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Quiz about Nevil Shute A Voice of the 20th Century

Nevil Shute - A Voice of the 20th Century Quiz

Our library recently added a host of Nevil Shute books to their e-book collection. He has long been one of my favorite authors so I went on a bit of a binge. I though a quiz might be a good way to share some of my new insights into this interesting man

A multiple-choice quiz by MicjealS. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
MicjealS

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
354,517

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
156

Question 1 of 10

1. Nevil Shute was a pen name he used to keep is literary work and his professional work separate. He solved this naming issue by simply using his first and middle name and deleting his true last name. Head north and tell me, what was his actual last name? Hint

Norway

Thomas

Middleton

Abbott

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Question 2 of 10

2. One of the recurring themes of Shute's books is the interactions of the British social classes. He provides a insightful look into the evolving state of the class system from the 1930s through the post-war period. To what class was he born? Hint

Extreme poverty

Working class

Privileged class

Nobility

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Question 3 of 10

3. Shute had two careers. One was literature. What was the other?
Hint

Professional military

Astronomer

University Professor

Aviation engineer

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Question 4 of 10

4. In his first big professional assignment he was part of a commercial team competing against a government-led team. What was the result of that competition? Hint

The government-led project failed terribly and both efforts were canceled.

It was essentially a tie.

With greater resources the government team trounced the commercial team.

By being smaller and more nimble the commercial team won handily.

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Question 5 of 10

5. There are two subjects that appear repeatedly in his stories. One is not surprising considering his non-literary profession. The other is a bit more unexpected. What are these two subjects? Hint

Aviation and sailing

Military history and English literature

Aviation and astronomy

Art and coal mining

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Question 6 of 10

6. Shute had some rather strong opinions on the British government which came out as a subtext in a number of his books. What were his views? Hint

He felt that often the government officials were incompetent and the post-war socialist government was ruining the nation.

He felt the post-war socialist government had not gone far enough and more should be done to help the British workers.

He felt that the British monarchy was a worthless tradition and was holding the nation back.

He felt the nation was being led astray by the power of the ill-informed public and advocated dissolving the House of Commons and letting the House of Lords direct the nation.

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Question 7 of 10

7. In "Ruined City" (1938) he tells the story of a businessman who in his passion to save a struggling ship-building town gets into trouble with the law by making untrue claims to prospective investors. Ultimately he does save the town but is convicted and spends some time in jail. From what experience in his life might he have got the idea for this drama? Hint

Nothing; he made it all up.

There was a famous English scandal in 1935 that read almost word for word with his story.

He faced a very similar circumstance in his aircraft company where his put forth a very rosy and unsupported view of their future to investors over the strong objection of his conservative board of directors.

His uncle ran a small manufacturing firm. When things got difficult during the depression his uncle made similar unfounded statements and was jailed.

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Question 8 of 10

8. One of the interesting things about reading literature from early times is picking up social convention. For instance Edgar Rice Burroughs was as bit out in front of the society of the early 1900s with his strong female characters. However, even though Tarzan's Jane and Dejah Thoris are brave and capable characters their strongest role is to give the hunky hero someone to save. What was Shute's portrayal of women? Hint

Much like Burroughs, capable but in a man's world and dependent on men.

As the drivers of the story, often leading men to ill ends.

As minor characters seen only in the background of male adventures.

As full partners, quite capable of directing their own life.

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Question 9 of 10

9. After Shute sold out his share of his business he emigrated from Britain. He stayed in the British Commonwealth and if you are at all familiar with his later books this nation is the scene of many of them. Where did he go? Hint

Bermuda

Canada

Australia

India

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Question 10 of 10

10. "The Trustee from the Toolroom" was his last book and was published after his death. What is the last sentence in this last work? Hint

"It is a far, far better thing I do."

"He is perfectly, supremely happy."

"A pox on both your houses."

"And that is the way it is."

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Norway

Norway was a rather unique name. While we know him now from his books, for most of his life he also had a professional career. He was adamant about keeping the two separate and chose this elegant solution.

