Disturbed Authors Trivia Quiz

Answer: Twain

Mark Twain, born in Missouri, used his home state as the setting for two of his famous works - "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1876) and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1884). Did you know that in addition to writing, Twain was also interested in science? He patented inventions that included a self-pasting scrapbook (the pages needed to be moistened for use) and what he called an "Improvement in Adjustable and Detachable Straps for Garments", which was to replace suspenders.

Answer: Dickens

When Charles Dickens was a young boy, his father was placed in debtors' prison; consequently, he went to work in a factory to help support the family. Two of his famous works, "Oliver Twist" (1838) and "Great Expectations" (1860), were written about the lives of poor children who lived in Victorian England, and perhaps were a reflection, in part, of his own experiences. Did you know that Charles Dickens founded a home called Urania Cottage for "the redemption of fallen women of the working class", which he managed for ten years? He set house rules and interviewed potential clients; it is estimated that approximately 100 women graduated from the program from 1847-1859.

Answer: Hemingway

Winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954 for writing "The Old Man and the Sea" (1952), Hemingway was a prolific writer of novels, short stories and non-fiction. Did you know that during WWI he volunteered to become an ambulance driver for the Red Cross? Many of his experiences provided inspiration for later works.

For example, his first ambulance call was in response to a munitions factory explosion in Milan, which led to the writing of his "Death in the Afternoon".

Answer: Orwell

Even though George Orwell wrote a variety of works, perhaps his best known are "Animal Farm" (1945) and "1984" (1949). His view of totalitarian governments is well known, but did you know that he actually fought in the Spanish Civil War on the Republic side against Fascism? While standing in a trench, the tall Orwell was hit in the throat by a sniper's bullet.

His "Homage to Catalonia" was written in 1938 about his experiences during the civil war.

Answer: Faulkner

A native Mississippian, William Faulkner wrote many stories, such as "Absalom, Absalom!" (1936) about the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, which was actually inspired by his home county of Lafayette County. Did you know that Faulkner wanted to enlist in the U.S. Army, but was rejected because of his height? He was 5'5½". Consequently, he enlisted in a reserve unit of the British army in Canada; however, he apparently saw no action during World War I.

Answer: Wilde

A very popular playwright in late-Victorian London, Oscar Wilde wrote "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1890) and "The Importance of Being Earnest" (1895). Did you know that when he was a student at Magdalen College, he met with Pope Pius IX in Rome, and some sources say he seriously considered converting to Catholicism and becoming a priest? His father apparently didn't think too much of the idea at the time and it appears that Wilde saw the errors of his way; he was, however, baptized as a Catholic on his death bed in 1900.

Answer: Christie

Famously popular as a crime novelist, Agatha Christie wrote classics such as "Murder on the Orient Express" (1934) and "The Mousetrap" (1954). Did you know that she accompanied her second husband on an archaeological dig to Ur in Iraq in 1930, where they worked together on restoring and labeling artifacts? Her list of sites visited was quite impressive and included digs at Ninevah and Nimrud.

This experience was her inspiration for a book called "Murder in Mesopotamia" (1936).

Answer: Tolstoy

Of course, Leo Tolstoy wrote epic novels like "War and Peace" in 1869 and "Anna Karenina" in 1877. Did you know, however, that Tolstoy was an ardent sinophile, who had a strong love for the Chinese culture and people? During the Boxer Rebellion he strongly criticized the Russians, Germans, and other groups who committed war atrocities and he openly sided with the Boxers.

He read the words of Confucius and corresponded with Gu Hongming, a Chinese intellectual. Together they opposed the Hundred Days' Reform movement in China.

Answer: Steinbeck

Many school children are familiar with the stories of John Steinbeck, such as "Of Mice and Men" (1937) and "The Grapes of Wrath" (1939). Did you know that in 1935 Steinbeck joined the League of America Writers, which was a Communist organization? In 2012 the Central Intelligence Agency released information that suggested that John Steinbeck offered his services as a spy.

While it is unknown what sort of work (if any) Steinbeck did for the CIA during the Cold War, it is true that he complained of harassment from the FBI, which he believed was due to his association with Arthur Miller, who refused to name names in the House Un-American Activities Committee trials in 1957.

Answer: Frank

Anne Frank is still well known today for writing a diary which became known as "The Diary of a Young Girl" (1952) about her experience hiding from the Nazis in the Netherlands during WWII. Did you know that Anne Frank really wanted to be a journalist when the war was over? She wrote, "I finally realized that I must do my schoolwork to keep from being ignorant, to get on in life, to become a journalist, because that's what I want! I know I can write ..., but it remains to be seen whether I really have talent..." Interestingly she went on to say, "I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I've never met. I want to go on living even after my death!" How appropriate!