Literature Trivia
Literature Trivia highlights classic novels, modern literature, iconic authors, and memorable literary worlds. Includes trivia questions from books and authors such as Mexican Gothic, Cosmere, The Midnight Library, Rebecca, The Shadow of the Wind, and Wolf Hall.
Literature Trivia Quick Start
34 questions
Foundational prompts to warm up the round with recognizable facts and names.
Question 1
The novel's atmosphere most directly draws on what classic kind of fiction?
Answer: Haunted-house fiction.
Its mood and setup draw on classic haunted-house fiction.
Question 2
If someone said, 'I only have time for a novella, preferably with dusk involved,' which Cosmere work fits perfectly?
Answer: Sixth of the Dusk
Sixth of the Dusk is a Cosmere novella.
Question 3
The novel's speculative mechanism is mainly used to explore what sort of possibilities?
Answer: Everyday unrealized possibilities.
The speculative device examines everyday unrealized possibilities.
Question 4
Before Rebecca haunted readers, which writer in Daphne du Maurier's family wrote Trilby?
Answer: George du Maurier, Daphne's grandfather, wrote the novel Trilby.
Daphne du Maurier's grandfather George du Maurier wrote Trilby.
Question 5
What unusual combination of story flavors does The Shadow of the Wind stir together in one novel?
- A.Mystery, romance, and historical fiction.
- B.Fantasy, satire, and travelogue
- C.Science fiction, horror, and biography
- D.Romance, comedy, and memoir
Answer: Mystery, romance, and historical fiction.
The novel is described is blending mystery, romance, and historical fiction into a single story.
Question 6
Which prize did Wolf Hall win in 2010?
- A.Goldsmiths Prize
- B.Walter Scott Prize
- C.Booker Prize
- D.Costa Novel Award
Answer: Walter Scott Prize
Wolf Hall won the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction in 2010, reflecting its strong reputation is a historical novel about Cromwell and Henry VIII's court.
Question 7
In The Witcher 3, which mischievous godling sounds less terrifying than most contracts and is named Johnny?
Answer: Johnny
Johnny is a godling who appears is a mischievous character in The Witcher 3.
Question 8
Who composed the music for the 2015 film adaptation?
- A.Gaute Storaas
- B.Rolf Lassgård
- C.Hannes Holm
- D.Fredrik Backman
Answer: Gaute Storaas
Gaute Storaas composed the score for the 2015 film adaptation of A Man Called Ove. The other choices are the film’s star, director, and novel’s author.
Question 9
Before Cloud Cuckoo Land appeared, which major literary prize had Anthony Doerr already won?
Answer: The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Doerr had already won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction before publishing Cloud Cuckoo Land.
Question 10
Frank Herbert’s groundwork for Dune drew on field research in what specific American landscape?
Answer: The Oregon sand dunes.
Herbert’s early research into the Oregon sand dunes helped inspire Dune.
Question 11
What is Holmes’s first full-length novel adventure?
- A.The Hound of the Baskervilles
- B.The Sign of the Four
- C.The Valley of Fear
- D.A Study in Scarlet
Answer: A Study in Scarlet
A Study in Scarlet is Doyle’s first Holmes novel and opens the detective’s partnership with Watson. It is the story that establishes 221B Baker Street.
Question 12
What is the novel’s opening line about Bilbo’s eleventy-first birthday?
- A.A Long-expected Party
- B.The Road Goes Ever On
- C.When Mr
- D.One Ring to rule them all
Answer: When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday...
This is the famous opening line of The Lord of the Rings, set at Bag End when Bilbo announces his eleventy-first birthday. It is the novel’s first sentence, not the chapter title.
Question 13
Who wrote The House in the Cerulean Sea?
Answer: TJ Klune wrote The House in the Cerulean Sea.
The novel’s author is TJ Klune.
Question 14
Which place does A Gentleman in Moscow hold in Towles’s bibliography?
- A.second novel
- B.first novel
- C.third novel
- D.debut novel
Answer: second novel
A Gentleman in Moscow was published in 2016 and is Amor Towles’s second novel, following Rules of Civility.
Question 15
Agatha Christie dedicated the novel to which family member by marriage?
Answer: She dedicated the novel to her brother-in-law, James Watts.
The dedication named Christie's brother-in-law James Watts.
Question 16
C. S. Lewis held what nationality?
Answer: British
C. S. Lewis was a British author.
Question 17
Who wrote The Remains of the Day?
Answer: Kazuo Ishiguro
The Remains of the Day is a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro.
Question 18
What genre is Never Let Me Go?
- A.Mystery
- B.Science fiction
- C.Fantasy
- D.Historical fiction
Answer: Science fiction
The book is a science fiction novel.
Question 19
Who wrote the novel Station Eleven?
Answer: Emily St. John Mandel
Station Eleven was written by Emily St. John Mandel.
Question 20
According to the novel’s lore, from what place is the Nameless One said to have risen?
Answer: Dreadmount
The Nameless One is said to have risen from Dreadmount.
Question 21
In what year was the first A Song of Ice and Fire novel published?
Answer: 1996
The first novel in the series was published in 1996.
Question 22
Who wrote The Hunger Games novel series?
