Chocolate Tales Trivia Quiz

Answer: Alexander Pope

Alexander Pope (1688-1744) was an English poet known for his satire, which included the lengthy poem 'The Rape of the Lock', published in 1712. The poem is based on a real incident, which involved a man surreptitiously cutting off a lock of hair without the young lady's permission. Pope was persuaded to write a poem satirising the resulting uproar in the hopes that laughter would settle down the raging public quarrel. In Canto II, he mentioned the then-current fad of drinking hot chocolate:
"Or as Ixion fix'd, the Wretch shall feel
The giddy Motion of the whirling Mill,
In Fumes of burning Chocolate shall glow,
And tremble at the Sea that froaths below!"

Answer: Roald Dahl

The story of Charlie Bucket visiting the amazing chocolate factory owned and run by the eccentric Willie Wonka will be familiar to many who haven't read the book, due to its adaptation into two popular films: 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' in 1971, and 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' in 2005. Charlie finds the last golden ticket, entitling the finder to bring a relative along on a tour of Willie Wonka's factory.

The tour turns out to be an elaborate plan to test the character of the five children, and allow him to select a suitable heir.

Answer: Robert Cormier

The chocolate drive to raise funds for Trinity school is the starting point for conflict between the school's vice-principal (Brother Leon) and Archie, the leader of the secret society which controls the student body. Jerry gets in the way, and his refusal to cooperate with either of the two leads him to be seen first as a bit of a hero, then as a problem to be brutally put in his place.

At the end, we learn that Brother Leon is so happy with Archie's success in the chocolate drive that he plans to support his continued dominance over the other students.

Answer: Laura Esquivel

This 1989 novel is written in twelve sections (one for each month of the year), each of which starts with a Mexican recipe that will be tied in with the story. Tita, the protagonist, has a deep spiritual connection with cooking, and her food is often affected (sometimes lethally) by her emotional state as she cooks. We follow the story of her love for Pedro, a neighbour who cannot marry her because family tradition says her older sister must marry first (solution - he marries the sister) through a series of dramatic family events, including the ultimate union in death of Tita and Pedro.

The title is a Spanish expression meaning that one is very angry. It has been suggested, as well, that it refers to the condition of having hot water bubbling just under the boil, ready for the chocolate to be added to make the traditional Mexican style of hot chocolate; this bubbling state is then possible a metaphor for the sexual tension that simmers throughout the book.

Answer: Margret Rey

Margret Rey, who created Curious George in 1941 (when the chimpanzee first came to live in the big city with The Man in the Yellow Hat), died in 1996, so although the publisher lists her as the author of the new series that started in 1998, the fine print more accurately states that they are "written and illustrated in the style of Margret and H. A. Rey".

When George convinces the Man in the Yellow Hat to take him on a tour of a chocolate factory, readers just know he is going to make a mess along the way. Sure enough, in his quest to track down his favorite chocolate, he manages to speed up the conveyor belt and create a bit of chaos (bringing to mind that famous episode of 'I Love Lucy'), but it all gets sorted out in the end.

Answer: Joanne Harris

When Vianne arrives with her daughter in a small French village to open a chocolaterie in the middle of Lent, the townspeople are fascinated by her ability to know which chocolate treat is exactly the right one for them. And she offers a place of refuge for those needing a safe haven in which to find themselves.

The priest, however, is outraged, the community is divided, and a showdown is inevitable.

Answer: J K Rowling

Although you are more likely to associate the characters of this series with such treats as Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, chocolate is mentioned as one of the many sweets stocked in Honeydukes. When Harry faints during an encounter with a Dementor, Remus Lupin treats him by giving him a piece of chocolate, which we discover is the best first aid for the situation. Apparently it has something to do with restoring the sense of hope that has been sucked out of the victim. Harry had to eat quite a bit during this book.

Answer: Sally Berneathy

This is part of a series of mysteries featuring Savannah Reid, a middle-aged food-loving female detective. In this instalment, she is hired to work out who has been sending death threats to Lady Eleanor, the self-styled Queen of Chocolate, who creates delicacies on her television show which Savannah tries, with not much success, to produce for herself.

Unfortunately, Lady Eleanor drops dead on air after taking a big bite of Death by Chocolate cake, and Savannah suspects that her death is not due to a heart attack.

Answer: Carole Matthews

Lucy, Autumn, Nadia and Chantal are patrons of Chocolate Heaven, the shop where Clive and Tristan create and sell hand-made chocolates. The four women form The Chocolate Lovers Club, and meet at Chocolate Heaven as often as they can, where they discuss the chocolates and their personal lives.

This is the first book in the series, and feels a bit like 'Sex and the City', with chocolate replacing sex as the main topic of conversation. Is there too much chocolate? Some would say you can never have enough chocolate.

Answer: Sophie and Michael D. Coe

This nonfiction book traces the history of chocolate, starting with the domestication of the Theobroma cacao tree in Mexico at least 4000 years ago. Along with discussion of the chemistry of chocolate production and use, it considers the cultural role played by chocolate both within and between various societies over the years.

Not as much fun as eating a bar of chocolate, but fascinating reading.