A Book By Any Other Name Trivia Quiz

Answer: War and Peace

"War and Peace" is an epic novel which relates the history of Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812. "Anna Karenina" is also written by Leo Tolstoy. "Crime and Punishment" is by Fyodor Dostoevsky. "War, What is it Good For?" was featured in an episode of Seinfeld, where Jerry jokes that this was the title Tolstoy originally intended for his novel "War and Peace" - but this phrase really came from the lyrics of the song "War", an anti-Vietnam War protest song by Edwin Starr which was a hit in 1970.

Answer: Of Mice and Men

The title, "Of Mice and Men", is derived from a poem, "To a Mouse", by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. It contains the lines "The best laid schemes o' mice and men/Gang aft a-gley (often go awry)/And lea'e us nought but grief and pain/For promised joy." "Of Mice and Men" certainly beats the very ordinary title of "Something that Happened".

Answer: Mein Kampf

"Mein Kampf" ("My Struggle") was a political manifesto written while Hitler was serving a prison term in the Fortress of Landsberg am Lech. Hitler's publisher, Max Amann, decided the title was too long and complicated and shortened it to "Mein Kampf".

Answer: Pride and Prejudice

"First Impressions" was the original title of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". In my opinion, both are catchy titles and both reflect the main theme of the novel; that is, that first impressions and pride create prejudices in the characters which are subject to change as the story unfolds.

Answer: Peyton Place

Grace Metalious's novel "Peyton Place" tells, in part, the story of a girl who killed her father who had molested her. It was based on a true case that occurred in the small town of Gilmanton, New Hampshire, where the author lived. The rest of the novel was pure fiction and was actually written before she moved to Gilmanton.

But the people of Gilmanton assumed it was all based on them and were angry that Metalious was airing their dirty linen in public. As a result, her husband lost his job and they were ostracised socially.

As well as murder and incest, "Peyton Place" dealt with themes such as adultery, suicide, rape, abortion, and illegitimacy. The book was banned in many places and both book and author were denounced as corrupt.

Answer: William Makepeace Thackeray

William Makepeace Thackeray's title, "Vanity Fair", was actually derived from John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress". "Vanity Fair" is a satire of 19th century English society.

Answer: Paul Morel

"Sons and Lovers" was D. H. Lawrence's third novel and was semi-autobiographical. It is the story of Paul Morel, a young man and artist, and his relationships with women, particularly his mother. The other answers were characters from his other novels - Oliver Mellors ("Lady Chatterley's Lover"), Rupert Birkin ("Women in Love") and Richard Somers ("Kangaroo").

Answer: All of these answers were working titles for this novel

After "The Great Gatsby" went to press, F. Scott Fitzgerald decided he wanted to change the title again to "Under the Red, White and Blue". He sent a telegram to his publisher to request a title change but it was too late.

Answer: A Study in Scarlet

The four answers are the four full-length novels which feature Sherlock Holmes. Not only did Conan Doyle change the title of this first novel but he also changed his mind about the names of the two main characters. The original names for Dr Watson and Sherlock Holmes were Ormond Sacker and Sherringford Holmes respectively.

Answer: Gone with the Wind

Margaret Mitchell originally named her heroine Pansy O'Hara. The publisher didn't like the name and persuaded her to change it. Margaret Mitchell also considered the titles "Tote the Weary Load", "Bugles Sang True" and "Not in Our Stars" for her epic novel.

The title "Gone with the Wind" is derived from the scene in which Scarlett O'Hara journeys back to Tara, wondering "Was Tara still standing? Or was Tara also gone with the wind which had swept through Georgia?" (Chapter 24).