Literary Compendium Quiz | Tougher Mixed Literature

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In which dramatic play by William Shakespeare did a ghost NOT appear?

Answer: Othello

Ghosts appeared in four Shakespeare plays. They are "Julius Caesar", "Richard III", "Macbeth" and "Hamlet". However, they never seemed to have any encouraging messages to convey.

2. Which was the first American novel to sell more than a million copies?

Answer: Uncle Tom's Cabin

"Uncle Tom's Cabin" sold more than 300,000 copies in just the first year of its publication (1852). Historians believe it actually helped to precipitate the Civil War, since it brought to light the abuses prevalent in southern slavery. When President Lincoln met the author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, he commented, "So you are the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war."

3. In the "Tales of 1001 Arabian Nights", the character of Aladdin was of what nationality?

Answer: Chinese

The story of Aladdin begins "Aladdin was a little Chinese boy." In the "1001 Tales", Queen Scheherazade is relating these tales to King Shahryar, who has a habit of murdering his new wives. Being his latest bride, the clever new queen starts to tell the king a series of tales but does not complete them, leaving the ending to carry over to the next day (the original cliffhanger), thus preventing her execution.

4. Former First Lady Barbara Bush wrote a book about her Springer Spaniel. What was the dog's name?

Answer: Millie

Published in 1992, "Millie's Book" was on the Best Seller list for 29 weeks. Millie later contracted a thyroid problem and passed away in May of 1997 at age 12.

5. In which of these novels did the literary super sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, make his debut?

Answer: A Study in Scarlet

"A Study in Scarlet" was first published in 1887 as a serial in the British magazine "Beeton's Christmas Annual." Doyle received �25 as well as having to cede full rights to the story. It is said that Doyle patterned the character of Holmes on one of his college professors, Dr. Joseph Bell. Bell taught the use of deductive reasoning in dealing with patients. Doyle, like his character Waston, was a medical doctor.

6. To whom was first Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded?

Answer: Sully Prudhomme

Prudhomme of France was the first Nobel Laureate for "recognition of his poetic composition, which gives evidence of lofty idealism, artistic perfection and a rare combination of the qualities of both heart and intellect". After receiving the Prize, he lived 6 more years passing in 1907 at age 68 after having several attacks of paralysis.

7. The classic suspense movie "Rear Window" was based on which of these short stories written by Cornell Woolrich?

Answer: It Had to Be Murder

Considered by film critics to be one of director Alfred Hitchcock's best films, it stars James Stewart portraying an photographer who is homebound after an accident. He amuses himself by casually observing his neighbors from the back window of his apartment (this was before home computers). All is well until he sees what he thinks is a neighbor (Raymond Burr) murdering his wife.

He tries to convince his caregiver (Thelma Ritter), girlfriend (Grace Kelly) and detective friend (Wendell Corey), but nobody believes him - at first.

8. In the 'original' story of Cinderella, of what material were her famous dancing slippers made?

Answer: fur

In the 1600s a translator changed the story to make them the glass slippers we are more familiar with today. Cinderella was also originally called Aschenputtel (or Aschenbr�del).

9. How many different words are used in Dr. Seuss's story "Green Eggs and Ham"?

Answer: 50

Seuss wrote this story on a dare. Publisher Bennett Cerf wagered $50 that Seuss couldn't write a book using only 50 words. Seuss won the bet by writing the well-know story with its protagonist Sam I Am.

10. What American poet penned these lines: "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all."

Answer: Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson wrote over a thousand poems, but less than a dozen were published in her lifetime. She lived a reclusive life in Amherst, Massachusetts and never married.

Source: Author debodun

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Literary Compendium Trivia Quiz

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