Rejection In The Modern World Trivia Quiz

Answer: War and Peace

Tolstoy's massive 1869 novel is commonly regarded as one of the most important books of world literature. This does not, however, make it any easier to read. Covering the Napoleonic war era as seen through the eyes of five aristocratic Russian families, it shows the effect of those times on the Tsarist society.

It is historical, but also contains much philosophical discussion, especially in many of the later chapters.

Answer: Oscar Wilde

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" is the only novel written by Oscar Wilde. In it Dorian Gray has a magical picture of himself in his attic. He stays forever young and carefree whilst the portrait grows older and shows all the signs of the dissolute lifestyle he is leading. Eventually, though, it all catches up with him, and he plunges a knife into the picture.

His servants hear a scream, break into the attic, and find his body on the floor. It is so withered it can only be identified by his rings. The portrait, on the other hand, has reverted back to the original painting of a young, handsome man.

Answer: Little Women

Published in 1868, "Little Women" follows the fortunes of the four March sisters and their mother while their father is away acting as chaplain to the troops in the Civil War. The book extols the virtues of charity, goodness over wealth, obedience and domesticity, all things thought essential in females of the time. By today's standards the book is saccharine sweet, but at the time it was a fiction novel for older girls that was far removed from anything else being written.

Answer: Aldous Huxley

"Brave New World" published in 1932, depicts a world where there is no natural reproduction. Babies are created in flasks, and genetically manipulated from conception, to become one of five separate types, all of which have a pre-determined role and position in society.

The overall population of the world is limited, there are no wars, no-one lives in poverty or wants for anything. There is no religion, and everyone is encouraged, by the State, to partake freely of the hallucinogenic drug, Soma.

Answer: Brothers Grimm

The original Grimm's Fairy Tales were published in 1812, and were a collection of stories gathered from folk lore and fairy tales from other countries. Many of the original stories were quite gory. In the original "Cinderella" one of the step sisters cuts off her own toes to try and fit the slipper, whilst in "Hansel and Gretel" the agonised screams of the witch as she cooks to death in her own oven are described.

Many of these details have been left out of modern versions, and certainly do not appear in any of the Disney films.

Answer: Oliver Twist

In "Oliver Twist" Dickens depicts an orphan who becomes caught up with a gang of young street thieves. Fagin, the man in charge of the gang, is described as a Jew of groteque appearance who has made criminals out of scores of children. There are hints throughout the book that Bill Sikes, a violent criminal, and Nancy, Bill's girlfriend who he eventually murders, are both former pupils of his. Fagin is eventually captured and hanged.

Victorian literature, when it used a Jewish character, often portrayed them in a quite anti-Semitic, stereotypical way, and Fagin is typical of this.

Answer: Lolita

Published in 1955, "Lolita" was controversial then and still is. The story of Humbert Humbert who becomes sexually involved with his 12 year old step-daughter Dolores, who he calls Lolita, is narrated by him and is part defence, part confession, part apology for his actions.

Despite the controversy surrounding the subject matter it has become widely viewed as a literary classic and has been adapted for both stage and screen. To call a girl a Lolita is to suggest that she is both young and sexually precocious.

Answer: Jules Verne

"Around The World in 80 Days", where Phileas Fogg accepts a wager to say it cannot be done, was published in 1873. In it the hero uses various modes of transport including trains, boats and, at one point of desperation, elephants. It has certainly been overtaken by modern jet travel. If you never had to stop to refuel you could circumnavigate the globe in a commercial jet in around 47 hours, so even with fuel stops Mr. Fogg could win his bet with around 76 days to spare.

Answer: Lord of the Flies

William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" (1954) tells the story of a group of well educated boys who become stranded on an island after a plane crash. With no adults in charge, their initial organisation soon descends into savagery as order breaks down. From there it is a short step to murder.

It was far from a best seller at the time of publication, and indeed many groups of parents sought to have it removed from public and school libraries. It has, however, gone on to be required reading on many school and college courses.

Answer: Rebecca

"Rebecca" by Daphne Du Maurier is almost Gothic in style. The young second wife of Max de Winter is menaced and belittled by the housekeeper, Mrs Danvers, who idolised the first wife, Rebecca. Indeed, she is almost driven to suicide by her. Added to the mix is the mystery of exactly how Rebecca died, something that the young Mrs. de Winter comes to realise is somehow different to the version told to her by her husband. Eventually all is revealed.

Interestingly the name of the second Mrs. de Winter is never given.