Who Didn't Write It? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Agnes Grey

Austen did not write "Agnes Grey", which comes from the pen of Anne Bronte, sister to Charlotte and Emily Bronte. Of the three Bronte sisters, Anne's writing most nearly resembles Austen's. It is less Gothic than that of her sisters. Austen's "Northanger Abbey" is actually a parody on the kinds of Gothic novels Charlotte and Emily would later write.

Answer: The House of Seven Gables

The American Nathaniel Hawthorne was the author of "The House of Seven Gables". Interestingly, Dickens died while writing "Edwin Drood", so the mystery was never concluded, though we can deduce the murderer from the book as well as from the author's notes.

Answer: Vanity Fair

"Vanity Fair" was written by William Makepeace Thackeray. A used bookstore in Seattle, Washington, has made an interesting play on Hawthorne's short story collection "Twice Told Tales": they have named their store "Twice Sold Tales".

Answer: The Old Curiosity Shop

"The Old Curiosity Shop" comes from the pen of Charles Dickens. Mark Twain (then a newspaper correspondent) actually covered a Dickens reading in America. In his piece, Twain described Dickens as, "a tall, 'spry,' (if I may say it,) thin-legged old gentleman, gotten up regardless of expense[ . . . ] gray beard and moustache, bald head, and with side hair brushed fiercely and tempestuously forward, as if its owner were sweeping down before a gale of wind."

Answer: Vanity Fair

As mentioned earlier, "Vanity Fair" is Thackeray's novel. Mary Ann Evans was the real name of George Eliot. In her lifetime, she lived with a married man, the writer G.H. Lewes, until she died. They were at length regarded as wed by their social circle.

Answer: Daniel Deronda

"Daniel Deronda", as the previous question reveals, was George Eliot's work. Since I've mentioned "Vanity Fair" three times, perhaps it's time to put in a plug for the book. The novel, which takes place during the Napoleonic Wars, is a wicked satire on English society.

There is nobody thoroughly lovable among its cast of characters, and it is rather a lengthy tome, but Thackeray's clever humour and penetrating insight make it well worth reading.

Answer: Mutiny on the Bounty

"Mutiny on the Bounty" was written by Charles Nordhoff and James Hall and is a work of historical fiction. In the novel, Fletcher Christian leads a mutiny against the Bounty's Captain Bligh. Melville likewise wrote many books with sea-themes, such as "Moby Dick". Even "Typee" begins with the main character jumping ship. "Bartleby the Scrivener" is a very unusual work for Melville.

It is a long short story with the flair of a 20th century work because of its focus on isolation.

Answer: Agnes Grey

Charlotte's sister Anne wrote "Agnes Grey." Charlotte Bronte is best known for her Gothic romance "Jane Eyre," with its strong female lead who insists on obeying her principles even when her heart longs to live unscrupulously with Mr. Rochester.

Answer: Any of these books

None of these is by Tolstoy, who is famous for his "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina". "Fathers and Sons" is by Ivan Turgenev, and the other two are by Fyodor Dostoevsky, both Russian writers.

Answer: Any of These

Dostoevsky is most well known for his "The Brothers Karamazov", which explores profound religious themes and contains an ironic short story about the weight of liberty called "The Grand Inquisitor". Dostoevsky also wrote "Crime and Punishment", which is perhaps his second most famous work.