Literature quiz — 10 questions
Here are 10 questions from the “Literature” quiz (771 questions in all), with their answer choices. Try to answer before opening “See the answer”. The selection changes every week.
What affectionate nickname do the March girls give their mother in Alcott's novel?
- Mama Bear
- Mommy
- Marmee
- Mumsy
See the answer
Marmee — "Marmee" is what Louisa May Alcott called her own mother.
In which city did Verlaine shoot Rimbaud in 1873?
- Paris
- Charleville
- London
- Brussels
See the answer
Brussels — Rimbaud was wounded in the wrist; Verlaine was sentenced to two years in prison.
What is the name of the asteroid the Little Prince comes from?
- K 7
- X 42
- B 612
- B 216
See the answer
B 612 — According to the narrator, it was seen through a telescope only once, by a Turkish astronomer.
Which Virginia Woolf novel does Michael Cunningham reimagine in "The Hours" (1998)?
- To the Lighthouse
- The Waves
- Orlando
- Mrs Dalloway
See the answer
Mrs Dalloway — The novel interweaves three women in three eras, one of them Virginia Woolf herself.
In The Three Musketeers, what does the paper signed by Richelieu, which Athos snatches from Milady, say?
- D'Artagnan must be arrested
- The bearer acted on the cardinal's order
- Milady may leave France
- Buckingham must be killed
See the answer
The bearer acted on the cardinal's order — "...for the good of the State": an absolution signed in advance, valid for any crime.
In "The Fellowship of the Ring", what does the Council of Elrond decide to do with the Ring?
- Destroy it in Mordor
- Hide it in Rivendell
- Throw it into the Sea
- Give it to Gandalf
See the answer
Destroy it in Mordor — Only the fire of the Mountain where it was made can unmake it; Gandalf refuses to carry it.
Who wrote "The Martian"?
- Arthur C. Clarke
- Andy Weir
- Kim Stanley Robinson
- Michael Crichton
See the answer
Andy Weir — The novel, first posted for free on the author's website, was adapted for film in 2015.
Which monster does the hero fight first in the Old English poem "Beowulf"?
- Fafnir
- Jörmungandr
- Smaug
- Grendel
See the answer
Grendel — Beowulf then fights Grendel's mother and, in old age, a dragon.
In what year was "The Great Gatsby" published?
- 1925
- 1934
- 1929
- 1920
See the answer
1925 — The story is set in the summer of 1922. At first the novel sold rather poorly.
What is the name of the student murderer in "Crime and Punishment"?
- Karamazov
- Raskolnikov
- Onegin
- Oblomov
See the answer
Raskolnikov — Rodion Raskolnikov kills an old pawnbroker in St. Petersburg.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in the “Literature” quiz?
There are 771 free questions at the moment, and we keep adding more.
Do I need an account to play?
No. You can play right away, without an account. An account only adds your statistics, your rating and the rankings.
How are these 10 questions chosen?
They are drawn at random among the text questions of this category and change every week. For ten questions at your level, play a series: the difficulty adjusts to you.
How hard is this quiz?
Players answer 57% of the questions in this category correctly, on average (868 answers so far). The difficulty goes from Easy to Infernal and adjusts to your rating.
Where can I see the answers?
Under each question, open “See the answer”. Try to answer first!