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A Pen and a Prayer Trivia Quiz

There are many works of fiction set in and around monasteries, cathedrals, convents and other religious buildings. How many of them do you know?

A multiple-choice quiz by helen295. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
helen295

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
362,176

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
341

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. This historical mystery novel is set in an Italian monastery during the fourteenth century and follows the investigations of William of Baskerville and Adso of Melk. What is the title of this novel? Hint

The Name of the Rose

The Meaning of Night

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Where Shadows Dance

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Question 2 of 10

2. "A Vicarage Family" is the story of Victoria, one of four children growing up in an English vicarage in the years leading up to World War I. The author of this novel was probably best known for writing "Ballet Shoes". What was her name? Hint

Noel Streatfeild

Susan Coolidge

Enid Blyton

Elinor Brent-Dyer

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Question 3 of 10

3. "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett follows the story of the building of a cathedral in the English town of Kingsbridge. During which period of history is this novel set? Hint

The Wars of the Roses

The Anarchy

The Norman Conquest

The Napoleonic Wars

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Question 4 of 10

4. John Jasper is the choirmaster of Cloisterham Cathedral in which novel by Charles Dickens, left unfinished at the time of his death? Hint

Great Expectations

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Oliver Twist

Our Mutual Friend

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Question 5 of 10

5. Plumstead Episcopi, Barchester Cathedral and Framley Parsonage are buildings found in a series of novels known as the "Chronicles of Barsetshire". Which Victorian author created the fictional county of Barsetshire? Hint

Anthony Trollope

Elizabeth Gaskell

Thomas Hardy

Wilkie Collins

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Question 6 of 10

6. Victor Hugo's 1831 novel tells the story of the bell-ringer of which famous cathedral? Hint

Notre Dame de Paris

St Peter's Basilica

St Paul's Cathedral

Cologne Cathedral

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Question 7 of 10

7. The church of San Lorenzo in Naples and the remote convent of San Stefano both appear in "The Italian", a Gothic novel published in 1797. Who was the author of this novel? Hint

Bram Stoker

Matthew Gregory Lewis

Ann Radcliffe

Mary Shelley

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Question 8 of 10

8. Northanger Abbey, in Jane Austen's novel of the same name, is home to the Tilney family. What is the name of the young woman who is invited to stay with the Tilneys and is thrilled when she learns that they live in an abbey? Hint

Fanny Price

Elizabeth Bennet

Catherine Morland

Marianne Dashwood

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Question 9 of 10

9. Sir Walter Scott wrote two novels which together are known as his "Tales from Benedictine Sources". The second of these novels is "The Abbot". What is the title of the first? Hint

The Church

The Abbey

The Priory

The Monastery

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Question 10 of 10

10. "The Murder at the Vicarage" was the first novel to feature which fictional detective? Hint

Hercule Poirot

Miss Marple

Sherlock Holmes

Kay Scarpetta

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: The Name of the Rose

"The Name of the Rose" was written by Umberto Eco and originally published in Italian under the title "Il nome della rosa". In 1986 the book was made into a film starring Sean Connery as William of Baskerville and Christian Slater as Adso of Melk. The novel has also inspired several play adaptations, video games and a board game.

Answer: Noel Streatfeild

Noel was the daughter of William Streatfeild, the Bishop of Lewes. "A Vicarage Family" was closely based on her own childhood experiences and was followed by two more autobiographical books, "Away from the Vicarage" and "Beyond the Vicarage".

3. "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett follows the story of the building of a cathedral in the English town of Kingsbridge. During which period of history is this novel set?

Answer: The Anarchy

The Anarchy was the period of civil war in England that began in 1135 after the death of King Henry I, whose heir had been lost in the sinking of the White Ship. The ensuing conflict between Henry's daughter, Maud, and his nephew, Stephen of Blois, forms the historical background of Follett's novel. Both "The Pillars of the Earth" and its sequel, "World Without End", were adapted for television in 2010 and 2012 respectively.

4. John Jasper is the choirmaster of Cloisterham Cathedral in which novel by Charles Dickens, left unfinished at the time of his death?

Answer: The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Charles Dickens died before he was able to finish writing "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" and the solution to the mystery remains unknown. Dickens based Cloisterham on the town of Rochester in Kent and used Rochester Cathedral as a model for Cloisterham Cathedral in the novel.

Answer: Anthony Trollope

Trollope wrote six Barsetshire novels beginning with "The Warden" and ending with "The Last Chronicle of Barset". The series features a host of unforgettable characters, many of whom are clergymen. These include Archdeacon Grantly, Bishop Proudie and his formidable wife, Reverend Josiah Crawley and Septimus Harding, the precentor of Barchester Cathedral.

6. Victor Hugo's 1831 novel tells the story of the bell-ringer of which famous cathedral?

Answer: Notre Dame de Paris

Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was one of the most successful and most popular of French writers. His best known novels are "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", which tells the story of the hunchbacked bell-ringer Quasimodo and his love for the beautiful Esmeralda, and "Les Mis�rables", which follows the adventures of Jean Valjean, a former convict.

7. The church of San Lorenzo in Naples and the remote convent of San Stefano both appear in "The Italian", a Gothic novel published in 1797. Who was the author of this novel?

Answer: Ann Radcliffe

Ann Radcliffe was one of the first and most influential Gothic novelists. "The Italian" was the last of her novels to be published during her lifetime. Subtitled "The Confessional of the Black Penitents", it is set during the Inquisition and features as its villain a monk called Father Schedoni.

Answer: Catherine Morland

"Northanger Abbey" is considered to be a parody of Gothic fiction. Catherine Morland loves reading Gothic novels and is disappointed when she discovers that the abbey is not quite as frightening and mysterious as she hoped it would be!

9. Sir Walter Scott wrote two novels which together are known as his "Tales from Benedictine Sources". The second of these novels is "The Abbot". What is the title of the first?

Answer: The Monastery

"The Monastery" and its sequel, "The Abbot", were both published in 1820. The two books are set during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the story revolves around the Monastery of Kennaquhair. Scott is thought to have based the monastery on Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders.

10. "The Murder at the Vicarage" was the first novel to feature which fictional detective?

Answer: Miss Marple

Jane Marple is an elderly spinster and amateur detective who lives in the fictional village of St. Mary Mead. The character was created by the crime writer, Agatha Christie. Marple had previously appeared in several short stories published in literary magazines, but "The Murder at the Vicarage" was her first full-length novel.

Source: Author helen295

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