Masters and their Masterpieces: Part III Quiz

Answer: Great Expectations

There could have been his most widely known novels, "A Christmas Carol" and "A Tale of Two Cities", plus you could throw in "David Copperfield", " Oliver Twist" and many others. I have chosen "Great Expectations" because it is about the moral education of a boy and the characters he meets that rescue him from snobbery and delusion.

It is also possibly his most moving book and it is finely crafted with the inter-action of these characters.

Answer: The Canterbury Tales

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) is considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. He was an author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat and diplomat. Chaucer was a prolific writer of his period, and his best known work was written between 1387-1400, being "The Canterbury Tales".

The work is made up of a collection of stories told by fictional pilgrims on their way to the cathedral at Canterbury. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first poet to be buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey.

Answer: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910) is better known by his pen name Mark Twain. He was an American author, humourist, publisher and lecturer. The "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1885) was the sequel to "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1876). "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" is a novel about a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River in the fictional town of St. Petersburg. Tom Sawyer also features in "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1876), "Tom Sawyer Abroad" (1894) and "Tom Sawyer, Detective" (1896).

Answer: War and Peace

Toss up between "Anna Karenina" and "War and Peace". However, one of Tolstoy's finest literary achievements, "War and Peace" was first published in Russia in 1869. The first English translated version was done in 1899. The novel covers the stories of five aristocratic Russian families and the impact of the French invasion of Russia by Napoleon on the Tsarist society in 1805.

The novel has been adapted to the big screen, television, theatre, radio and music.

Answer: Pride and Prejudice

"Pride and Prejudice" was published in 1813. It is a romantic novel following the life of one of five daughters to a father who is wealthy, but none of the daughters or his wife can inherit his wealth. One of the daughters needs to find a man of considerable wealth to support the family.

The main story concerns Elizabeth Bennet (the second daughter) and her relationship with Fitzwilliam Darcy. Darcy eventually overcomes his pride and Elizabeth finally overcomes her prejudice.

Answer: Don Quixote

"Don Quixote" was published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615. It is considered one of the greatest works of Spanish literature. The novel follows the adventures of Alonso Quixano (a Spanish nobleman) and his squire Sancho Panza, who was a simple farmer. Alonso Quixano is a romantic and under the knightly name of Don Quixote he sets out to bring justice to the world. Sancho Panza provides the wit and humour to Don Quixote's ramblings and rhetorical orations.

Answer: Iliad

"Iliad" and "Odyssey" are two epic poems by Homer, set during and after the siege and downfall of the city of Troy during the Trojan War (1194-1184 BC). "Iliad" is set during the siege of Troy and "Odyssey" is about the journey home of Odysseus (King of Ithaca) after the fall of the city.

These poems are epics of ancient Greek literature. Homer's works had a great influence on ancient Greek culture and education.

Answer: For Whom the Bell Tolls

There are so many to choose from, including "The Old Man and the Sea", "A Farewell to Arms" and "The Sun Also Rises". I have chosen "For Whom the Bell Tolls" because it has so many themes of honour, death, love, camaraderie, death, duty, war and human relationships.

The novel takes place during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Hemingway was actually present during the war as a journalist and war correspondent.

Answer: Light in August

There have been many great novels by William Faulkner who won the Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize. "Light in August" (1932) is set in Mississippi and the racial tensions in the South. The story follows the intertwining lives of Reverend Gail Hightower, Lena Grove and Joe Christmas, who are all trying to find their true identity and a belonging in life.

Answer: Wuthering Heights

Novels by Charlotte Brontë (Jane Eyre) and Anne Brontë (Agnes Grey) could also have been chosen. "Wuthering Heights" is Emily Brontë's only novel, written from October 1845 to June 1846 and published in 1847. Sadly, she died the following year at the age of 30 (1818-1848).

The novel is considered a classic of English literature. When the novel first appeared it was thought to be written by a man, based on the violence and passion, as her name did not appear on the published novel until 1850. Wuthering Heights is a farm in a remote area which has a history of violence and passion from previous inhabitants.

Answer: Madame Bovary

Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) was a French novelist who wrote his debut novel, "Madame Bovary", in 1856. The story evolves around the adulterous affairs of Emma Bovary, the wife of a provincial doctor. She becomes bored with provincial life and motherhood and lives beyond her means and has a number of affairs.

The novel was attacked by public prosecutors for its obscenity and was taken to trial in January 1857, which made the novel well known. It became a best seller in 1857.

Answer: Hamlet

So many to choose from, but "Hamlet" gets the nod. Shakespeare wrote plays and "Hamlet" (1600) is about a young man out to avenge his father, but who ponders the meaning of life. Shakespeare's longest play is set in Denmark, and dramatizes the revenge of Prince Hamlet.

His mission is to wreak havoc on his uncle Claudius who had murdered his brother, the Prince's father, King Hamlet, and married his brother's widow. The play has been adapted to numerous films and theatre over the years.

Answer: The Mayor of Casterbridge

I could have chosen "Far from the Madding Crowd", however, I chose "The Major of Casterbridge" simply because it was a must in the English Literature class I took way back in high school, many, many years ago. "The Major of Casterbridge" was published in 1886 and takes place in fictional town of Casterbridge.

The novel is based on one family which involves drunkenness, love, betrayal, deceit, finance and greed. All of this in the town of Casterbridge with the main character being Michael Henchard.

Answer: Les Misérables

Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was a French poet and novelist who wrote the famous novels "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1831) and "Les Misérables" (1862). "Les Misérables" follows the life of Jean Valjean (an unjustly convicted criminal) who out of desperation becomes a thief, then assumes another name (Monsieur Madeleine), becomes a wealthy merchant and mayor of a city; it all culminates in the 1832 June rebellion in Paris.

The novel has been adapted to films, stage, radio,TV miniseries and a musical.

Answer: Around the World in Eighty Days

Jules Verne (1828-1905) is sometimes called "The Father of Science Fiction". His novels "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1864) and "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (1870) would suggest that statement. However, it is "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1873) that gets my pick. Jules Verne was a French novelist, poet and playwright. "Around the World in Eighty Days" is the story of Phileas Fogg of London and his French valet, Passepartout, and their wager of £20,000 to circumnavigate the world in 80 days.

The novel has been adapted to film, stage, radio, television, cartoons, games and internet.