FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about The Mirror Crackd From Side to Side
Quiz about The Mirror Crackd From Side to Side

The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side Quiz


This 1962 novel featuring Miss Marple concerns a beautiful, but emotionally fragile film star seemingly stalked by tragedy. The solution is revealed in the quiz. Good Luck!

A multiple-choice quiz by jouen58. Estimated time: 5 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Literature Trivia
  6. »
  7. Christie, Agatha
  8. »
  9. Miss Marple

Author
jouen58
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
177,361
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
10 / 15
Plays
1280
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 76 (13/15), Guest 174 (15/15), Guest 92 (13/15).
- -
Question 1 of 15
1. The title of the novel refers to a line from the poem "The Lady of Shalott", which is frequently quoted in the story. Who was the author of this poem? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. "The Mirror Crack'd" was the last mystery to take place in St. Mary Mead.


Question 3 of 15
3. The murder takes place at Gossington Hall, the former home of Dolly Bantry and her late husband Arthur. It is now the home of actress Marina Gregg and her husband, film director Jason Rudd. What earlier murder mystery had involved Gossington Hall? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. What tragic historical character had been Marina Gregg's greatest movie role? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. Marina Gregg had suffered a complete emotional collapse after long-awaited birth of her child, who was born mentally retarded. Marina, it develops, had contracted Rubella (German Measles) during her pregnancy; she discovers at the reception at Gossington Hall that she had contracted it from Heather Badcock. This plot device actually happened to a real-life actress, who also battled mental illness and depression much of her life; who was she? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. In this novel, Miss Marple has aquired an insufferably patronizing and over-solicitous live-in female companion. What is her name? Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. Much of the novel is spent in discussion of the strange look that came over Marina Gregg's face shortly before the murder. Who, or what was Marina looking at when this happened? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. Which of these characters turns out to have been Marina Gregg's adopted daughter, whom she had abandoned when she became pregnant? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. An overdose of what drug was used to commit the crime? Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. Which character is found to have fired a gun at someone in the past? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. Ella Zielinsky, the Rudd's social secretary, unwisely decides to play detective and try to flush out the murderer by calling various suspects and telling them (in a whisper) that she saw them do it. Unfortunately for her, she inadvertantly betrays herself when she calls the actual murderer. What does she do to give herself away? Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. Gladys Dixon, the dressmaker, was an important witness on the day of the murder; she had noticed that Marina had jogged Heather's arm deliberately, causing her to spill her drink. Near the end of the novel, it is revealed that Miss Marple had given Gladys some money and told her to go on holiday in Bournemouth. Why? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. Who eventually provides Miss Marple with the most important clue; the name of the ailment Heather said she was suffering from when she met Marina all those years ago? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. Miss Marple persuades Jason Rudd to reveal the truth to the police after Marina's death by revealing that an innocent person has been arrested for the crime. Who is it? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. At the end of the novel, one is left with the impression that Miss Marple may let a murderer go unpunished.



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Oct 29 2024 : Guest 76: 13/15
Oct 29 2024 : Guest 174: 15/15
Oct 25 2024 : Guest 92: 13/15
Oct 24 2024 : Getta: 14/15
Oct 22 2024 : Anakinsmummy: 7/15
Oct 20 2024 : Guest 82: 3/15
Oct 13 2024 : Guest 188: 8/15
Oct 02 2024 : Guest 81: 14/15
Sep 12 2024 : Guest 31: 12/15

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The title of the novel refers to a line from the poem "The Lady of Shalott", which is frequently quoted in the story. Who was the author of this poem?

Answer: Alfred Lord Tennyson

The poem tells the tragic story of the mysterious Lady of Shalott, who has been told that a curse will befall her if she sets eyes on Camelot. Consequently, she spend her days before a mirror watching the daily events of Camelot reflected through her window, which she weaves into a long tapestry on her loom. Disaster befalls her when she sees Lancelot in her mirror and is compelled to turn and gaze at him out of the window. At this point, according to the poem:

"Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror crack'd from side to side;
'The curse is come upon me' cried
The Lady of Shalott."

This passage comes to Dolly Bantry's mind when she sees the strange "basilisk" look come over Marina Gregg's face at the reception at Gossington Hall, only she misremembers "curse" as "doom". Shortly afterward, Heather Badcock (who had been talking to Marina at the time) suddenly takes ill and dies.
2. "The Mirror Crack'd" was the last mystery to take place in St. Mary Mead.

