I haven't posted
a quiz for a while so here is a new literature quiz. You could easily Google
the answers but you wouldn't do that would you? No prizes, just kudos!
Q1. Which famous words follow these "...any
man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and
therefore...."?
Q2. Which 1967 novel that tells the multi-generational story of the BuendÃa family?
Q3. For which scientist and broadcaster did Broca's Brain win a Pulitzer Prize in 1978?
Q4. What do the titles of John Updike's In the Beauty of the Lilies and John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath have in common?
Q5. Who, after asking “why is a raven like a writing-desk?”, admitted that he "hadn't the slightest idea" when the person he asked gave up?
Q6. What book is the first in the series A Song of Ice and Fire?
Q7. What was the name of Holden Caulfield's younger sister in Catcher in the Rye?
Q8. Which author's breakthrough book was described by Salman Rushdie as a "book so bad it makes bad books look good"? And I agree with him!
Nobody said it would be easy but please have a go
even if only to make me laugh!
Answers will be posted in one week - probably.
Answers will be posted in one week - probably.
10 comments:
Hi bazza,
I don't know all of these, but think I can guess at, and am pretty sure, of some.
1. Could it be John Donne's famous lines, "do not ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee"?
2. The same novel that the title of your blog is taken from, Bazza, you sly one. It's "One Hundred Years of Solitude."
3. Have no idea!
4. They are both taken from "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
5. A guess at Edgar Allan Poe???
6. No idea!
7. Again, no idea!
8. Could it possibly be Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code"?
That was fun, bazza! I hope I've done ok and look forward to getting the answers.
Very Best Wishes,
David.
To my considerable discomfort, I only know two of these books - Beauty of Lilies and Grapes of Wrath. I am guessing they are both biblical references.
David: Hi David, thanks for answering. As usual I won't comment until after I have posted the answers!
Hels: I would have thought that too but.....
Hello Bazza, I am not too good about reading recent books, but I agree with David on #1 and #4 (most Americans probably know the words to Howe's Battle Hymn).
For #7, my recollection is Phoebe, although that book was never a favorite.
As for #8, it would be interesting to poll your readers for their own submissions for that honor--mine would be The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, which also calls to mind another famous quote: "This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force."
--Jim
Jim: That's a lovely Dorothy Parker Quote. I didn't dislike The God of Small Things too much. I will say no more.......for now!
Hi Bazza - I looked quickly when you posted and realised this was difficult - to put it mildly ... or I'm thick - probably that ... but not with all things! I have no idea about any of them ... so I'll wait for the answers and then be able to look up a bit more detail - I know these sorts of quizzes are good for me ... they are aren't they ... ??!! Just I'm not good with them ... well I await your answers - cheers Hilary
Hilary: You certainly aren't thick! Everyone has their own best areas of knowledge. I'd say yours is.....well everything (maybe not literature!). And you are always keen to learn :)
I'm pretty bad at this one. I know for sure that Grapes of Wrath refers to a line in the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Probably the other one does, too. Other than that, I'd say they were written by authors with the first name, John. :)
The name of Holden's younger sister is Phoebe. That I know.
The rest of them? No clue.
Thanks Sherry. Check back in a few days!
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