Match the Author Trivia Quiz

Answer: Charlotte Bronte

'Jane Eyre' is the novel most associated with Charlotte Bronte, but was not her only published book. She also wrote 'Villette', published in 1853 and 'Shirley', published in 1849. Charlotte began writing this novel in 1848, but was hit by the deaths, in rapid succession, of three siblings.

Her brother, Branwell, died in September 1848, Emily ('Wuthering Heights') in December 1848 followed by Anne ('Agnes Grey' and 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall') in May 1849. Charlotte wrote little during these dreadful months, but returned to her novel as a form of solace.

The Shirley of the title is an heiress, but not of the usual simpering kind and the novel telling her story has some instances of early feminism.

Answer: Jules Verne

Published in 1865, in Verne's native language of French, the novel is actually set in America and features a group called the Baltimore Gun Club. The group specialises in designing cannons, and comes up with the idea of creating a space gun capable of transporting three men to the moon.

This is just one of the books written by Verne which paved the way for later science fiction authors. He also brought us 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth' (1864) and 'Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea' (1869). Verne wrote numerous other books which are collectively known as the 'Voyages Extraordinaires'.

Answer: Ernest Hemingway

The novel was published in 1937. It tells the story of Harry Morgan, one of the 'have nots', who is drawn into crime due to the lack of opportunities for making an honest living in the aftermath of the depression. It is set between Cuba and Florida's Key West with Morgan initially transporting contraband, before getting into even murkier activities.

Hemingway contrasts the struggles of the poor with the lives of the wealthy, 'the haves'. Hemingway's other works include 'The Sun Also Rises' (1926) and 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' (1940).

Answer: Thomas Hardy

'The Return of the Native' was published in 1878, four years after 'Far From the Madding Crowd', which had been such a success that Hardy had been able to rely on writing as his full time occupation. The story, set in Wessex, is about Clym Yeobright - the Wessex native of the title - and his involvement with Eustacia Vye, which is doomed to end in tragedy. Hardy also wrote 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' (1886) and 'Jude the Obscure' (1895).

His themes of adultery and failure to uphold the sanctity of marriage did not meet universal approval in Victorian times, and Hardy turned to poetry in his later years.

Answer: Salman Rushdie

The novel depicts the events surrounding India's independence from Britain in 1947. The main character in the story, Saleem Sinai, is born at midnight on 15th August 1947, the precise moment of the transition of power. He discovers he has the gift of telepathy, among other powers, shared with all children born in the first hour of India's new status. Rushdie was awarded the Booker Prize in 1981, the year of publication, for this novel.

His other works include 'The Satanic Verses' (1988) which caused considerable controversy among Muslims, and 'The Golden House' (2017).

Answer: E M Forster

Forster's novels have provided film makers with useful material, with 'A Room With a View' (published 1908), 'A Passage to India' (published 1924) and 'Howards End' (published 1910) all being adapted for the big screen. 'Howards End' is set in late Victorian times, and follows the stories of the Schlegel sisters, as they adapt to the changes in their lives.

Answer: Amy Tan

Amy Tan is an American author whose parents were immigrants from China. Amy was born in the USA and did not learn until her teens that her mother had been married to another man in China and that she had half-siblings still living there. The first novel Tan wrote, 'The Joy Luck Club', used some of her mother's experiences. Published in 1989, it depicts the group of Chinese women in San Francisco who reminisce while playing mahjong. 'The Kitchen God's Wife' was published in 1991 and was also inspired by her mother's past and that of other immigrants, particularly the women.

Answer: Herman Melville

Herman Melville is best known for 'Moby-Dick', his 1851 novel about the search for a whale. 'Billy Budd, Sailor' is a short book, termed a novella, which was left unfinished when Melville died in 1891. The manuscript was discovered in 1918 by Raymond Weaver, who had been given access to Melville's papers while researching for a biography of the writer. An early version of the book was published in 1924 but it took until 1962 before a definitive version was available.

The story of the title character is rather sad, as he is hanged for accidentally killing a superior officer who has falsely accused Budd of inciting a mutiny.

Answer: Jean M. Auel

Jean Marie Auel is an American author, who is responsible for a series of novels set in prehistoric times and known collectively as Earth's Children. 'The Clan of the Cave Bear' is the first of these, published in 1980. It begins the story of Ayla, a Cro-Magnon or early human, and her interactions with Neanderthals following an earthquake which destroys the original homes of her and the tribe who discover her. Auel continued her story in five subsequent novels with the final one, 'The Land of Painted Caves', appearing in 2011.

Answer: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

'Le Petit Prince' in its original French, this novella was actually published in 1943 in the USA, in both English and French, before being printed in France. The author's works had been banned by the Vichy government, collaborators with the Germans during World War II, and the French version was not published until the war was over. De Saint-Exupéry was already dead by then, having gone missing during a flying mission in 1944.

The 'little prince' of the title is actually a visiting alien who is travelling the universe to extend his knowledge.