One Word Book Titles (P-Z) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jane Austen

The novel "Persuasion" was published in 1817, six months after the author's death that same year. The protagonist is Englishwoman Anne Elliot, whose family rents their home to an Admiral in order to get out of debt. The Admiral's wife's brother, Frederick Wentworth, had been previously engaged to Anne and now, seven years later, they have a chance to revisit their relationship and their love.

Jane Austen (1775-1817) was a British novelist whose themes centered around those of the higher social class at the end of the 18th century. Other novels include: "Pride and Prejudice", "Sense and Sensibility" and "Emma".

Answer: Jim Crace

"Quarantine" is a work of historical fiction, published in 1997. It depicts the period of time (40 days) Jesus spent in the wilderness along with several other desert dwellers. We are introduced to the merchant Musa whom Jesus seems to have brought back from the dead, and who becomes the central figure of the story.

British author Jim Crace was born in 1946. "Quarantine" is his fifth novel and winner of the Whitbred Novel of 1998. Among Crace's other works are: "The Gift of Stones", "Being Dead" and "Harvest".

Answer: Daphne du Maurier

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" is the opening line of the novel "Rebecca", published in 1938. It is a tale of suspense, as we are introduced to a naive young woman who meets a wealthy widower and, after a short courtship, becomes his second wife. They move into his estate where they encounter the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers and...(no spoilers).

Dame Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989) was a playwright and romantic novelist whose characters seemed to mirror her own life. Other works include: "Jamaica Inn" and "My Cousin Rachel".

Answer: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

"Shiloh" is an award winning children's novel. The protagonist is eleven year old Marty Preston who lives in Friendly, West Virginia. The title character is an abused dog whom Marty names Shiloh. Marty steals the dog from his abuser, Judd Travers, and must face the consequences of his actions.

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in Indiana in 1933, and "Shiloh" is based on her own experiences. She has written over 170 books and is a Newbery Medal winner. Naylor is also responsible for the "Alice" book series.

Answer: Stephenie Meyer

What would a one word book quiz be without the vampire-romance novel "Twilight"? The first book of the series introduces us to shy (human) teenager Bella Swan who moves from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington. At school she meets the mysterious vampire Edward Cullen and they begin to fall in love.

American novelist and film producer Stephenie Meyer was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1973. The "Twilight" series consists of four books: "Twilight" (2005), "New Moon" (2006), "Eclipse" (2007) and "Breaking Dawn" (2008).

Answer: James Joyce

Set in Ireland on June 16, 1904, "Ulysses" is a very long novel, first published in its entirety in 1922. Leopold Bloom represents the peripatetic Odysseus, with Molly Bloom and Stephen Dedalus representing Penelope and Telemachus, respectively. Using such techniques as "stream of consciousness", narrow time frame, humor and fully-drawn characters, it is a highly regarded work.

James Joyce (1882-1941) was an Irish author, often considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Among his other works: "The Dubliners", "Finnegan's Wake" and "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man".

Answer: Henry David Thoreau

The original title of Thoreau's book was "Walden: or, Life in the Woods"; it was published in 1854. It is a memoir about living a simple, natural life in a cabin in the woods on Walden Pond in Massachusetts. Using his solitude to reflect and introspect, he espouses the goals of simple living and self-reliance.

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was born and died in Concord, Massachusetts. Aside from his writing, he was a transcendentalist, an abolitionist, a surveyor and environmentalist. Other works: "Civil Disobedience" and "Life without Principle".

Answer: Orson Scott Card

The science fiction novel "Xenocide", published in 1991, is the third book in the "Ender's Game" series. Xenocide refers to the killing of extraterrestrial populations. The novel takes place on Lusitania, where humans co-exist with alien species, and where the ecosystem has been invaded by a complicated virus. Ender attempts to find ways to avoid catastrophe and potential annihilation.

Orson Scott Card was born in the state of Washington in 1951. Both his earlier books in the series, "Ender's Game" and "Speaker for the Dead", won Hugo and Nebula Awards. He is also an English professor and great-great grandson of Brigham Young.

Answer: Leo Tolstoy

"Youth" is the last of the autobiographical trilogy written by Tolstoy in his twenties. It follows "Childhood" (1851) and "Boyhood" (1854), and was published in 1857. The trilogy employs fact and fiction to depict Tolstoy's inner life prior to his attending university. Blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, it gives us insight into the wonderful storyteller he was to become.

Russian author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was born into an upper class family. He is often considered one of the greatest writers of all time. His classic works include: "War and Peace", "Anna Karenina" and "The Death of Ivan Ilyich".

Answer: James Patterson

Finally, we have the best-selling science fiction novel "Zoo", published in 2012. The protagonist is ecologist Jackson Oz who espouses a theory that there have been increasing animal attacks on humans. Initially no one listens until the number of attacks start increasing exponentially. It is discovered that cell phones and autos are the cause, but humans refuse to give them up...

James Patterson was born in Newburgh, NY in 1947. He is a prolific author whose works include: "The President Is Missing", "Cross" and "Along Came a Spider". Note: Michael Ledwidge is co-writer of "Zoo" with Patterson.