Pick of the Literate Trivia Quiz

Answer: Herman Melville

"Moby-Dick; or, The Whale" was written by Herman Melville and published in 1851. It is a tale of obsession and revenge as Captain Ahab, Captain of the Pequod, is intent upon finding and killing the great white sperm whale who took one of his legs at the knee.

When the novel was originally published it was a critical failure, perhaps because of page after page about the whaling industry. It was not until the 20th century that the book was classified as a "Great American Novel" and we were forced to read it in school.

Answer: Ayn Rand

Architect Howard Roark was the protagonist of Ayn Rand's 1943 novel "The Fountainhead". He is a designer of modern buildings, and inflexible about allowing any changes to his designs. He dismisses his critics as dunces, and would rather destroy his building than make any changes.

The book is a testament to Rand's philosophy that the individual is superior to the collective. This philosophy of "objectivism" is a central theme in all of her works.

Answer: Robert James Waller

"The Bridges of Madison County" was written by Robert James Waller, and published in 1992. It was a best-seller set on a farm in Iowa in the 1960s. A married woman, Francesca Johnson, whose husband and children are attending a State Fair, meets a professional photographer who has come to take pictures of, you guessed it, the covered bridges of Madison County. Francesca and the photographer, Robert Kincade, have an affair. Personally, I didn't understand what the hype was about.

Answer: Joseph Heller

In his 1961 seriocomic novel "Catch-22", Joseph Heller gives us a satirical look at war. The anti-hero of the story is Captain John Yossarian, a World War II Army bombardier. Using different characters' points of view and paradoxical concepts, Heller illustrates the insanity of war while, at the same time, reinforcing the horror, despair and death.

The term Heller coined, a 'catch-22', is a problem where the only solution is impossible, e.g., claiming you are crazy to avoid combat, thereby proving you are sane.

Answer: John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck gives us a graphic picture of economic hardships caused by Oklahoma Dust Bowl in his 1939 book "The Grapes of Wrath". This prize-winning novel centers on Tom Joad and his family as they attempt to escape the drought, poverty and hopelessness of their situation.

Despite the fact that Tom is on parole, he takes the risk to leave the state and head to California and the promise of work. Sadly, their future turns out to be as dismal as their past.

Answer: Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller's poignant play, "Death of a Salesman", was first performed in 1949. Touted as one of the best plays of the 20th century, it tells the story of Willie Loman, an aging insecure salesman who is beginning to lose his grip on reality. He pictures events from the past as if they were happening in the present, and his relationship with his sons is less than satisfying.

After working hard his entire life, he begins to believe "he is worth more dead than alive".

Answer: Herman Wouk

Set during World War II, "The Caine Mutiny" is a prize-winning 1951 novel by Herman Wouk, based on his own experiences. The protagonist is Willie Keith, a Princeton grad who enlists in the Navy to avoid being drafted into the Army. He is assigned to an obsolete warship, the U.S.S. Caine, where he meets the new by-the-book captain, Lt. Commander Queeg.

The commander's erratic actions and inaction alienate the crew, resulting in a mutiny and subsequent court-martial.

Answer: Beverly Cleary

Ramona Quimby is a protagonist in Beverly Cleary's series of humorous children's novels. Cleary's first book of the franchise was "Beezus and Ramona", published in 1955. However, Ramona first appeared in 1950 in "Henry Huggins" as the younger sister of Henry's friend Beatrice, or Beezus as the Quimby family calls her. "Beezus and Ramona" tells the story from the viewpoint of nine-year-old Beezus and her relationship with her four-year-old sister, Ramona.

Answer: Robert Penn Warren

Robert Penn Warren penned the 1946 novel "All the King's Men" about the rise of politician Willie Stark. The story is set in the South in the 1930s, where we first meet Willie, an idealist lawyer who is transformed into a charismatic governor. He builds a powerful political machine based on intimidation and favoritism. Willie Stark is thought to be modeled after Louisiana Governor Huey Long ("Kingfish"), especially since they both faced the same fate.

Answer: Lorraine Hansberry

The play "A Raisin in the Sun", written by Lorraine Hansberry, was first performed on Broadway in 1959. The title is from the poem "Harlem", by Langston Hughes, which asks "What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" The story is about the Younger family, with Walter Younger as the "man of the house".

It is a powerful tale about a black family in Chicago and their attempt to better their lives after the death of Walter's father.