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Quiz about Great American Anti War Novels

Great American (Anti-) War Novels Quiz

"I sing of arms and the man..."

A multiple-choice quiz by misshuxley. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
misshuxley

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
151,310

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
803

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What great novel of World War I starts with this line:
"In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains." Hint

For Whom the Bell Tolls

A Farewell to Arms

The Sun Also Rises

Death in the Afternoon

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Stephen Crane's seminal novel of the Civil War, "The Red Badge of Courage", is based on the author's own experiences in the war. True or false?

True

False

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Only one of these books was written by one or several Americans. Which one? Hint

The Quiet American

The Ugly American

All Quiet on the Western Front

The Sorrow of War

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. One morning, a simpleton soldier in the Vietnam jungle decides that he would rather be in Paris right now and goes AWOL. This is the premise for what wonderful Vietnam War novel? Hint

Paco's Story -- Larry Heinemann

No Bugles, No Drums -- Charles Durden

One Very Hot Day -- David Halberstam

Going After Cacciato -- Tim O'Brien

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. "The Short-Timers" by Gustav Hasford was the basis for what Vietnam War movie? Hint

Platoon

Good Morning Vietnam

Apocalypse Now

Full Metal Jacket

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Question 6 of 10

6. What is the setting of Mailer's "The Naked and the Dead"? Hint

South Pacific

Mediterranean

Russia

Bavaria

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Question 7 of 10

7. Another -- hopefully -- easy one: what author wrote a book that includes the characters of Snowden, Nately, Clevinger, Appleby (who's got flies in his eyes) and PFC Wintergreen? Hint

John Jakes

John Dos Passos

James Jones

Joseph Heller

8. Kurt Vonnegut wrote one of the greatest "lousy little books" about war, "Slaughterhouse-Five". He apologizes to his publisher that "it is so short and jumbled and jangled, Sam, because..."
Hint

... like Billy Pilgrim, I had become unstuck in time

... it was all so long ago that I can hardly remember

... there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre

... I wanted to put it all behind me as fast as humanly possible

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Which of the following titles of war novels is not "borrowed" from another source? Hint

For Whom the Bell Tolls -- Ernest Hemingway

From Here to Eternity -- James Jones

The Things They Carried -- Tim O'Brien

A Rumor of War -- Philip Caputo

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. And finally: Please tell me which author, primarily renowned for his sea novels, wrote a cycle of poems about the Civil War called "Battle-Pieces"?

Answer: (Full name or last name)

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What great novel of World War I starts with this line: "In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains."

Answer: A Farewell to Arms

That was easy, wasn't it? Yep, these titles are all by Ernest Hemingway. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" takes place during the Spanish Civil War; "The Sun Also Rises" takes place after WWI, in Paris; and "Death in the Afternoon" is about bullfighting.

2. Stephen Crane's seminal novel of the Civil War, "The Red Badge of Courage", is based on the author's own experiences in the war. True or false?

Answer: False

Stephen Crane was born in 1871. He did use autobiographical material in some of his other works though, such as his short story "The Open Boat".

3. Only one of these books was written by one or several Americans. Which one?

Answer: The Ugly American

"The Quiet American" was written by Graham Greene, an Englishman. If you haven't read the book, at least go and see the movie. Michael Caine is fantastic. Erich Maria Remarque, a German, wrote about his WWI-experiences in "All Quiet on the Western Front". Bao Ninh, a North Vietnamese, wrote "The Sorrow of War".

4. One morning, a simpleton soldier in the Vietnam jungle decides that he would rather be in Paris right now and goes AWOL. This is the premise for what wonderful Vietnam War novel?

Answer: Going After Cacciato -- Tim O'Brien

Read them all. They're great.

5. "The Short-Timers" by Gustav Hasford was the basis for what Vietnam War movie?

Answer: Full Metal Jacket

Platoon was based on a script by Michael Herr; Apocalypse Now, as you probably know (ahem), is loosely based on Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and Good Morning Vietnam's Adrian Cronauer is based on a real-life Armed Forces DJ.

6. What is the setting of Mailer's "The Naked and the Dead"?

Answer: South Pacific

The Naked and the Dead takes place in WWII, on Anopopei, a fictitious South Pacific island held by the Japanese.

Mailer has written some amazingly good and outrageously rotten stuff. Be sure to check out his "The Armies of the Night" -- it's fun whether you love him or hate him.

7. Another -- hopefully -- easy one: what author wrote a book that includes the characters of Snowden, Nately, Clevinger, Appleby (who's got flies in his eyes) and PFC Wintergreen?

Answer: Joseph Heller

The book, of course, is "Catch-22". Other wonderful characters in the book: Yossarian (the "hero"), Col. Scheisskopf, and Major Major Major Major (don't ask).

8. Kurt Vonnegut wrote one of the greatest "lousy little books" about war, "Slaughterhouse-Five". He apologizes to his publisher that "it is so short and jumbled and jangled, Sam, because..."

Answer: ... there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre

Hope I didn't throw you off with the Billy Pilgrim reference there. The first sentence of chapter two is, indeed, "Listen: Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time."

9. Which of the following titles of war novels is not "borrowed" from another source?

Answer: The Things They Carried -- Tim O'Brien

"From Here to Eternity" is a quote from Kipling's 1892 poem "The Gentlemen-Rankers": Gentlemen-rankers out on the spree/Damned from here to Eternity/God ha' mercy on such as we/Baa! Yah! Bah!"

"A Rumor of War": "And ye shall hear of wars & rumors of wars...For nation shall rise against nation, & kingdom against kingdom:" (Matthew 24:7)

"For Whom the Bell Tolls": "Ask not", says Mr. John Donne -- "it tolls for Thee!" (check out "No Man is an Island")

10. And finally: Please tell me which author, primarily renowned for his sea novels, wrote a cycle of poems about the Civil War called "Battle-Pieces"?

Answer: Herman Melville

Indeed. Well, I hope you had a nice and interesting time with my first quiz ever. Call again. And bye for now.

Source: Author misshuxley

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