One Word Book Titles (A-O) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ayn Rand

"Anthem" is a novella written by Ayn Rand in 1937. The story takes place in a dystopian future, a reversion back to another dark age where the most advanced technology is the candle. The protagonist is Equality 7-2521 and society's only goal is to serve his "fellow brothers".

Born in Russia, Ayn Rand (1905-1982) is known for her philosophy of Objectivism which is espoused in her other works, e.g., "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged".

Answer: Toni Morrison

"Beloved" takes place in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1973. Sethe, a former slave had two sons and two daughters, i.e., Denver and the murdered child on whose tombstone is written the word "Beloved". Some years later, a woman is found sleeping near the steps of Sethe's house; the woman calls herself Beloved. Is she the embodiment of the spirit of Sethe's dead daughter?

Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner Toni Morrison was born in Ohio in 1931. A professor emerita from Princeton University, Morrison's other novels include "The Bluest Eye" and "Song of Solomon".

Answer: Voltaire

"Candide" is about the innocent, illegitimate nephew of German Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh. He lives in his uncle's country mansion and is tutored by the philosopher Dr. Pangloss; that is, until Candide falls in love with Cunegonde, the baron's daughter. Once banished from the mansion, the naive Candide must face the challenges and complications of life in outside world.

Voltaire (1694-1778) was born in Paris, France with the name Francois-Marie Arouet. He was a philosopher and writer during France's Age of Enlightenment. He was known as an advocate of freedom of speech and religion.

Answer: Bram Stoker

The well-known tale of "Dracula" is set in the late 1800s in Transylvania, where the rich nobleman, Count Dracula, is intent on buying an estate in England. The solicitor for the transaction winds up becoming a prisoner in the castle, only to discover the true nature of the count and his thirst for blood.

Writer Abraham "Bram" Stoker (1847-1912) was born in Dublin, Ireland. In 1897, "Dracula" was published and became one of the greatest Gothic horror novels of all time. Among his other novels are: "The Lady of the Shroud" and "The Lair of the White Worm".

Answer: Edward Bellamy

Another book published in 1897 was "Equality", a follow-up to Bellamy's more famous novel, "Looking Backward". This sequel is a continuation of the earlier book, with the same characters. Set in the year 2000, the author describes the use of "credit cards", and the advancement of women in positions of authority.

Edward Bellamy (1850-1898) was a visionary with ideas well in advance of his time. His view of a harmonious society spawned many "Nationalist Clubs" to try to make this vision a reality. Sadly, now well past the year of his story, we have been unable to achieve his dream.

Answer: Isaac Asimov

"Foundation" was a science fiction novel published in 1951. It became part of the "Foundation Trilogy", later turning into "The Foundation Series". It describes the formation of 'The Foundation', an institution set up to maintain the prime features of galactic civilization while predicting its demise.

Isaac Asimov (1919-1992) was a prolific writer and one of the best known science fiction writers of all time, considered one of the "Big Three" (with Heinlein and Clarke). The other subjects of his writings include: astronomy, mathematics, history, chemistry and Shakespeare.

Answer: Ian Fleming

The spy novel "Goldfinger" was originally published in 1959. It was the seventh novel in the James Bond series, and it was originally titled "The Richest Man in the World" (not quite as catchy for a song title). The plot revolved around Auric Goldfinger and his attempt to steal the gold reserves from Fort Knox.

Ian Fleming (1908-1964) was a British naval intelligence officer and novelist, famous for his novels about 007, i.e., James Bond. He is also responsible for the children's book "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang".

Answer: Louis Sachar

Teenager Stanley Yelnats is the protagonist of the young adult novel "Holes", published in 1998. The complex plot describes Stanley as he is forced to serve time in a correction center in Texas for a crime he didn't commit, i.e., theft. We are also shown how his past life and interactions have led him to this place.

Louis Sachar was born in New York in 1956. He is known for his Wayside School books, and is the recipient of both the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award for Young People's Literature.

Answer: Stephen King

From one the world's most prolific authors comes the novel "It", first published in 1986. King's twenty-second novel is about a shape-shifting clown who inhabits the sewer system and preys on and terrorizes children. This story is not for the coulrophobic.

Stephen King is a mystery/science fiction author born in 1947 in Portland, Maine.
He uses Maine as the setting for most of his books, e.g., "Carrie", "Cujo", "Salem's Lot" and "Pet Sematary".

Answer: Peter Benchley

Can you hear the ominous music in the background? The music warns us of the approach of the great white shark lurking in the waters of Amity's beaches. This is the plot of the novel "Jaws", published in 1974.

Peter Benchley (1940-2006) co-wrote the screenplay for the subsequent 1975 film. Benchley's other novels turned into movies include "The Deep", "The Island", "The Beast" and "White Shark".

Answer: Robert Louis Stevenson

First published in Young Folks magazine in 1886, "Kidnapped" is a young adult story set in Scotland in 1751, and narrated by seventeen year old David Balfour. After the death of David's parents, his uncle arranges for David to be kidnapped in order to receive his nephew's inheritance. We follow David's journey against all kinds of obstacles as he grows from teenager to manhood.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is responsible for such well-known novels as "Treasure Island" and "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde".

Answer: Vladimir Nabokov

The controversial novel "Lolita" was published in 1955. The plot centers around Humbert Humbert, a quiet, middle-aged professor of literature who first meets twelve year old Dolores ("Lo") in the small New England town of Ramsdale. He becomes obsessed with the young "nymphet", beginning his descent into madness.

Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977) was born in Russia. He was both an author and an entomologist. Aside from the 'erotic' "Lolita", Nabokov's writings include "Pale Fire", "Pnin" and "Speak, Memory". In 1965 he was a runner-up for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Answer: Roald Dahl

The children's book "Matilda" was originally published in 1988. It is the story of an extremely precocious five year old named Matilda Wormwood. To compensate for her parents' neglect, Matilda often pulls pranks, e.g., putting a newt in the headmistress' water. She eventually winds up living with the one person who loves and appreciates her, i.e., her teacher, Miss Honey.

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was a Welsh novelist and children's book author. His other works include "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "The BFG".

Answer: Elie Wiesel

"Night" is a memoir from Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. It depicts his experiences in the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Buchenwald during the latter part of World War II. Weisel and his family were sent to the camps when he was fifteen years old, where he suffered the indignities and the horrors of the evils perpetrated by the Nazis.

Elie Weisel (1928-2016) was a Romanian Jewish survivor of the Nazis. He was a professor at Boston University, and went on to write 57 books. Weisel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1986) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Answer: Maria Edgeworth

"Ormond" is a fictional tale published in 1817, with the unusual distinction of the time, i.e., that its author was female. The novel is set in France and Ireland, and is basically a "rags-to-riches" story about Henry Ormond. With political overtones, the theme is one of "obedience to tradition and culture".

Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849) was born in Black Bourton, U.K. She authored novels for both adults and children, and espoused views on education and politics. Other works include: "Castle Rackrent", "The Absentee" and "Belinda".