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John Updike Trivia Quiz

John Updike was a versatile and prolific American writer. Please take this quiz about Updike's life and work. Enjoy!

A multiple-choice quiz by mrgrouchy. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
mrgrouchy

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
304,378

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
308

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Where was John Updike born? Hint

New Jersey

Massachusetts

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

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Question 2 of 10

2. From which college did John Updike graduate? Hint

Princeton

Harvard

Brown

Cornell

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Question 3 of 10

3. For which noted magazine did John Updike write several articles? Hint

Atlantic Monthly

Time

The New Yorker

Newsweek

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which famous baseball player's final game was the subject of a John Updike essay? Hint

Mickey Mantle

Ted Williams

Hank Aaron

Willie Mays

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Question 5 of 10

5. What is the title of John Updike's first full-length novel? Hint

Marry Me

The Poorhouse Fair

Of the Farm

Gertrude and Claudius

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Question 6 of 10

6. Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom is the protagonist of John Updike's novel "Rabbit, Run." In which sport did Rabbit excel during his high school days? Hint

baseball

basketball

football

tennis

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Question 7 of 10

7. What is the setting for John Updike's novel "Rabbit, Run"? Hint

a tropical island

a national park

a New York City neighborhood

suburban Pennsylvania

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which U.S. president was the subject of a play by John Updike? Hint

Abraham Lincoln

Ulysses Grant

James Buchanan

Andrew Johnson

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which 1987 movie starring Jack Nicholson and Susan Sarandon was loosely based on a novel by John Updike? Hint

The Coup

Roger's Version

A Month of Sundays

The Witches of Eastwick

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which of these awards did John Updike never win during his lifetime? Hint

The Pulitzer Prize

The Nobel Prize for Literature

The National Medal of Art

The National Book Award

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Where was John Updike born?

Answer: Pennsylvania

John Updike was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1932. Perhaps he inherited his literary talent from his mother, who was a part-time writer. Updike's father worked as a math teacher.

2. From which college did John Updike graduate?

Answer: Harvard

John Updike graduated from Harvard summa cum laude in 1954, majoring in English. While attending Harvard, he was president of the college's "Harvard Lampoon" magazine.

3. For which noted magazine did John Updike write several articles?

Answer: The New Yorker

John Updike wrote articles in the "The New Yorker" on a full-time basis for about two years. He also contributed essays and furnished literary reviews for the magazine.

4. Which famous baseball player's final game was the subject of a John Updike essay?

Answer: Ted Williams

John Updike wrote an essay about The Splendid Splinter entitled, "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu." In the article, Updike described Ted Williams' final at bat as follows: "He ran as he always ran out home runs- hurriedly, unsmiling, head down, as if our praise were a storm of rain to get out of."

5. What is the title of John Updike's first full-length novel?

Answer: The Poorhouse Fair

"The Poorhouse Fair", published in 1959, takes place in a public home for the aging. The characters engage in philosophical conversations about such topics as growing old, death, and religion. "Of the Farm" appeared in 1965, "Marry Me" was published in 1977, and "Gertrude and Claudius" came out in 2002.

6. Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom is the protagonist of John Updike's novel "Rabbit, Run." In which sport did Rabbit excel during his high school days?

Answer: basketball

Rabbit Angstrom was an all-star basketball player for his Mt. Judge, PA, high school team, setting numerous scoring records. However, as an adult, Rabbit cannot recapture the glory years of his youth. In "Rabbit, Run" he is 26 years old and selling kitchen gadgets. Unhappily married, he decides to flee from his wife.

7. What is the setting for John Updike's novel "Rabbit, Run"?

Answer: suburban Pennsylvania

"Rabbit, Run" takes place near Brewer, Pennsylvania. Rabbit Angstrom, the main character, feels trapped in his small town environment and seeks to run away from his marital responsibilities.

8. Which U.S. president was the subject of a play by John Updike?

Answer: James Buchanan

"Buchanan Dying" was a play by John Updike about James Buchanan, the U.S. president from 1857 to 1861. The play takes place during the final days of Buchanan's life.

9. Which 1987 movie starring Jack Nicholson and Susan Sarandon was loosely based on a novel by John Updike?

Answer: The Witches of Eastwick

"The Witches of Eastwick", published in 1984, concerns the lives of three women living in a small Rhode Island town. All three females are witches in search of the perfect man, when Darryl Van Horne, a devilish character, arrives in town to seduce them. Cher and Michelle Pfeiffer co-starred with Nicholson and Sarandon in the film version of the novel.

10. Which of these awards did John Updike never win during his lifetime?

Answer: The Nobel Prize for Literature

John Updike received many honors during his career. He won two Pulitzers for his books about Rabbit Angstrom and also was given two National Book Awards. In addition, Updike received the National Medal of Art from President George H.W. Bush in 1989. However, he never received a Nobel Peace Prize for his literary efforts. Updike passed away in 2009.

Source: Author mrgrouchy

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