Famous First Lines Trivia Quiz

Answer: A Study in Scarlet (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

'A Study in Scarlet' is the first book in which we meet the famous Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson.

Answer: Mein Kampf (Adolf Hitler)

'Mein Kampf' (My Struggle) was a political manifesto written while Hitler was serving a prison term in the Fortress of Landsberg am Lech.

Answer: The Diary of Anne Frank

Anne received her diary for her 13th birthday. She began to record her thoughts and feelings in it as of 14th June, 1942. The last entry was 1st August, 1944. On 4th August, the German Security Police discovered the Secret Annexe and the occupants were arrested. Anne subsequently died in Bergen-Belsen in March, 1945.

Answer: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (J. K. Rowling)

This is, of course, the opening sentence of the first Harry Potter book. The author, J. K. Rowling, lived on welfare for nearly a year while she wrote this book during 1996-7. By the year 2000 she became the highest-earning woman in England, netting about $30 million. Rowling named her book "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and this is the title it is known by in most countries.

However, the publishers in America decided to change the name to "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" because they thought that "sorcerer" would be more appealing to the American consumer and that "philosopher" could possibly give the wrong impression about the book's subject matter.

Answer: The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)

As well as 'The Secret Garden' and 'The Little Princess', Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote the famous 'Little Lord Fauntleroy'. Her son, Vivian, was the model for Little Lord Fauntleroy.

Answer: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)

As well as writing 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (A Trilogy in Four Parts)', Adams was also a script editor for Dr Who and a guitarist for Pink Floyd! He died of a heart attack on May 11, 2001.

Answer: The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)

John Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. According to the Nobel Prize Internet Archive, he won the prize 'for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humour and keen social perception.'

Answer: Born Free (Joy Adamson)

'Born Free' is the true story of how Joy and George Adamson raised Elsa, a lion cub, and eventually returned her to the wild. After their marriage broke down in 1971, Joy was murdered by a disgruntled employee (1980) and George was killed by animal poachers (1989).

Answer: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain)

Mark Twain was the pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Mark twain is an old river term meaning 2 fathoms or 12 feet of water, indicating it is a safe depth for navigation. Twain was the first author to type a manuscript and also to double-space it for the convenience of his editor.

He based his characters on real people. Tom Sawyer was a combination of several boys, including himself.

Answer: Moby Dick (Herman Melville)

Herman Melville based his novel 'Moby Dick' on a true story. A Nantucket ship, the Essex, was whaling off the coast of South America in 1820 when it was rammed by a whale. He received his information from Owen Chase, the mate on the Essex who kept the ship's log.