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Classics' First Lines Trivia Quiz

My old English teacher always said the opening line can make or break a piece of writing. This quiz explores the opening line of some of mankind's greatest literary works.

A multiple-choice quiz by Scrambledegg90. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Scrambledegg90

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
316,834

Updated
Nov 15 24

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
2517

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which dystopic fantasy begins "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen"? Hint

A Clockwork Orange

1984

The Remains of the Day

A Brief History of Time

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Question 2 of 10

2. The preface of which novella begins "The artist is the creator of beautiful things. To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim"? Hint

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

The Da Vinci Code

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Where's Wally?

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Question 3 of 10

3. The Bible is the most printed book in human history. What is its first line in the King James Version (Genesis 1:1)? Hint

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth"

"In the beginning the earth was without form"

"In the beginning there was darkness"

"And God said 'let there be light' and there was light."

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Question 4 of 10

4. This quote is possibly one of Shakespeare's most famous lines. Which play's opening line is "If music be the food of love, play on!"? Hint

Romeo and Juliet

Twelfth Night

A Midsummer Night's Dream

The Tempest

5. "This book is largely concerned with hobbits, and from its pages a reader may discover much of their character and a little of their history" is the first line of the Prologue to which Tolkien novel, which led to the first of three critically acclaimed films? Hint

The Hobbit

Harry Potter

The Silmarillion

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

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Question 6 of 10

6. The misanthropic protagonist of which popular American novel tells the reader that he is not going to tell them about "All that David Copperfield kind of crap"? Hint

American Psycho

Of Mice and Men

The Catcher in the Rye

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which popular American novel exploring racism in the Deep South begins "When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow."? Hint

The Green Mile

To Kill a Mockingbird

Noughts and Crosses

Black and White

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Question 8 of 10

8. The introduction to a poem by which famous Middle English author begins: "Heere bigynneth the Nonnes Preestes Tale of the Cok and Hen, Chauntecleer and Pertelote"? Hint

King Henry VIII

William Shakespeare

Geoffrey Chaucer

Christopher Marlowe

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Question 9 of 10

9. The second most printed book in human history is a small, crimson manual of quotations from a former dictator of the world's most populous country. Fill in the missing word in its opening line: "The force at the core leading our cause forward is the ______ Communist Party" Hint

American

Russian

Chinese

Cuban

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Question 10 of 10

10. "The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way towards the lagoon". This is the opening line of my favourite novel of all time. It explores the evil that is rooted inside every human being by telling the story of schoolboys stranded on a desert island. What novel is it from? Hint

Robinson Crusoe

The Lord of the Flies

Treasure Island

The Coral Island

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which dystopic fantasy begins "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen"?

Answer: 1984

"1984" by George Orwell is a fascinating novel that explores a dystopian future in which society is repressed by a sinister group known as The Party, headed by Big Brother.

2. The preface of which novella begins "The artist is the creator of beautiful things. To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim"?

Answer: The Picture of Dorian Gray

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" was Oscar Wilde's only novel. In the novel, Dorian exchanges his soul in return for eternal youth. The novel is challenging but its exploration of aestheticism and hedonism are fascinating.

3. The Bible is the most printed book in human history. What is its first line in the King James Version (Genesis 1:1)?

Answer: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth"

The Bible was written over a period of about 1300 years. It comprises of the Old Testament (written in Hebrew before Jesus' birth), which is known as the Tanakh by Jews and is their holy book and the New Testament (written in Greek after Jesus' death).

4. This quote is possibly one of Shakespeare's most famous lines. Which play's opening line is "If music be the food of love, play on!"?

Answer: Twelfth Night

"Twelfth Night" is a romantic comedy and one of Shakespeare's most well-known plays. Like many Shakespearean comedies, it relies on a case of mistaken identity as Viola, a ship-wrecked woman, decides to disguise herself as a man to work in the Duke's court with disastrous consequences!

Answer: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

"The Lord of the Rings" is an exciting epic fantasy in which a group of four hobbits (little people with hairy feet and little fighting prowess), two men, a dwarf, an elf and a wizard attempt to venture into the stronghold of an almighty dark lord (Sauron) in order to destroy the One Ring, which Sauron really wants to get his hands on!

6. The misanthropic protagonist of which popular American novel tells the reader that he is not going to tell them about "All that David Copperfield kind of crap"?

Answer: The Catcher in the Rye

"The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger explores life through the eyes of Holden Caulfield, an American teen from a well-off family who finds it difficult to connect with other human beings.

7. Which popular American novel exploring racism in the Deep South begins "When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow."?

Answer: To Kill a Mockingbird

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, tells the story of a black man wrongly accused of rape and the white lawyer, Atticus Finch, who has to take the moral high ground and ensure justice is served.

8. The introduction to a poem by which famous Middle English author begins: "Heere bigynneth the Nonnes Preestes Tale of the Cok and Hen, Chauntecleer and Pertelote"?

Answer: Geoffrey Chaucer

This is the opening line of the Nun's Priest's Tale, which is one of the "Canterbury Tales" composed by Chaucer in the 14th century AD. It is a beast fable exploring human vices such as hubris and greed. It is immensely entertaining, but unfortunately the archaic language puts off many would-be readers.

Answer: Chinese

"Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong" (also known as The Little Red Book) consisted of quotes from some of Chairman Mao's speeches. It was printed so many times because during the Cultural Revolution every Chinese citizen was expected to have a copy of the book.

Answer: The Lord of the Flies

"The Lord of the Flies" by William Golding - The title is a literal translation of the Hebrew word "Beelzebub" (lord of the flies), which is a name often used for Satan. The novel discusses how the evil inside every man makes civilization a mere facade.

Source: Author Scrambledegg90

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor trident before going online.
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