Answer: True

Although there would be four more Miss Marple novels, this is the last to take place in St. Mary Mead. "A Caribbean Mystery" (1964) takes place at a Caribbean island resort. "At Bertram's Hotel" (1965) takes place entirely at the hotel of the title, in London. "Nemesis" (1971), a sequel to "A Caribbean Mystery", begins in St. Mary Mead, but concerns a murder committed years before in the village of Jocelyn St. Mary and takes place during a Famous House and Gardens tour, where another murder occurs. "Sleeping Murder" (1976), Christie's last published novel, takes place at Dillmouth, where Miss Marple helps solve another murder committed many years before.
3. The murder takes place at Gossington Hall, the former home of Dolly Bantry and her late husband Arthur. It is now the home of actress Marina Gregg and her husband, film director Jason Rudd. What earlier murder mystery had involved Gossington Hall?

Answer: The Body in the Library

"The Body in the Library" involved the murder of a gold-digging young dancer, whose body was apparently found at Gossington Hall (though she had been killed elsewhere). The discovery of the body had made the Bantrys the subject of much unkind and ill-natured gossip. The case is discussed briefly in this novel by Mrs. Bantry and Ella Zielinsky.
4. What tragic historical character had been Marina Gregg's greatest movie role?

Answer: Mary Queen of Scots

The role of the tragic and headstrong young queen, who was ruled by her heart rather than her head, was ideally suited to the beautiful, but emotionally unstable Marina. At the time the story takes place, she and her husband are planning a film comeback in which she will play another beautiful and tragic monarch, the empress Elizabeth of Austria.
5. Marina Gregg had suffered a complete emotional collapse after long-awaited birth of her child, who was born mentally retarded. Marina, it develops, had contracted Rubella (German Measles) during her pregnancy; she discovers at the reception at Gossington Hall that she had contracted it from Heather Badcock. This plot device actually happened to a real-life actress, who also battled mental illness and depression much of her life; who was she?

Answer: Gene Tierney

Tierney, who starred memorably in "Laura" and "Leave Her to Heaven" among other films, was at one time married to fashion designer Oleg Cassini. She was pregnant with Cassini's child when she went on a War bond tour during WWII and entertained at the Hollywood Canteen.

A kiss from a fan who had contracted German Measles led to her unborn child developing brain damage during the pregnancy. When the child, Daria, was born, doctors told her that she would never be able to speak or fully develop mentally. Tierney eventually, and reluctantly, agreed to have Daria institutionalized when she was four years old.

The ordeal took a considerable emotional toll on the actress, who eventually divorced the philandering Cassini in 1952 and had numerous unhappy love affairs with, among others, John F. Kennedy and Howard Hughes. Years after her daughter's birth, Tierney was approached by a fan who apologetically admitted that she had been sick with Rubella when she had met the actress during WWII and said she hoped Tierney herself hadn't gotten ill. Tierney quietly walked away in a state of shock.

In the novel, a similar episode provides the motive for Heather Babcock's murder; fortunately for Tierney's fan, the actress did not similarly react to her revelation.
6. In this novel, Miss Marple has aquired an insufferably patronizing and over-solicitous live-in female companion. What is her name?

Answer: Miss Knight

Miss Marple's testy exchanges with Miss Knight and her subterfuges to get the meddlesome woman out of her way provide moments of comic relief in this otherwise quite tragic story. Miss Knight believes Miss Marple to be a poor old dear who has led quite a sheltered life, and musn't be troubled with stories of murder and gangsters and such, which might give her nightmares (!).

Inspector Craddock, who has collaborated with Miss Marple on previous cases, finds Miss Knight's concerns amusing, to say the least.

In "Nemesis", Miss Marple has trouble remembering Miss Knight's name and keeps thinking of her as Miss Bishop. She muses "Soon I'll be calling her Miss Rook."
7. Much of the novel is spent in discussion of the strange look that came over Marina Gregg's face shortly before the murder. Who, or what was Marina looking at when this happened?

Answer: The painting of the Madonna and Child

While Heather was telling Marina her story which, unbeknownst to Heather, revealed how Marina's child had come to be born retarded, Marina looked just past her at the painting on the wall, a copy of Bellini's "Laughing Madonna". The combination of shock over the realisation that Heather had caused her misfortune and the cruelly contradictory image of maternal happiness shown in the painting had caused the frozen, doomed look to appear on Marina's face.
8. Which of these characters turns out to have been Marina Gregg's adopted daughter, whom she had abandoned when she became pregnant?

