Which Fictional Characters Lived Here? Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. This hard boiled private eye had an office at 84111/2 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood. What should be the correct addressee details be on the letters he might receive?

Answer: Lew Archer

Lew Archer was the creation of Keith Millar who wrote his Archer novels under the names of John Ross Macdonald, Ross Macdonald and John Macdonald.

His novels have featured on film (Paul Newman starred in 'Harper' called that rather than 'Archer' because the studio thought he had had a run of successes with films whose titles were one words beginning with H), television and radio.

The 'Lew Archer' novels are thought by many to be among the most literary of the private eye genre.

2. This very changeable character had a great appeal to the younger reader and adults. I can't quite decipher the address. Who do you think the letter is addressed to at 52 Festive Road, Putney, London?

Answer: Mr Benn

'Changeable' because in every episode of the book 'Mr Benn' the main character visited a fancy dress shop and dressed up as someone different.

David McKee has written many 'Mr Benn' stories and with Ian Lawless produced a series of thirteen animated 'Mr Benn' episodes for the BBC in the early 1970s. These episodes have been repeated many times over the years so that grandparents, parents and grandchildren often have a shared remembrance.

Many will recall the famous phrase repeated in every episode; "As if by magic, the Shopkeeper appeared..."

3. How typical of the nineteenth century English gentry; all I've got is the name of the estate, Pemberley. Whose do you think is the correct name to put on this envelope?

Answer: Mr Darcy

Pemberley is the home of 'Mr Darcy' made famous by the Jane Austen novel 'Pride and Prejudice'. Some students of Jane Austen believe that following her visit to Chatsworth in 1811 that she used it as the background for Pemberley in 'Pride and Prejudice'.

It is interesting to note that the power of great literature such as this novel lives on and a search of the Internet will reveal so-called sequel novels based on the supposed married life of the Darcy's at Pemberley. It appears it is even possible to get an e-mail address using 'Pemberley' as the descriptor..

4. A solitary person with lots of friends and relatives and an incurable curiosity about human behaviour and criminal activity she lived at Danemead, High Street, St Mary Mead. Can you tell me who she was?

Answer: Miss Jane Marple

Jane Marple was the creation of Agatha Christie. She first appeared as an elderly spinster living in St. Mary Mead and featured in twelve novels and twenty short stories. Miss Marple made her first appearance in 'Murder at the Vicarage' (1930).

5. One of my all time favourite fictional characters lived here, on board his boat at Slip F-18 at Bahia Marina. According to his business card he was a salvage expert though if you've followed his colourful adventures you'll know there's a bit more to him than that. To whom should I address the mail?

Answer: Travis McGee

If you look at a brief list of some the novels in which Travis McGee has appeared you'll readily recognize why I have used the word 'colourful' to describe his adventures, all penned by author John D MacDonald:
'The Deep Blue Good-by'
'Nightmare in Pink'
'A Purple Place for Dying'
'The Quick Red Fox'
'A Deadly Shade of Gold'
'Bright Orange for the Shroud'
'Darker than Amber' and so on.
There is quite a list!

6. This character was a favourite fictional creation of P. G. Wodehouse. She lived at two addresses; one at 47 Charles Street, Mayfair, London, and the other at Brinkley Court, Brinkley-cum-Snodsfield-in-the-Marsh, near Market Snodsbury,Worcestershire. How should I address her letters?

Answer: Mrs DahliaTravers

P. G. Wodehouse was nicknamed "Plum" by his friends. His full name or moniker as one of his characters might have said was Pelham Grenville Wodehouse. For the non-Brits I ought to point out that his surname was pronounced "Woodhouse".

He was a prolific lyricist (especially for Broadway musical productions) as well as writer in the early part of the twentieth century.

He produced many stories about 'Bertie Wooster' and his butler 'Jeeves' which reflected on a whole stratum of English Society before the First World War and afterwards.

He became very unpopular with many parts of the British public during the Second World War because of some ill-informed broadcasts and publications he produced which were taken to be in support of Hitler.

The exact extent of his support for fascism is still a matter of dispute between academics and others interested in literature of this period.

7. Sometimes there were three sisters together at this address but not always the same three it seemed. They all however always read from the same helpful book when in trouble. They lived at 1329 Prescott Street, San Francisco, California. So what name should I use to send them a letter since three of them had the same maiden surname?

Answer: Halliwell

The sisters, all of whom can call on different but complementary magical powers, appear on the very popular US television show broadcast in many countries 'Charmed'.

As powerful good witches the Halliwell sisters wage war against evil as they seek to strengthen their sisterly bond.

The series is produced by Spelling Television with Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent as the main executive producers. 'Charmed' was created by Constance M. Burge.

8. This character, an elegant sleuth and a member of the English aristocracy, lived at 110a Piccadilly London. So how should his mail be addressed?

Answer: Lord Peter Wimsey

Lord Peter Wimsey was created by Dorothy L. Sayers. His full name was Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey. He was featured in a series of detective novels. He was the main character who solved mysteries - usually murder mysteries. The tales all take place in a setting contemporary to when they were written, from the 1920s to the 1940s.

9. Now this is a puzzler. This guy is some kind of doctor and apparently lives in an Institute. They always seem to know when I'm delivering mail even before I get to the door. The address is 1407 Greymalkin Lane, Salem Center, New York. But which doctor should be getting the letters I deliver?

Answer: Dr Xavier

Originally Dr Xavier (also known as Professor X) appeared in a Marvel Comic as the leader of the X-men. According the Marvel Comic website (www.marvel.com) the X-Men were "Born with strange powers, the mutants known as the X-Men use their awesome abilities to protect a world that hates and fears them!"

10. A really big person this one. He doesn't like to go too far from his fancy orchids and so rarely leaves his house at West 35th Street, New York, New York. So help me out, what is the name of this fat guy I should put on his mail?

Answer: Nero Wolfe

Nero Wolfe was the detective created by Rex Stout. Wolfe appeared in a series of mystery novels apparently using his detective abilities only to finance his interests in gourmet food and the fabulously rare orchids he cultivates in his home. He rarely left his apartment, a four-storey brownstone in New York City, on West Thirty-fifth Street.

Source: Author bracklaman

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor MotherGoose before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

As a temporary Christmas postman (a common job for students in the 1960s) I used to think what a wonderful delivery round I could have if only famous fictional characters lived on my patch. In this quiz I've got their addresses. Help me deliver?

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