Literary One-Hit Wonders Trivia Quiz

Answer: Black Beauty

"Black Beauty" is the tale of a high-bred horse who leads a difficult life pulling cabs in London. Sewell had been rendered lame from a childhood fall and had much difficulty getting around in her later years. This is when she wrote her only book. It was published in 1877.

Answer: The Picture of Dorian Gray

The novel tells the story of an artist who becomes fascinated with Dorian Gray and decides to paint his portrait. Soon something very strange begins to happen. As Gray revels in hedonistic behavior, which ultimately leads to murder, his portrait slowly takes on the hideous dimensions of his inner evil self while his physical appearance remains young and handsome. Several films have been made based on the book. An early film version, made in 1945, starred Hurd Hatfield in the title role.

Answer: To Kill a Mockingbird

Nelle Harper Lee grew up in Alabama and based her novel on an actual incident that occurred near her home when she was ten. It is easy to see where Lee came up with the idea of telling the story through the eyes of six-year old Scout. Lee was close friends with writer, Truman Capote, and studied law before becoming an author.

In 2015, Harper Lee announced plans to publish "Go Set a Watchman", a novel involving some of the same characters as in "To Kill a Mockingbird", but set at a later time. It was actually the first draft of her novel, now seeing light in its own right.

Answer: The Bell Jar

"The Bell Jar" was semi-autobiographical. When it was first published in 1963, Plath used the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. It wasn't until 1967 that the book was published under the author's real name. Sylvia Plath committed suicide a month after her book was first published.

Answer: Catcher in the Rye

Salinger's novel has been a reading staple in schools for years. Told in the first person, adolescents can easily identify with Holden's angst and rebellion. After having completed his book, Salinger went into seclusion and never wrote another novel, although he did write several novellas.

Answer: Wuthering Heights

While I am a devoted fan of the novel "Jane Eyre," written by Emily's sister Charlotte, I can certainly understand why "Wuthering Heights" is so beloved by readers. It is a haunting love story with a haunting setting. Emily Brontė died of tuberculosis after having refused medical help. She was thirty years of age.

Answer: In Search of Lost Time

Proust died before completing the last three parts of his seven-volume book. They were published posthumously. The book's theme is that of Involuntary Memory, a term coined by Proust himself. He believed that one can recall incidents that have occurred in one's past by cues that trigger the memories. The book is also known by the title "Remembrance of Things Past."

Answer: Gone with the Wind

No one will ever know how many more novels Margaret Mitchell might have written since she was killed in a car accident at age 49. Mitchell wrote "Gone with the Wind" while recovering from a broken ankle. Using her own life experiences as well as her knowledge of the Civil War, she created an unforgettable story.

She wrote the novella "Lost Laysen," which wasn't published until after her death.

Answer: Dr. Zhivago

"Dr. Zhivago" tells the story of an army medical officer whose life is torn apart by the love of two women and a changing society. The book covers the last days of Tsarist Russia through the beginning stages of Communism. Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958.

The award so enraged the Russian Communist Party that Pasternak declined the award due to their reaction to it.

Answer: The Fathers

The novel is complex and delves into the darker side of human nature. It also delves into the divided loyalties of Virginia at the start of the Civil War. Critics liked Tate's novel at first until it fell out of favor. Despite having written his novel, Tate is best known for his poem "Ode to the Confederate Dead."