Three's Company, Four's a Crowd Quiz

Answer: Ophelia

Shakespeare's version of 'King Lear' appeared in the first decade of the seventeenth century. In 1861, the poet Nahum Tate, rewrote almost half of Shakespeare's play to give it a 'happy ending'. Audiences could only see this version of 'King Lear' until, in 1823, the English actor Edmund Keane restored the play to how Shakespeare had written it. Ophelia is a character from 'Hamlet'.

Answer: The Ghost of Christmas Near Future

Although Scrooge does speak the line "Ghost of the future...I fear you...", the proper name used elsewhere in the story is 'The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come'. Published in 1843, 'A Christmas Carol' highlights the struggles of the working classes against the more affluent in Victorian English Society. Dickens gave public readings of his novella during Christmas 1852.

Answer: D'Artagnan

'The Three Musketeers' was originally published in serial form in a magazine in 1844. It was the first of a trilogy of historical novels featuring the musketeers and their younger protege. Dumas is also the author of the epic novel 'The Count of Monte Cristo'.

Answer: Branwell Bell

Taking the first letter of each girls name (A, C, E) it corresponds with the first letter of their respective pen names. Branwell was the name of the only male Bronte sibling, this was their mother's maiden name. Sadly, all of the Bronte girls passed away before reaching the age of forty.

Answer: Captain Nemo

Professor Aronnax was a marine biologist, Conseil his servant and Ned Land was employed as a harpoonist/hunter. Nemo was the captain of 'The Nautilus'. Jules Verne was a pioneer in the science fiction genre. Many of his novels were based around the concept of travelling through air, space and underwater before this was possible.

Other well known works include 'Around the World in Eighty Days' and 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth'.

Answer: The Silmarillion

J. R. R. Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892. His three given names, in full, are John Ronald Reuel. Following a request from his publisher, Tolkien began writing 'The Silmarillion' as a sequel to 'The Hobbit' but the draft was rejected. In 1977, it was finally published posthumously after being edited by Tolkien's son Christopher.

Answer: Cupboard

Clive Staples Lewis was born in Ireland in 1898 and served during the first World War. Whilst at school, Lewis turned his back on religion but later rediscovered Christianity in the 1930s. During the second World War he made radio broadcasts on religious matters earning him great popularity.

Although falling into the fantasy genre, 'The Chronicles of Narnia' is also filled with Christian imagery and morals.

Answer: For We Are Young and Free

'The Timeless Land', which lends its name to the trilogy, was published in 1941 and has become a classic of Australian literature. It was followed in 1948 with 'Storm of Time' and 'No Barrier' in 1953. 'For We Are Young and Free' is the second line of Australia's national anthem 'Advance Australia Fair'. Eleanor Dark was born in Sydney in 1901 and was the daughter of the writer Dowell O'Reilly. Because of the nature of the subject matter, Dark undertook extensive research to ensure the novels were historically accurate.

Answer: The Inheritors

William Golding is probably most famous for his first novel 'The Lord of the Flies' published in 1954. This was followed by 'The Inheritors' in 1955. 'Rites Of Passage' was the first offering in the trilogy and was published in 1980. This novel won the Booker Prize for Golding in the same year. It was followed by 'Close Quarters' in 1987 and 'Fire Down Below' in 1989.

Answer: Amitabh Bachchan

Salman Rushdie was born in Bombay (Mumbai) in 1947. 'Midnight's Children' was published in 1981 and was awarded the Booker Prize that same year. In 1993, it was named as the 'Booker of Bookers' for being the best winner in the 25th anniversary year of this award. Amitabh Bachchan is one of the central figures in Rushdie's controversial novel 'The Satanic Verses'.