Literature Trivia Quiz

Think you know Literature? Here are 50 Literature trivia questions with answers — then play them live against real players in the free Triviarena quiz app.

1. In what language did playwright Henrik Ibsen write his plays?
   • Dano-Norwegian
   • Standard Danish
   • Swedish
   • German
   Answer: Dano-Norwegian
   The provided text specifies that Ibsen wrote his plays in Dano-Norwegian.
2. What was the name of the only brother of the sister authors Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte?
   • Branwell
   • Arthur
   • Edward
   • Edmund
   Answer: Branwell
3. Which of these poems did Walt Whitman write about Abraham Lincoln's assassination?
   • Leaves of Grass
   • The Raven
   • The Road Not Taken
   • O Captain! My Captain!
   Answer: O Captain! My Captain!
   The provided text mentions that Whitman wrote several poems about Lincoln's assassination, including "O Captain! My Captain!"
4. Who wrote the classic 1938 Gothic novel Rebecca?
   • Agatha Christie
   • Daphne du Maurier
   • Charlotte Bronte
   • Virginia Woolf
   Answer: Daphne du Maurier
   Rebecca is a highly successful 1938 Gothic novel written by English author Daphne du Maurier.
5. What bands 7th studio album was titled Seventh Son of a Seventh Son?
   • The Rolling Stones
   • Judas Priest
   • Iron Maiden
   • Led Zeppelin
   Answer: Iron Maiden
6. Which of Stephen King's novels was famously rescued from the trash by his wife?
   • Carrie
   • The Shining
   • It
   • Misery
   Answer: Carrie
   King threw the first three pages of 'Carrie' in the trash, but his wife Tabitha recovered them and encouraged him to finish it.
7. In Stephen Kings novel The Dark Tower, Mordred has the ability to transform himself into what type of creature?
   • Spider
   • Wolf
   • Crow
   • Snake
   Answer: Spider
8. Where was Mark Twain born and where did he die?
   • Connecticut and Missouri
   • Missouri and Connecticut
   • Missouri and Mississippi
   • Mississippi and Connecticut
   Answer: Missouri and Connecticut
9. Ahab, Ishmael, Starbuck, Stubb, Queequeg and Elijah were characters in this 1851 novel.
   • Eastern Voices
   • Genesis
   • The Satanic Episodes
   • Moby Dick
   Answer: Moby Dick
10. In the book The Subtle Knife what is the name of the city Lyra finds herself in, in the new world?
    • Oxford
    • Bolvanger
    • Aeshthaer
    • CittGazze
    Answer: CittGazze
11. Why did Boris Pasternak famously decline the 1958 Nobel Prize in Literature?
    • He was threatened by the Soviet state
    • He believed his poetry was superior
    • He felt the award was too political
    • He refused to accept Western money
    Answer: He was threatened by the Soviet state
    Pasternak was forced to decline the award after the KGB threatened him with arrest and exile from the Soviet Union.
12. In Dumas's account, where did d'Artagnan first meet Athos, Porthos, and Aramis?
    • In a Parisian tavern
    • In M. de Tréville's antechamber
    • At a royal ball
    • On a battlefield
    Answer: In M. de Tréville's antechamber
    The text states that in the antechamber of M. de Tréville, d'Artagnan encountered the three young men.
13. In the story of Jane Eyre, where does she live as a 10-year-old orphan?
    • Gateshead Hall
    • Lowood School
    • Thornfield Hall
    • Moor House
    Answer: Gateshead Hall
    The text states that at age 10, Jane Eyre lives at Gateshead Hall with her maternal uncle's family.
14. What poet wrote Farewell False Love and The Nymphs Reply to the Sheppard?
    • Edward Spenser
    • Christopher Marlowe
    • Sir Walter Raleigh
    • John Milton
    Answer: Sir Walter Raleigh
15. Dante's use of his native Tuscan dialect helped establish which modern standardized language?
    • Italian
    • French
    • Spanish
    • Latin
    Answer: Italian
    By writing in his native vernacular instead of Latin, Dante laid the foundation for the modern Italian language.
