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Tuesday 18 May 2010

Quiz Question (6): First Sentence of Books


Can you identify these four famous first sentences? I will put the answers in the comments in a few days. The photo above is no help at all!

Q1 "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."
Q2 James Bond, with two double bourbons inside him, sat in the final departure lounge of Miami Airport and thought about life and death.”
Q3 "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."
Q4 "Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun."
The answers are now given in the comments.
Check it out and see if you were right!

14 comments:

klahanie said...

Hi bazza,
Suddenly, I'm thinking 26 years ago.
Well that's 1 of the 4 questions.
I will leave it at that.
Kind wishes, Gary

bazza said...

Gary: It's hard to know how difficult to pitch these questions but I think they are better being too hard than too easy! Your hint is on target for one question.
Thanks for visiting.

Sir Tom Eagerly said...

Bazza, old boy, did I tell you that I have just completed a novel after working on it for two years. I'm going to start reading another one next week!
Don't know the answers but one of them is by Ian Fleming and I have worked out Klahanie's reference.
One of them is a so-called childrens book and one is sci-fi.
Where do I collect my prize?

David said...

Dear bazza,
I love your quiz questions, so I'm going to try to answer them, even though I don't really know the answers.
No. 1, however, is obviously George Orwell's "1984".
No. 2 is obviously by Ian Fleming, and I would guess that it is the first Bond novel, "Casino Royale".
No. 3. Could it perhaps be "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" by J.K. Rowling.
No. 4. The only thing I could think of for this was Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".
There, apart from being pretty sure of no.1, I'm guessing that the rest are wrong! Still, at least I tried!
Thanks for the entertainment, bazza.
With Very Best Wishes,
David.

bazza said...

Sir Tom: Alas the only prize is the fame and kudos; however you have to get them all right first!

David: Don't look so sad, 'cos three out of four ain't bad!

Kelly said...

The answer to Question 2, I believe, is Ian Fleming. The answer to Question 4, I think, is Issac Asimov. Probably wrong on both counts but I tried. The other 2, I have no idea and I didn't want to cheat by looking up the answers on the internet, which I could have done, quite easily.

At least give me a few points for not cheating, bazza! And by the way, what are the prizes for correct answers? :-)

bazza said...

Kelly: As I told Sir Tom above (it's always a laugh to read his nutty comments) it's just for the glory. Ian Fleming is, of course the author of (most) James Bond books: but which one? I'm not saying yet. Thanks for not Googling the answers - anyone could do that! Sure thing, have some points!

bazza said...

OK, it's time to confirm the answers:

1 Nineteen-Eighty-Four by George Orwell

2 Goldfinger by Ian Fleming

3 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone in the USA)

4 The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

So David is the winner by being closest to the correct answers!

joanne fox said...

Wouldn't have known which James Bond novel that was from, but guessed the rest. Thanks for the quiz!

klahanie said...

'James Bond'? I thought that was some kind of glue.
Yeah..I know, keep the day job.
Have a good weekend, bazza...

bazza said...

Joanne: Yes, it was obviously going to be Ian Fleming's James Bond but I deliberately made it obscure. I'm just so naughty! Well done anyway.

Gary: Laugh? I nearly did. Have a great weekend yourself sir!

Sir Tom Eagerly said...

My friend I am going to take a short break and sort some stuff out, (dry out etc).
Sir Tom of Eagerly Hall will return! Thank you letting me abuse your hospitality.

Bob said...

Bazza

Of course I knew all the answers but didn't get around to writing them down.

bazza said...

Thank you Sir Tom, I will 'eagerly' await your return.

Bob: Next time I will make the questions much harder just for you!