Sometimes the Magic Works, Sometimes It Doesn't Online Trivia | Literature

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The title quote, "Sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn't" is a paraphrase taken from where?

Answer: an Old Lodge Skins line from the movie and novel "Little Big Man" by Thomas Berger

While Thomas Berger's "Little Big Man" does not fall into the realm of fantasy, Old Lodge Skin's dream power is worthy of any novel that does. Furthermore, "LBM," like the best fantasy works, is an entertaining tale that makes penetrating comments on alienation, prejudice, and perceptions of reality.

The three incorrect choices are fake titles I conjured from actual titles: "Soul Music" by Terry Pratchett, "Waiting for Godot," a play by Samuel Beckett, and "The Magician's Nephew" by C.S. Lewis.

2. Who is the Discworld "Wizzard" whose attempts at magic fail as often as they work?

Answer: Rincewind

A failed student at Unseen University, Rincewind nonetheless wears the label "Wizzard" on his tall pointed hat. Scholars at UU liked to describe him as "the magical equivalent of zero." He is the main character in the first book of the over forty-book "Discworld" series, "The Colour of Magic", and he appears as a major character in six others.

3. Quentin Coldwater and Julia Wicker are two magicians from a magical school called Brakebills who have discovered how to reach the magical world of Fillory. While on Fillory and searching for seven golden keys, they are unexpectedly returned to Earth and do not know how to get back to Fillory. In which book, the second of a trilogy by Lev Grossman, does this magical failure occur?

Answer: The Magician King

The three titles of Lev Grossman's trilogy are "The Magicians", "The Magician King", and "The Magician's Land". The story line is much like a combination of Hogwarts and Narnia, but for adults. Grossman is also the author of "Warp" and "Codex", which are not connected to the trilogy.

4. First appearing in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", she was the teacher of Divination. However, sometimes the magic just doesn't work for her, as she is known for each year erroneously predicting the death of one of her students. Who was this wizard, who is eventually sacked as instructor at Hogwarts?

Answer: Sybill Trelawney

Sybil was fired by Dolores Umbridge when the latter replaced Dumbledore at the head of Hogwarts.

5. Magic certainly worked for Robert Jordan, as "The Wheel of Time" has a devoted following, despite its length. Name the four companions who first set out in "The Eye of the World".

Answer: Rand, Matrim, Perrin, and Egwene

Robert Jordan is the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr. He used several pen names, such as Reagan O'Neal for historical fiction, and Jackson O'Reilly for a western novel. Incidentally, "Robert Jordan" was also the protagonist in Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls".

Of course, Sam, et al, are from "Lord of the Rings," Lucy, et al, are from the Narnia series, and Quentin, et al, are from Lev Grossman's "The Magicians" trilogy.

6. One magician for whom the magic works is called Milamber, from "The Riftwar Saga" series by Raymond E. Feist. Second only to Macros the Black, Milamber is the most powerful magician in the world of Midkemia. As a child, though, he was an orphan with a name like a small dog or a boxer. How was he known then?

Answer: Pug

Pug first appeared in "Magician", the first book of Feist's Riftwar Saga, published originally in 1982. It was published in the USA as two books, "Magician: Apprentice" and "Magician: Master". The next two novels of the trilogy were "Silverthorn" and "A Darkness at Sethanon".

Perk is a sky elf character in Terry Brooks' Shannara books. Meeks is a character in Brooks' Landover series. Elric is a character in Michael Moorcock's "Elric Saga".

7. In the Magic Kingdom of Landover, created by Terry Brooks, King Ben Holiday relies on several servants and/or friends to help maintain and defend the Kingdom. Which of the following has had the most missteps in his application of magic?

Answer: Questor Thews, court magician

Questor's spells frequently backfired or had untended consequences, such as when he turned Abernathy into a Wheaten Terrier and was unable to return him to human form. Perhaps his greatest achievement was defeating the dragon Strabo in a battle, albeit with an extraordinary contribution by luck.

8. Which of the following Harry Potter characters is most likely to cast an ineffective spell?

Answer: Ron Weasley

In his role as sidekick to the hero figure of Harry Potter, one of the things Ron does is provide comic relief. He often does this with inept spell casting. Hermione is always the near-perfect student, so her spell casting would be superior to Ron's. And since Snape and McGonagall are long-time faculty, their spell casting should be extremely competent.

9. "His Dark Materials", a trilogy by Philip Pullman, is about the coming of age of two children. Who are these two for whom, although they are not magicians, the magic works out well?

Answer: Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry

"His Dark Materials" is a quotation from John Milton's "Paradise Lost", of which the trilogy is a reinterpretation. The first book is titled "Northern Lights" in the UK, but "The Golden Compass" in the US. The other two books are "The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass".

Annabeth Chase and Will Solace are demigods from the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. The Pevensies are from the Narnia series, and Alicia and Cedric are students at Hogwarts.

10. One wizard for whom the magic always seemed to work is considered by many the greatest wizard of all time. With his Twelfth-Century origins, he has appeared more recently in works by C.S. Lewis ("That Hideous Strength"), Stephen Lawhead ("Pendragon Cycle"), T.H. White ("The Once and Future King"), and Mary Stewart ("The Crystal Cave"). In the world of Harry Potter, he is referred to as "The Prince of Enchanters." Who is this great mage?

Answer: Merlin

Merlin as a literary character first appeared about 1136 in "Historia Regum Britanniae" by Geoffrey of Monmouth. As with any legendary figure worth his salt, exactly who this Merlin is or was is a matter of great debate and conjecture. He is generally thought of as a "cambion," that is, his mother was a mortal woman, but his father was a demon (incubus), which gives him supernatural powers and abilities.

Gandalf is the creation of J.R.R. Tolkien, while Cthulhu is a "cosmic entity", "deity", or demon created by H.P. Lovecraft, and Allanon is a druid who has been alive for 400 years, created by Terry Brooks in his Shannara books.

Source: Author shvdotr

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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Sometimes the Magic Works, Sometimes It Doesn't Quiz

Do you recognize these wizards? Some were more successful than others. Have fun.

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