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Quiz about Will You Read My Book
Quiz about Will You Read My Book

Will You Read My Book? Trivia Quiz


'It Was a Dark and Stormy Night' was how Snoopy in 'Peanuts' started all his books. They were all rejected, but he's not the only author to suffer this fate. Can you identify the books and writers who struggled to get published?

A multiple-choice quiz by rossian. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
rossian
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
328,211
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
1621
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: Guest 213 (10/10), Guest 99 (8/10), Guest 81 (8/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Which novel, eventually published in 1945, was rejected by a New York publisher stating 'it is impossible to sell animal stories in the USA'? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The 'self-help' book written by Richard Bach and published in 1970, after many rejections, featured which type of bird? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. 'Catch 22' was another book that struggled to get into print. Who wrote it? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Which writer of spy fiction, and creator of Smiley, was rejected with the words 'you are welcome to **** - he hasn't got any future'? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Which American writer's first book was rejected over twenty times, before finding a publisher in 1937? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. 'The Good Earth' was rejected fourteen times, before being published and going on to win the Pulitzer Prize. Who was the author? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Irving Stone's 'Lust for Life' was rejected sixteen times, with one rejection stating 'a long, dull, novel about an artist'. Which artist did the book feature? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Following numerous rejections, 'A Time to Kill' was published in 1989. It was the first novel from which of these best-selling authors? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Which American poet, born in 1932, received a rejection notice saying 'there certainly isn't enough genuine talent for us to take notice'? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Rejected by twenty major publishers, before being issued in 1993, was 'Chicken Soup for the ******'. What is the final word of the title? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Sep 19 2024 : Guest 213: 10/10
Sep 19 2024 : Guest 99: 8/10
Sep 13 2024 : Guest 81: 8/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Which novel, eventually published in 1945, was rejected by a New York publisher stating 'it is impossible to sell animal stories in the USA'?

Answer: Animal Farm

'Animal Farm' was written by George Orwell, and is a satire on revolution and the corruption of power. One of the best known lines from it is 'all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others'. The rejection notice implies that the publisher did not actually read the book or totally misunderstood it if he did. 'Watership Down' was written by Richard Adams and published in 1972. Anna Sewell wrote 'Black Beauty', which appeared in 1877 and Beatrix Potter was the author of 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit' from 1902.
2. The 'self-help' book written by Richard Bach and published in 1970, after many rejections, featured which type of bird?

Answer: Seagull

The book was 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull', which was eventually published by Avon Books and sold over seven million copies. It was made into a film in 1973, with well-known film critic Roger Ebert describing how he walked out after 45 minutes of viewing.

He went on to say that the book was 'banal' and that 'it made "The Little Engine That Could" look a work of depth and ambition'. It's just as well he wasn't a publisher.
3. 'Catch 22' was another book that struggled to get into print. Who wrote it?

Answer: Joseph Heller

The novel was eventually published in 1961, having been rejected numerous times. One editor stated 'I haven't really the foggiest idea about what the man is trying to say'. The first extract was published under the title 'Catch 18' but the novel was renamed to avoid confusion with 'Mila 18' by Leon Uris. 'Catch 22' has become integrated into the English language to describe any situation which is logically impossible, although it is also used to define any bureaucratic nightmare.
4. Which writer of spy fiction, and creator of Smiley, was rejected with the words 'you are welcome to **** - he hasn't got any future'?

Answer: John le Carré

This was a rejection notice for 'The Spy Who Came in From the Cold', which found another publisher in 1963. Le Carré had worked for both MI5 and MI6, the British intelligence services, and left to become an author full time following the success of this novel. Among Len Deighton's novels are 'The Ipcress File' and Eric Ambler wrote 'The Mask of Dimitrios'. Fleming, of course, is the creator of probably the most famous spy of all in James Bond.
5. Which American writer's first book was rejected over twenty times, before finding a publisher in 1937?

Answer: Dr. Seuss

The book was 'And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street', and Vanguard Press was the publisher to recognise its potential. Among the rejections was one saying the book was 'too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant its selling', which I would have thought would be a positive, not negative, point. All the other children's authors were British, which should have narrowed your options.
6. 'The Good Earth' was rejected fourteen times, before being published and going on to win the Pulitzer Prize. Who was the author?

Answer: Pearl S Buck

One rejection notice read 'I regret that the American public is not interested in anything on China'. The novel was published in 1931 and won the Pulitzer Prize the following year. Pearl S Buck wrote numerous other novels, including 'East Wind, West Wind', short stories, biographies and non-fiction works and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938.
7. Irving Stone's 'Lust for Life' was rejected sixteen times, with one rejection stating 'a long, dull, novel about an artist'. Which artist did the book feature?

Answer: Vincent Van Gogh

The book was published in 1934 and was so successful that it was made into a film of the same name, starring Kirk Douglas, in 1956. Irving Stone also wrote about all the other names given as options. Michelangelo was the subject of 'The Agony and the Ecstasy', published in 1961 and also filmed, with Charlton Heston, in 1965. John Noble, an American artist, was the subject of 'The Passionate Journey' from 1949. Sigmund Freud, the psychoanalyst, was covered in 'The Passions of the Mind' in 1971.
8. Following numerous rejections, 'A Time to Kill' was published in 1989. It was the first novel from which of these best-selling authors?

Answer: John Grisham

A limited print of 5000 copies 'A Time to Kill' was eventually published by Wynwood Press. The book was made into a film in 1996. Grisham has gone on to great success with other books, including 'The Pelican Brief', 'The Firm' and 'The Client', all of which have been adapted into films.
9. Which American poet, born in 1932, received a rejection notice saying 'there certainly isn't enough genuine talent for us to take notice'?

Answer: Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath married British poet, Ted Hughes, in 1956 and they had two children together. By 1963, they had separated and Sylvia was suffering from severe depression. She committed suicide by gassing herself at the age of only thirty. Her first collection of poems, 'The Colossus and Other Poems', was published in 1960. An autobiographical novel, 'The Bell Jar', was published in 1963.

The other options are all American poets born in the 19th century, Cummings in 1894, Dickinson in 1830 and Frost in 1874.
10. Rejected by twenty major publishers, before being issued in 1993, was 'Chicken Soup for the ******'. What is the final word of the title?

Answer: Soul

Written and compiled by Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield, the book contains uplifting and motivational stories. The title reflects the use of chicken soup to nourish the body, with the stories designed to nourish the soul. It has spawned a whole series of over 200 titles, with books designed for teenagers and grandparents, among other groups.
Source: Author rossian

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor LadyCaitriona before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
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