What Book Am I In? Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Catcher in the Rye

"The Catcher in The Rye" is told in the first person by its protagonist Holden Caulfield, a cynical teenager who has just been kicked out of the prep school he was attending. Holden first appeared in a short story by J.D. Salinger called "Slight Rebellion Off Madison" which he sold to "The New Yorker" magazine.

Another story by Salinger called "I'm Crazy" appeared in "Colliers" magazine. It, too, was a precursor to "The Catcher In The Rye", as parts of it appeared later in the novel. Salinger told an interviewer that Jerry Lewis had contacted him about playing the part of Holden if it were ever adapted for the stage or the screen, but that never happened.

Answer: A Separate Peace

Gene Forrester is the first person narrator of this John Knowles novel. The book was based on an earlier short story by Knowles called "Phineas", another major character in the novel. The setting is a prep school called Devon and the story is set in the time of World War II. Devon is patterned after Knowles's own alma mater, Phillips Exeter Academy.

The story begins with Gene revisiting the school fifteen years after he graduated, then goes into "flashback" mode. The book made the New York Times best seller list in 1960, a year after its publication, and was made into a movie in 1972 with Parker Stevenson portraying Gene.

Answer: Brave New World

Alduous Huxley's futuristic novel "Brave New World" is about a society where sexual promiscuity and the taking of a drug called soma are prevalent. Bernard Marx is the rebel who wants a meaningful relationship, not one based solely on gratification. The title "Brave New World" is taken from Shakespeare's "The Tempest", in which a character named Miranda states, "O brave new world that has such people in it". Both Shakespeare and the quote are referred to several times in the book.

Answer: The Last Hurrah

Edwin O'Connor's novel about big city politics portrays some of the inner workings of a political campaign. Frank Skeffington is the old school Mayor running for re-election. The book was published in 1956 to mostly great reviews. Its popularity grew when a movie based on the book was released in 1958, with popular actor Spencer Tracy portraying Skeffington.

A 1977 made-for-TV modernized version placed Carrol O'Connor in the role of Skeffington.

Answer: Nineteen Eighty-Four

George Orwell's futuristic novel "1984" is set in London. The original working title was "The Last Man In Europe", but Orwell's publisher Frederic Warburg suggested that "Nineteen Eighty-Four" would be more commercially appealing to readers. 1984 was actually Orwell's third choice as the year the novel would be set, as he originally chose 1980 and then 1982.

The story focuses on Winston and his struggles to maintain an outward show of acceptance of the way things were while inwardly hoping to join an organized rebellion.

Answer: North Dallas Forty

"North Dallas Forty" is a novel by Peter Gent, a former NFL football player. It is written the first person, told through the words of Phil Elliot, a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. Gent also wrote a sequel called "North Dallas After Forty". The life of a professional football player is portrayed in a humorous, as well as dark, manner.

In the movie version Phil is portrayed by Nick Nolte.

Answer: Crime and Punishment

Of all the books I was required to read by high school English teachers, Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" was my least favorite. It's a dark tale of a young man who commits the murder of two women with an ax. Looking back, though, I have a better understanding of the story as it deals with the strong, guilt-ridden emotional struggles of Raskolnikov, the protagonist.

The novel was originally published in serial form in a publication called "The Russian Messenger". The full novel was published in 1867.

Answer: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

While not a major character in Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", the Widow Douglas is introduced early in the story as the woman who took Huck in and tried to domesticate him. It's a perfect way to show Huck's personality, as the story is narrated from his perspective.

The book has been both praised and criticized for its portrayal of slavery and parental abuse by Huck's alcoholic father. Several movie versions have been made.

Answer: The Blackboard Jungle

Evan Hunter's "The Blackboard Jungle" is a chilling portrayal of violence in an urban high school in the 50s. Richard (Rick) Dadier is an English teacher fresh out of college, searching for a way to "break through" to his students, a culturally diverse group of teenagers.

The movie version opens with Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock". It was controversial because it portrayed teenagers in a bad light and horror stories of teenaged viewers incited to riot and vandalism in theaters didn't help. Glenn Ford's portrayal of Dadier and a young Sidney Poitier's portrayal of a rebellious African-American teenager made for a compelling film version of the story.

Answer: Cry, The Beloved Country

Alan Paton's novel "Cry, The Beloved Country" is set in South Africa. Stephen Kumalo is a Zulu priest who travels to Johannesburg to see his estranged sister who has fallen seriously ill. She has become a prostitute. The novel deals with many serious issues, including what would come to be known as apartheid.

The story, written and set in the late 1940s, has been adapted for the stage as well as the screen.