Answer: Margot Bence

Margot, the photographer who snapped a photo of Marina Gregg just as the lok of doom came over her face, was Marina's forgotten adopted daughter (there had also been a boy, who doesn't turn up in the novel). When she is found out, Margot is quite obliging in detailing her motive to the police: "Why shouldn't I hate her? She did the worst thing to me that anyone can do to anyone else. Let them believe that they're loved and wanted and then show them it's all a sham."
9. An overdose of what drug was used to commit the crime?

Answer: Calmo

Calmo is (or was)the brand name for a popularly prescribed tranquilizer, whose technical name is hyethyldexylbarboquindelorytate (please don't ask me how that's pronounced!). It is harmless taken as prescribed, but an overdose can be fatal. Heather was given six times the prescribed amount.
10. Which character is found to have fired a gun at someone in the past?

Answer: Lola Brewster

Lola had taken a pot shot at her husband, actor Eddie Groves, during an argument. She shrugs this off when interviewed by Inspector Craddock ("Oh, that was just because we'd had an argument...I lost my temper."). She similarly dismisses threats she had made against Marina after the latter ran off with Lola's previous husband: "I was just mad at the moment, you know. One says all sorts of things when one's mad at people."
11. Ella Zielinsky, the Rudd's social secretary, unwisely decides to play detective and try to flush out the murderer by calling various suspects and telling them (in a whisper) that she saw them do it. Unfortunately for her, she inadvertantly betrays herself when she calls the actual murderer. What does she do to give herself away?

Answer: She sneezes

Ella has been suffering from hayfever and lets out a sneeze just before replacing the receiver. The murderer poisons her by adding prussic acid to the nasal spray she is using to clear her sinuses.
12. Gladys Dixon, the dressmaker, was an important witness on the day of the murder; she had noticed that Marina had jogged Heather's arm deliberately, causing her to spill her drink. Near the end of the novel, it is revealed that Miss Marple had given Gladys some money and told her to go on holiday in Bournemouth. Why?

Answer: She didn't want her to be killed.

Gladys had told Cherry that Marina had caused Heather to spill the drink deliberately. She didn't realize the importance of what she had seen and, because of the awkward way she had phrased it, she led Miss Marple to believe that Heather had deliberately spilled the drink on herself.

When Miss Marple realizes what Gladys had actually meant, she sees that the girl is in terrible danger, especially after the deaths of Ella and Giovanni. She gives her some money and sends her to Bournemouth on holiday, telling her not to write home.
13. Who eventually provides Miss Marple with the most important clue; the name of the ailment Heather said she was suffering from when she met Marina all those years ago?

Answer: The vicar

Jason Rudd tells the inspectors that Heather had said she had the 'flu at the time (a deliberate misstatement on his part). Dolly Bantry thinks that she said nettlerash. Dr. Haydock thinks it was chicken pox. But, astoundingly, it is the perpetually forgetful vicar who remembers that Heather had been suffering from German Measles.
14. Miss Marple persuades Jason Rudd to reveal the truth to the police after Marina's death by revealing that an innocent person has been arrested for the crime. Who is it?

Answer: Arthur Badcock

Arthur had, apparently, been Marina's first husband, though she hadn't recognized him at the reception. His name was Alfred Beadle at the time of their marriage; Marina had divorced him when her career began to take off, whereas he was perfectly satisfied selling real estate and simply couldn't keep up with him.

After the divorce, he changed his name, but not his profession. Miss Marple opines that he will probably remarry soon; unfortunately, she believes it will probably be someone very much like Heather.
15. At the end of the novel, one is left with the impression that Miss Marple may let a murderer go unpunished.

Answer: True

Miss Marple strongly suspects that Jason Rudd administered the overdose that killed Marina. He guessed that she had committed the crime, as well as the murders of Ella and Giuseppe, and wanted to protect her from eventual arrest and prosecution, as well as prevent any more murders. Miss Marple believes that he acted out of sheer desperation and hints to him that she suspects that he administered the fatal dose himself.

He does not answer her implication directly, but says "She was- so lovely- and she had suffered so much." Miss Marple does not reply, but merely quotes to herself the final lines of "The Lady of Shalott". One is left with the strong impression that she will not press the matter.
Source: Author jouen58

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
10/31/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us