Novels of the 1960s Trivia Quiz

Answer: Advise and Consent

"Advise and Consent" captured the Pulitzer Prize in 1960 and was a beginning for Drury of twenty other novels, mostly concerning politics and the struggles of the United States during the Cold War. Drury himself was a political conservative and was anti-communist as well as anti-leftist, a trait that peeks through in his fiction.

Answer: Truman Capote

Truman Capote (nee Truman Persons) spent summers near to the Lee family just as Dill did in the book. In adult life, Lee assisted Capote in his research in writing "In Cold Blood" (1966). Friends and sponsors provided Lee with funds so she could take a year to write the 'great American novel' and it paid off with the Pulitzer Prize for 1961.

Answer: The Reivers

Faulkner had been awarded the Nobel Prize for lifetime achievement as a writer in 1949. In "The Reivers" he abandoned his complex layered style for a more direct expository narrative and alienated some literary critics. However, "The Reivers" was awarded the 1962 Pulitzer Prize.

Answer: J.D. Salinger

Salinger's forte was really the short story. But his "Catcher in the Rye" is the darling of English teachers everywhere for its portrayal of teenage angst, even though it raised the hackles of some community censors. The bulk of his literary production is in short stories and contributions to anthologies.

Answer: Voltaire

Voltaire published "Candide" in 1759. Candide is a naive youth who becomes involved with Dr. Pangloss who sways him into believing that "this is the best of all possible worlds" but what Candide experiences in the book does not match the optimism.

Southern and Hoffenberg changed the protagonist to a female and again showed that this may not be the best of all possible worlds. Southern also has a reputation as a film director. Most of the writing was done through letters as Hoffenberg was in Paris. Hoffenberg could be best described as an underground writer with 'Candy" being his only true success. He continued to live the hippie life until he died of lung cancer in 1986.

Answer: Saul Bellow

Saul Bellow's "Herzog" is regarded as autobiographical. "Humboldt's Gift" won the Pulitzer in 1975 and propelled Bellow to the Nobel in 1976.

Answer: Valley of the Dolls

The 'dolls' in the title are a drug reference. Three young women come to the big city to seek fame and fortune but instead find the roots of decadence. The book sold over thirty million copies and set a model for many novels to follow.

Answer: Elia Kazan

"The Arrangement" follows a middle-aged Greek/American though struggles with a mid-life crises and depression. Actually, it was Kazan's second novel, he having previous written "America, America" also about Greek immigrants.

Elia Kazan had sixty-two Oscar nominations for his films, winning twelve. He likewise had eight Tony nominations winning three. His career was stymied during the Hollywood hysteria over communism resulting in the infamous blacklist as he was considered as cooperating with the House Un American Activities Committee.

Answer: Myra Breckenridge

Myra, formally Myron, invades Hollywood and has a number of relationships with people of various orientations. In the end she must find herself but was it to be Myra or Myron?

Vidal is one of the most productive writers, authoring twenty-five novels, fourteen screen plays, and eight stage plays, not counting his non-fiction and his essays. He has always been a popular guest on talk shows.

Answer: The Godfather

"The Godfather" racked up 160 million in just book sales, not including three film adaptations which run its total gross to over a billion. The original novel follows the Corleone family from 1945 to 1955 and basically has the theme of moving from a crime based endeavor to more legitimate business enterprises.