16. Where was Walt Whitman born?
    • West Hills, New York
    • Camden, New Jersey
    • Brooklyn, New York
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    Answer: West Hills, New York
17. In the book, The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman, who is Will Parrys father?
    • Lord Asriel
    • Lee Scoresby
    • Stanislaus Grumman
    • Sir Walter
    Answer: Stanislaus Grumman
18. Rolands encounter with Jack Mort in The Drawing of the Three caused the characters of Odetta Holmes and Detta Walker to merge together. What was the name of the woman who was formed from this fusion?
    • Susan
    • Susannah
    • Hannah
    • Shannon
    Answer: Susannah
19. The title of Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World' is taken from which Shakespeare play?
    • Hamlet
    • Macbeth
    • The Tempest
    • King Lear
    Answer: The Tempest
    The title comes from Miranda's speech in Act V, Scene I of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'.
20. Which Greek myth figure inspired the title of Mike Carey's novel The Girl with All the Gifts?
    • Pandora
    • Persephone
    • Medusa
    • Cassandra
    Answer: Pandora
    The title of the novel is a reference to the Greek myth of Pandora, whose name translates to 'the all-gifted' or 'she who brings gifts'.
21. Sid Halley, the protagonist of several novels by Dick Francis, is disabled. What is the nature of his disability?
    • He is deaf.
    • He has only one hand.
    • He is a paraplegic.
    • He is blind.
    Answer: He has only one hand.
22. Which informal Oxford literary group included authors C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien?
    • The Inklings
    • The Bloomsbury Group
    • The Lost Generation
    • The Beat Generation
    Answer: The Inklings
    C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were key members of the Inklings, an informal literary discussion group at the University of Oxford.
23. Which of these fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen starts with a woman who longs to have a child and is given a magic seed by a witch?
    • The Angel
    • The Wild Swans
    • The Princess and the Pea
    • Thumbelina
    Answer: Thumbelina
24. Which classic Chinese novel was written by 18th-century author Cao Xueqin?
    • Dream of the Red Chamber
    • Journey to the West
    • Romance of the Three Kingdoms
    • Water Margin
    Answer: Dream of the Red Chamber
    Cao Xueqin is best known as the author of Dream of the Red Chamber, a masterpiece of Chinese literature.
25. What is the North American title of Philip Pullman's fantasy novel "Northern Lights"?
    • The Golden Compass
    • The Subtle Knife
    • The Amber Spyglass
    • The Book of Dust
    Answer: The Golden Compass
    When published in the United States in 1996, the first book of the His Dark Materials trilogy was retitled The Golden Compass.
26. What is Meggies mothers name in the book Inkspell?
    • Diane
    • Sally
    • Resa
    • Jenny
    Answer: Resa
27. What was the nationality of author Oscar Wilde?
    • English
    • Scottish
    • Welsh
    • Irish
    Answer: Irish
    The first sentence of the provided text identifies Oscar Wilde as an Irish author.
28. They hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow,
    • John Milton
    • James Joyce
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • William Shakespeare
    Answer: John Milton
29. Both Rayford and his daughter Chloe are married in Tribulation Force
    • False
    • True
    Answer: True
30. The plot of the "Foundation" series centers around the impending collapse of what massive entity?
    • A Galactic Empire
    • The Solar System
    • A Robot Uprising
    • The United Nations
    Answer: A Galactic Empire
    The series focuses on the inevitable decline and fall of a Galactic Empire that encompasses the entire Milky Way.
31. What do the initials T. S. stand for in the name of the famous poet T. S. Eliot?
    • Tory Saunders
    • Terry Stephens
    • Theodore Sallings
    • Thomas Stearns
    Answer: Thomas Stearns
32. Which American author wrote a tale depicting the eighth and final voyage of Sinbad the Sailor?
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • Mark Twain
    • Herman Melville
    • Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Answer: Edgar Allan Poe
    Edgar Allan Poe wrote 'The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade', a short story that humorously imagines an eighth voyage for the famous mariner.
33. In the film Gone with the Wind, Scarletts first husband died in the early days of the Civil War. What was the cause of his death?
    • He died under enemy attack.
