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Invitation to a Beheading Trivia Quiz

In "Invitation to a Beheading," Cincinnatus C. is the condemned prisoner of an imaginary police state. Only recently translated from Russian, it is one of Nabokov's little-known gems. If you've read 'Invitation to a Beheading,' this one should be easy!

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

Author
panderson

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
74,182

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
20

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
13 / 20

Plays
258

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 20

1. What is the name of Cincinnatus C.'s jailer? Hint

Leon

Minkov

Gregorius

Rodion

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Question 2 of 20

2. What is the crime for which Cincinnatus C. is condemned? Hint

Mystical Translucence

Sophistic Creativity

Reductive Opacity

Gnostical Turpitude

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Question 3 of 20

3. What is the name of the jailer's daughter? Hint

Emmie

Anna

Sophie

Olivia

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Question 4 of 20

4. Fill in the blank: Cincinnatus C. fondly recalls spending time in the _______ Gardens.

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 5 of 20

5. What is Cincinnatus C.'s sentence? Hint

Hanging

Beheading

Life in Prison

He is never told

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Question 6 of 20

6. What sort of creature lives in Cincinnatus C.'s cell with him? Hint

Spider

Butterfly

Mouse

Talking rabbit

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Question 7 of 20

7. This man begins as a fellow prisoner of Cincinnatus in jail, who tries in vain to befriend him. Later, he reveals himself to be much more. Who is he? Hint

Pierre

Lasalle

Vasily

Mr. Black

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Question 8 of 20

8. Who is Cincinnatus C.'s wife? Hint

Anna

Marthe

Beatrice

Annathea

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Question 9 of 20

9. What is the name of the very long book that Cincinnatus C. reads while in prison? Hint

'Quercus'

'Lolita'

'Lovonicus'

'Wastoria'

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Question 10 of 20

10. What is the book about? Hint

A prince

The history of the prison

Three sisters

An oak tree

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Question 11 of 20

11. True or false: Cincinnatus C. is described as being of unusually large stature?

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 12 of 20

12. What game does Cincinnatus's prison-mate try to play with him? Hint

Hangman

Checkers

Chess

Poker

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Question 13 of 20

13. At what point in the novel is Cincinnatus's trial and sentencing described? Hint

Never

At the very end

At the start

In the middle

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Question 14 of 20

14. Where is the prison situated? Hint

On an island in the sea

In the frozen arctic

Deep underground

On top of a high cliff

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Question 15 of 20

15. What is the name of Cincinnatus C.'s Mother? Hint

Antonia

Sarah

Cecilia C.

She is not named

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Question 16 of 20

16. How many children do Cincinnatus and his wife have? Hint

Three

Two

Four

One

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Question 17 of 20

17. Tough one: what is the name of the river that flows through Cincinnatus's home town? Hint

Byosha

Strop

Banto

Ladoga

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Question 18 of 20

18. What is the name of Cincinnatus's lawyer? Hint

Galen Holonov

Fyodor Yarosich

Portius Namchinov

Roman Vassarionovich

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Question 19 of 20

19. What part of his suit does the lawyer play with obsessively? Hint

His jacket

His tie

His cufflinks

His belt

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Question 20 of 20

20. Lastly: how does Cincinnatus escape his punishment at the end? Hint

He merely wills his executioners out of existence

He commits suicide

He escapes the prison

He is propelled backward in time by spinning around

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What is the name of Cincinnatus C.'s jailer?

Answer: Rodion

2. What is the crime for which Cincinnatus C. is condemned?

Answer: Gnostical Turpitude

At first reading, it seems a typical dystopian 'nonsense crime.' However, the critic Vladimir Alexandrov has pointed out that Gnosticism is evident all through the novel, for instance in the way Cincinnatus appears to have a dual existence, both as a physical being, and a shadow-like soul.

In his opinion, it is this soul which walks away at the end of the novel, while Cincinnatus's physical body is beheaded.

3. What is the name of the jailer's daughter?

Answer: Emmie

Emmie exhibits many Nabokovian 'nymphet' qualities.

4. Fill in the blank: Cincinnatus C. fondly recalls spending time in the _______ Gardens.

Answer: Tamara

Interestingly, this is also the name of one of Nabokov's former girlfriends.

5. What is Cincinnatus C.'s sentence?

Answer: Beheading

Hence the title.

6. What sort of creature lives in Cincinnatus C.'s cell with him?

Answer: Spider

Rodion, the jailer, feeds the beastie daily. At the end of the novel, the spider turns out to be fake, hanging by a string.

7. This man begins as a fellow prisoner of Cincinnatus in jail, who tries in vain to befriend him. Later, he reveals himself to be much more. Who is he?

Answer: Pierre

Portly Monsieur Pierre turns out to be none other than the executioner himself.

8. Who is Cincinnatus C.'s wife?

Answer: Marthe

Her visit to Cincinnatus's cell, accompanied by her entire family including all of their household belongings, is one of the most comically absurd scenes I have ever read.

9. What is the name of the very long book that Cincinnatus C. reads while in prison?

Answer: 'Quercus'

Cincinnatus reads one third of the book, or 1,000 pages, making this a very long work!

10. What is the book about?

Answer: An oak tree

Nabokov is obviously parodying something here, but I am not sure what. He was well-known to prefer style over didacticism or plot, and this novel does seem to be the antithesis of his style.

11. True or false: Cincinnatus C. is described as being of unusually large stature?

Answer: False

He is said to be unusually small, and is even described as 'childlike' at certain points in the novel.

12. What game does Cincinnatus's prison-mate try to play with him?

Answer: Chess

Nabokophiles will know that this is, of course, a favourite game of the author.

13. At what point in the novel is Cincinnatus's trial and sentencing described?

Answer: At the start

14. Where is the prison situated?

Answer: On top of a high cliff

15. What is the name of Cincinnatus C.'s Mother?

Answer: Cecilia C.

She visits him once in the novel.

16. How many children do Cincinnatus and his wife have?

Answer: Two

Both are the offspring of other men, the unfortunate results of Marthe's affairs.

17. Tough one: what is the name of the river that flows through Cincinnatus's home town?

Answer: Strop

It is not mentioned many times; if you got it you are a perceptive reader!

18. What is the name of Cincinnatus's lawyer?

Answer: Roman Vassarionovich

19. What part of his suit does the lawyer play with obsessively?

Answer: His cufflinks

Roman is indeed a very comical figure.

20. Lastly: how does Cincinnatus escape his punishment at the end?

Answer: He merely wills his executioners out of existence

Some critics have seen 'Invitation to a Beheading' as an obvious homage to Kafka, emphasizing the triumph of the individual over a totalitarian society. Nabokov, typically, denied any Kafkaesque influence, a claim that is generally agreed to be false.

Source: Author panderson

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