Answer: Privileged class

While not the noble upper class Shute's family was well-off. At the peak of his career Shute's father was the British Post Master General of Ireland.

3. Shute had two careers. One was literature. What was the other?

Answer: Aviation engineer

From mathematics he got into engineering and from engineering he moved into aviation. He joined the field in the early days of rapid development and his talent landed him very important and responsible positions from a relatively young age.

4. In his first big professional assignment he was part of a commercial team competing against a government-led team. What was the result of that competition?

Answer: The government-led project failed terribly and both efforts were canceled.

The competition was to build a great British airship, something to rival or even surpass the German Zeppelins. The commercial team had early successes. The government team, under pressure to match those successes, undertook a long-distance test flight before they were fully ready.

It ended in disaster with many of the crew lost. Such a disaster after the huge investment and the increasing development of modern aircraft killed the British airship program.

5. There are two subjects that appear repeatedly in his stories. One is not surprising considering his non-literary profession. The other is a bit more unexpected. What are these two subjects?

Answer: Aviation and sailing

Many of his books are about pilots and flying. Even if the main character is not a pilot often a plane or two comes into the story somewhere. Small private sailing yachts appear a surprising number of times. He seems to delight in the details of sailing and gives us long passages on the shipboard routine.

6. Shute had some rather strong opinions on the British government which came out as a subtext in a number of his books. What were his views?

Answer: He felt that often the government officials were incompetent and the post-war socialist government was ruining the nation.

In several stories government officials are portrayed as men of more privilege than actual skill, whose incompetent interference holds back true progress. In his novel "In the Wet" he describes a future Britain where the socialist government has all but ruined the once great nation.

Answer: He faced a very similar circumstance in his aircraft company where his put forth a very rosy and unsupported view of their future to investors over the strong objection of his conservative board of directors.

Shute had put a lot of years into his company but the rapidly changing nature of the aviation field required ever increasing infusions of capital. Like the hero of his story, Shute felt a great responsibility to his workers. In stating the value of the company's assets he assigned a premium to a set of yet unsold aircraft.

His board fought him but he got his way. In the end his confidence in the market was justified and the aircraft were indeed sold for full value, but there was no mistake he was out on thin ice.

Answer: As full partners, quite capable of directing their own life.

Shute did not fully escape his time and you will find no female bank presidents in his stories. However, in his most successful book, "A Town Like Alice", the heroine Jean Paget is an extremely capable character. She leads of group of women through a harrowing experience in Japanese occupied Malaysia and then becomes the innovative force behind the growth of a small town in the Australian Outback.

In "Beyond the Black Stump" Molly Regan is given the opportunity to be saved from her hard scrabble Australian existence by a dashing young American.

After seeing America, Molly chooses not to be saved and rather returns to the more challenging Western Australia to be more true to her nature.

Answer: Australia

The less formal culture that valued independent thinking and action he found in Australia seemed to fit him well. The Australians consider him one of their own.

10. "The Trustee from the Toolroom" was his last book and was published after his death. What is the last sentence in this last work?

Answer: "He is perfectly, supremely happy."

The plot of the story is that Keith Stewart's brother-in-law is emigrating from Britain to Canada. In order to circumvent currency laws he has enlisted Keith's assistance to hiding his fortune in a small private yacht. Leaving his daughter with Keith and his wife the brother-in-law and Keith's sister sail off on an extended cruise.

They come to peril and are lost in the South Pacific. Keith knows his niece's fortune is in the wreckage and without it she will have only the hard life he and his wife, with their limited means, can proved. So this shy, quiet man of limited means takes on a world spanning quest to recover the fortune. Due to the help of strangers motivated by the basic goodness of Keith, he succeeds.

At the close of the book he is back to his quiet life, the niece well provided for and happy with her aunt and uncle. We are left with Keith in his happy little niche in which "He is perfectly, supremely happy." I would like to think Shute was describing himself at the end of his days, well pleased with his technical accomplishments and by the joy he gave so many readers.

Source: Author MicjealS

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Snowman before going online.
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