Bucket List Novels Trivia Quiz

Answer: Victor

Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" is not what you might expect. True, the story revolves around the creation of a monster by Victor Frankenstein. But what the reader cannot help but appreciate is Shelly's use of the English language. Her use of literary devices, descriptions and dialogue flow with a rhythm so effortless that reading the novel is pure pleasure.

Shelley writes, for example, ".... I couldn't bring myself to disclose a secret (the creation of the monster) which would fill my hearer with consternation and make fear and unnatural horror the inmates of his breast."

The story tells us of Victor's creation of the monster and his obsessive journey to destroy it or have it destroy him.

Answer: Winston

George Orwell's "1984" is a dystopian novel written in 1949, giving the author's view of life some 35 years in the future. The story is told through the eyes of Winston Smith, a mid-level bureaucrat in the all-encompassing totalitarian government called INGSOC.

The novel is Orwell's warning that, if the course of history does not change, humans will become soulless automatons without even realizing it.

Answer: Lennie and George

"Of Mice and Men" is Steinbeck's long short story (novella) of friendship, devotion, dreams and loneliness. George and Lennie are itinerant farm workers who dream of one day owning their own farm. Lennie is a mentally-challenged giant while George is his best friend and protector. Taking place during the Depression, the book tells of the obstacles Lennie and George must overcome. Ironically Lennie becomes the biggest obstacle. Both are devoted to their dream of owning their own farm.

Answer: Scout

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is set in Alabama in the 1930s. The story of a white lawyer defending a black man accused of raping a white woman is told through the eyes of Scout, the lawyer's adolescent daughter. The novel deals with prejudice and racial injustice that existed then in the American South, and still exists today.
The book addresses issues of empathy, compassion, and justice.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961.

Answer: Jay

The Great Gatsby" takes place during the 1920s. It is a tale of social structure, materialism, trying to live in the past and obsession. The story is told by Nick, Jay Gatsby's Long Island neighbor, of large, sumptuous parties given by Gatsby in a futile attempt to rekindle a past relationship with Daisy, his former lover who is now married.

Answer: Ishmael

"Moby Dick" is a story of man against nature. It is told through the eyes of Ishmael, a sailor aboard the Pequod, an 18th century whaling ship. It is a tale also of vengeance and revenge. The ship's captain, Ahab is obsessed with finding and killing the white whale, Moby Dick, who had maimed him. Ahab's single-minded obsession endangers the entire crew.

Answer: Holden

The story is told in the first person by Holden Caulfield, a troubled sixteen year-old caught between childhood and manhood. The novel tells of Holden's journey through New York City where he's met face-to-face with the adult world and is as alienated by it as he is with the adolescent world. Caulfield is full of inner turmoil as he tries to make connections with people.

Answer: Santiago

"The Old Man and the Sea" is about an old Cuban fisherman named Santiago. He has gone several months without catching a fish. His determination and shear willpower drive him further and further into the sea. He eventually hooks the big one, bigger than his tiny craft and now must find a way to get his catch to shore. Reaching and achieving the goal is more important than the goal itself.

Answer: Elizabeth

"Pride and Prejudice" takes place in 19th century England. It highlights the overwhelming class barriers and bias prevalent in English society at that time. The story revolves around Elizabeth's relationship with Darcy, whom she finds aloof and pompous. Elizabeth changes her impression of Darcy once she gets to know him. She comes to grip with the pride and prejudices of English society.

Answer: Ralph

"Lord of the Flies" is a reference to Beelzebub (a middle-Eastern god sometimes equated with Satan). The story is about a group of British schoolchildren whose plane crashes on an uninhabited island in the Pacific. Many of the boys, some as young as five, are difficult to control. Ralph is chosen as their leader.

Initially the boys work together, eventually factions are formed and the previous order devolves into chaos, murder and total breakdown.

Answer: Tom

"The Grapes of Wrath" tells of the struggles and obstacles faced by the Joad family as they journey from Oklahoma to California during the Great Depression. Driven from their farm by economic hardship, the Joads seek a better life in California but encounter exploitation and social injustice. The Joads and other migrant workers are often subjected to harsh and unsafe working conditions. They encounter biased legal systems and local authorities who are more inclined to protect the interests of landowners and employers than the rights of the workers. Employers take advantage by paying low wages. The migrant workers face hostility, discrimination and violence from the local community.

Tom Joad is the novel's protagonist. His main goal is in keeping the family together. He strikes out, at personal risk, against the discrimination, the exploitation and the injustice by organizing the workers to protest against their living conditions. He is really fighting for human dignity.

Answer: Janie

"Their Eyes Were Watching God" takes place in the deep south in the early 1900s. Janie Crawford is a black woman whose life is told through her three marriages to three completely different men. From each of these marriages Janie learns valuable lessons about life and herself.

Answer: Napoleon

"Animal Farm" was published shortly after WWII. It parodies the past and (then) present leaders of the Soviet Union with pigs on the farm. Napoleon as the leader represents Stalin. Other farm animals represent other Soviet leaders. When the animals throw off their human masters and form a new government, everything is rosy. But, as time passes, the government descends into corruption, exploitation of workers, greed, and class struggles.

The book displays how power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Answer: Rodion

"Crime and Punishment" follows a poor and disillusioned Rodion Raskolnikov. He feels he is an extraordinary person who is above the moral law. He feels justified in killing a dishonest person and stealing their money as long as the crime is beneficial to society as a whole. What he didn't factor in was how his actions would affect his own psyche.

He becomes mentally unstable and paranoid. The novel asks the reader to contemplate the relationship between crime and punishment.

Answer: Jake

"The Sun Also Rises" was Hemingway's first novel, published in 1926. The book is narrated by Jake Barnes and tells of his and his friends travels throughout post-war Europe. The novel speaks to the dismay felt by Jake and company with the ravages of war and the dismal future facing the world.