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment in his psychological, educational novel.
In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared without a trace, leading some to believe that she may have been murdered by her husband. It was later claimed that she had just driven out to the spa, but her disappearance was never mentioned in her autobiography. It’s still debated whether the disappearance was a publicity stunt or if it was an amnesic event.
Randy Wayne White is the author of the Doc Ford series, a crime novel series based around the Gulf Coast of South Florida, particularly Sanibel Island. He also lives on the island and owns the restaurant Doc Ford’s Sanibel Rum Bar & Grill.
During his school days, Cadbury offered free chocolate samples to students, and as a teenager, Dahl became interested in the candy-making process, possibly inspiring Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The novel is The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. The book was published in 1978 and was a National Book Award finalist.
How did you do?
0 - 5 Correct Responses: Literary Novice
6-10 Correct Responses: Literary Beginner
11-16 Correct Responses: Literary Expert
17-21 Correct Responses: Literary Genius
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What trivia fact surprised you the most? Do you have any literary facts of your own to share? Let us know in the comments!
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