Card Games in Literature Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bridge

Two groups of four people play bridge at the time of the murder. Poirot analyzes the bidding system of the suspects. The player who took the highest risks turns out to be the murderer.

Answer: Preference

The story is about Lavretsky, who reads in the newspaper that his wife is dead. He tries to seduce Liza, but then his wife turns out to still be alive. Liza goes to the convent. Preference is played several times in the novel. It's the ideal alternative for bridge or whist if you're only with three players.

Answer: Thomas Hardy

The novel is "Far from the Madding Crowd". All the novels of Thomas Hardy take place in Wessex. High-low-jack is the best known version of all-fours. You can score points in four ways: by winning the highest trump card, the lowest trump card, the trump jack and the complete game.

Answer: Ecarté

"Madame Bovary" was written by Flaubert. Emma Bovary doesn't like playing games, but her husband is doing it all the time. Madame Bovary starts an affair with another man.

Answer: Mr Hurst and Mr Bingley

Other card games played at Netherfield are vingt-et-un (blackjack) and commerce. Mr Hurst is only interested in eating, drinking and playing cards. Piquet is a game for two players and thirty-two cards. A pack of thirty-two cards is often called a piquet pack.

Answer: Lily Bart

"The House of Mirth" was written in 1905. Lily Bart makes gambling debts in New York. She refuses to marry a rich man and ends up in poverty. Wharton also wrote "The Age of Innocence".

Answer: Queen of Spades

It's a Gothic story about a woman who knows a secret to win every card game. She is killed, but takes revenge afterwards. "Queen of Spades" is also an opera by Tchaikovsky.

Answer: Whist

"The Portrait of a Lady" was published as a serial in 1880 and 1881. It's a psychological novel about one central character and about the contrast between Europe and America. Isabelle Archer wants to prove she's independent and turns down two marriage proposals. She goes to Italy and marries the worst possible man.

Answer: Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl is probably best known for his children's novels, but he also wrote great short stories and two novels for adults. He's the master of twist in the tale. In his short story "My Lady Love, My Dove" a married couple hides a microphone in the bedroom of their bridge opponents. They find out they have a system to cheat during the bidding.

Answer: Great Expectations

Pip is hired by Miss Havisham. She asks him to play cards with Estella, her adopted daughter. Estella criticizes Pip for not being able to play, so he starts learning it.