    • Measles and pneumonia
    • Consumption
    • Flu
    Answer: Measles and pneumonia
34. The book "Fahrenheit 451" was written by whom?
    • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    • R. L. Stine
    • Stephen King
    • Ray Bradbury
    Answer: Ray Bradbury
35. Which ancient Hebrew literary form inspired many biblical parables?
    • Mashalim
    • Haiku
    • Sonnet
    • Ghazal
    Answer: Mashalim
    Scholars believe Jesus' parables were inspired by mashalim, a prominent form of Hebrew comparison.
36. Which of these works is an epic?
    • The Tin Drum
    • The Iliad
    • The transformation
    • Woyzeck
    Answer: The Iliad
37. In Paulo Coelho's novel "The Alchemist", what is the protagonist Santiago's initial profession?
    • Shepherd
    • Crystal merchant
    • Fisherman
    • Blacksmith
    Answer: Shepherd
    At the beginning of the story, Santiago is an Andalusian shepherd boy who travels with his flock of sheep.
38. The Uruk-hai, which were described in The Fellowship of the Ring, could only run in the light of the moon.
    • True
    • False
    Answer: False
39. Which American poet is widely considered and often called the father of free verse?
    • Walt Whitman
    • Robert Frost
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • Emily Dickinson
    Answer: Walt Whitman
    Walt Whitman broke the boundaries of traditional poetic form and is often labeled the father of free verse.
40. Which 1988 novel by Paulo Coelho became an international bestseller?
    • The Alchemist
    • The Zahir
    • The Pilgrimage
    • Aleph
    Answer: The Alchemist
    Published in 1988, 'The Alchemist' became Paulo Coelho's most famous work and an international bestseller.
41. What was Sir Handel's original name in "The Railway Series" and it's animated counterpart "Thomas and Friends?"
    • Kyte
    • Swallow
    • Eagle
    • Falcon
    Answer: Falcon
42. What was the title of Edgar Allan Poe's instantly successful 1845 poem?
    • The Penn
    • Tamerlane
    • The Raven
    • The Stylus
    Answer: The Raven
    The text explicitly states that in January 1845, Poe published his poem 'The Raven' to instant success.
43. Which field was NOT an original Nobel Prize category in Nobel's will?
    • Economics
    • Literature
    • Peace
    • Physics
    Answer: Economics
    The original categories specified in the will were physics, chemistry, peace, physiology or medicine, and literature; Economics was not included.
44. In Stevenson's famous novella, what triggers Dr. Jekyll's transformation into Mr. Hyde?
    • A chemical serum
    • A full moon
    • A magical amulet
    • A hypnotic trance
    Answer: A chemical serum
    Dr. Jekyll creates a specific potion or serum to separate his hidden evil from his good personality.
45. In The Dead Zone, how are Johnny's new abilities triggered?
    • By touching people and objects
    • By visiting certain locations
    • By having intense dreams
    • By hearing specific sounds
    Answer: By touching people and objects
    The text explains that Johnny sometimes experiences clairvoyant visions when he touches people and objects.
46. In Sophocles's play, what does the name "Oedipus" literally translate to?
    • Swollen foot
    • Blind king
    • Cursed son
    • Riddle solver
    Answer: Swollen foot
    As an infant, his ankles were pinned together, leading the shepherd who saved him to name him Oedipus, meaning "swollen foot".
47. This romantic hero is a wealthy gentleman who at first feels superior to Elizabeth Bennet and ignores her. Later, however, he falls in love with her, which is a blow to his pride.
    • Colonel Forster
    • Paul Morel
    • Mr. Bingley
    • Mr. Darcy
    Answer: Mr. Darcy
48. The name of Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians is meaningful because:
    • She actually likes cats and not dogs
    • She is the owner of the dalmatians
    • She doesnt give them any food
    • She wants the puppies for their fur
    Answer: She wants the puppies for their fur
49. What is the primary subject of John Milton's epic poem *Paradise Lost*?
    • The fall of man
    • The life of King Arthur
    • The founding of Rome
    • The Trojan War
    Answer: The fall of man
    The poem's subject is the biblical story of the fall of man, focusing on Adam and Eve's temptation and expulsion from Eden.
50. This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, set in the fictional tired old town of Maycomb, Alabama, is narrated by six-year-old Scout Finch.
    • The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
    • To Kill a Mockingbird
    • To the Lighthouse
    • The Sound and the Fury
    Answer: To Kill a Mockingbird