On the Funny Side of the Street Quiz

Answer: Wagner

Published in 1987, "Expecting Someone Taller" was the first in a string of very popular comic fantasy novels. The hapless hero, Martin Fisher, runs over a badger, which leads to him becoming the new keeper of The Ring of the Nibelung, which also makes him ruler of the world.

He then finds himself pursued by various characters from Wagner's ring cycle operatic saga, all of whom want the ring for themselves.

Answer: Grantchester Grind

Published in 1995, some twenty years after "Porterhouse Blue", "Grantchester Grind" is a continuation of the story of Skullion, the porter turned college master, and Porterhouse College. This sequel concentrates on the need of the college to raise funds as all their money has been gambled away by a previous bursar. Tom Sharpe was one of Britain's most successful satirical novelists, having written the "Wilt" series.

Many of his books, including "Blott on the Landscape" and "Porterhouse Blue" have been adapted for television.

Answer: A prize winning pig

Owned by Lord Emsworth, the Empress of Blandings is a Berkshire sow, who regularly wins first prize in the local fattest pig competition. In the various books in which she appears, starting with "Pig hoo-o-o-o-ey" in 1927 through to "Sunset at Blandings" in 1977, she has a variety of keepers, all of whom are distinctly peculiar.

As well as this popular series, P.G. Wodehouse also wrote the "Jeeves and Wooster" books, which have remained popular. During his long career he saw many social changes but his books remained firmly fixed in the upper class England that existed before and just after World War I.

Answer: Jasper Fforde

"The Eyre Affair" introduced us to Thursday Next, a literary detective who is able to actually enter the pages of novels via the prose portal. This also enables her to time travel. She chases villian Acheron Hades, eventually killing him in "Jane Eyre".

She also changes the original book, in which Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester were parted forever, to the ending we know now, where Jane returns and they marry. Jasper Fforde went on to write many more books featuring Thursday Next and her adventures through books and time.

Answer: Montmorency

Jerome K. Jerome's classic tale of three friends taking a boat trip along the Thames continues to be one of Britain's most popular books. Their mishaps and adventures struck a note with the readers of the time, due mainly to the fact that boating was starting to become a very popular leisure activity.

The type of boats may have changed, but boating holidays of various types, on the Thames and other rivers, have remained popular, which perhaps explains why the book has never really dated.

Answer: Lucky Jim

Set in an unspecified year shortly after World War II, "Lucky Jim" follows Jim Dixon, a lecturer at a new redbrick university somewhere in the Midlands. He want to rebel against the hypocrisy of academic life, and this turns from being a private fantasy to open rebellion. In the end, though, it all works out for him, hence the title of "Lucky Jim" as he gets the lifestyle and girl he wants.
Kingsley Amis is possibly best known as a comic novelist, but he also wrote poetry and essays, and was a food and wine critic. He was the father of writer Martin Amis.

Answer: A giant turtle

We were introduced to "Discworld" in 1983 in "The Colour of Magic". The world is a flat disc supported by four elephants and is transported through space by the giant turtle on which they stand. The series of books take inspiration from many sources, myth, legend and fairy tales among them.

They also satirise politics and current affairs. In 2007 Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

Answer: Bridget Jones

Helen Fielding introduced us to Bridget Jones and her diary in 1996. Bridget is the wrong side of thirty, still single, and living and working in London. The book, which takes the form of a personal diary covering one year of her life, takes a funny look at her life, her love life, or lack of it, and her hopes and ambitions.

It was an instant success and was followed up with "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason".

Answer: Five

The original Douglas Adams books are sometimes described as "a trilogy in five parts". A sixth book "And Another Thing..." was written by Eoin Colfer after the death of Douglas Adams. The original five books are "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (1979), "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" (1980), "Life, The Universe and Everything" (1982), "So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" (1984) and "Mostly Harmless" (1992). All feature Arthur Dent and his travels.

Answer: Bounty Hunter

Stephanie Plum works for her cousin Vinny as a bounty hunter, bringing in people who have failed to appear in court after he has put up a bail bond for them. She is not very good at her job. She destroys cars at a frightening rate, both her own and those loaned to her by others.

Her love life ranges from non-existent to complicated. She also has a grandmother who loves to go to funeral viewings and a colleague who is an ex-prostitute. She first appeared in "One for the Money" in 1994.