- A.Veronica Roth
- B.Stephenie Meyer
- C.Suzanne Collins
Answer: Suzanne Collins
Suzanne Collins is the author of The Hunger Games novel series.
Question 23
When The Great Gatsby was published, Fitzgerald was living in which country?
- A.Italy
- B.Ireland
- C.France
- D.England
Answer: France
Fitzgerald was living in France when the novel was published.
Question 24
Agatha Christie herself singled out which novel as one of her own favorites?
Answer: Crooked House
Crooked House was one of Christie's own favorite novels.
Question 25
Who wrote the Twilight novel series?
Answer: Stephenie Meyer
Stephenie Meyer is the author of the Twilight books.
Question 26
What kind of novels are The Hunger Games books?
Answer: They are young adult dystopian fiction.
The Hunger Games novels are classified is young adult dystopian fiction.
Question 27
Who chauffeurs Mickey Haller’s famous office-on-wheels in the novels and the film?
- A.Teddy Vogul
- B.Cecil Dobbs
- C.Earl
Answer: Earl
Mickey Haller’s signature mobile office is driven by Earl in both the novels and the 2011 film.
Question 28
Which Twilight Zone episode centers on a book-loving dissenter facing an authoritarian state?
- A.Eye of the Beholder
- B.The Obsolete Man
- C.The Invaders
- D.To Serve Man
Answer: The Obsolete Man
'The Obsolete Man' is one of the show's starkest dystopian stories, focused on a book-loving dissenter and an authoritarian state.
Question 29
Which famous author wrote the original story adapted into The Muppet Christmas Carol?
Answer: Charles Dickens
The Muppet Christmas Carol adapts A Christmas Carol, the classic story by Charles Dickens.
Question 30
Before his life spirals into obsession, who starts Andor as a deputy inspector for Pre-Mor Authority?
Answer: Syril Karn
Syril Karn begins the series in the role of deputy inspector for Pre-Mor Authority.
Question 31
The Hex Girls aren't just spooky singers—what kind of band are they?
Answer: A fictional eco-goth rock band.
The Hex Girls are specifically described is a fictional eco-goth rock band.
Question 32
Jiraiya gets material for his novels through a recurring peeking gag tied to what?
Answer: His novels
Jiraiya gathers material for his novels by peeking at women, a running gag in the series.
Question 33
Which role best describes Alfred in the classic Batman-and-Alfred contrast?
Answer: A dry-witted butler.
Batman and Alfred often play opposite roles: stoic hero and dry-witted butler.
Question 34
On Stranger Tides borrowed its name and some inspiration from a 1987 novel by which author?
Answer: Tim Powers
On Stranger Tides is loosely inspired by the 1987 novel On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers.
Literature Trivia Fan Favorites
33 questions
Memorable moments and franchise touchpoints that most players can engage with.
Question 1
At Hampden College, what subject binds the central student group together academically?
- A.Comparative Literature
- B.Classics.
- C.Philosophy
- D.History
Answer: Classics.
The core academic field at the center of the novel is Classics.
Question 2
When New Spring appeared as a standalone novel, what year was it?
- A.2002
- B.2003
- C.2005
- D.2004
Answer: 2004
New Spring was first published is a standalone novel in 2004.
Question 3
In what year did the Harry Potter book series begin publication in the United Kingdom?
- A.1998
- B.1999
- C.1997
- D.1995
Answer: 1997
The first Harry Potter novel was published in the UK in 1997.
Question 4
Which Sanderson book is the Cosmere short fiction collection?
- A.Arcanum Unbounded
- B.Words of Radiance
- C.The Emperor’s Soul
- D.Skyward
Answer: Arcanum Unbounded
Arcanum Unbounded is Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere collection of novellas and short fiction. It includes stories like "The Emperor’s Soul," which won a Hugo Award.
Question 5
Which character in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has the surname St. James?
Answer: Celia St. James
The novel includes the character Celia St. James.
Question 6
In what year was The Lightning Thief published?
- A.2004
- B.2006
- C.2007
- D.2005
Answer: 2005
The first Percy Jackson novel, The Lightning Thief, was published in 2005.
Question 7
Which novel is the very first Hunger Games film directly based on?
- A.The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
- B.The Hunger Games
- C.Catching Fire
- D.Mockingjay
Answer: The Hunger Games
The first movie adapts the original novel, The Hunger Games.
Question 8
Which of these details is directly linked to Percy Jackson?
- A.Character in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles
- B.title character of the Percy Jackson
- C.narrator is directly linked to Percy Jackson.
- D.Perseus "Percy" Jackson is a fictional character in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles by Rick Riordan.
Answer: narrator is directly linked to Percy Jackson.
This question is anchored to a concrete, source-backed detail.
Question 9
Which Cormoran Strike novel published in 2014 followed The Cuckoo's Calling?
- A.Lethal White
- B.Troubled Blood
- C.The Silkworm
- D.Career of Evil
Answer: The Silkworm
A Cormoran Strike novel published in 2014 is The Silkworm.
Question 10
Which puzzle game uses cubes featuring pet faces?
- A.Key Quest
- B.The Auction House
- C.The Neopian Times
- D.Destruct-O-Match
Answer: Destruct-O-Match
Destruct-O-Match is a puzzle game that uses cubes featuring pet faces.
Question 11
Which later book returns to Shane and Ilya after the events of Heated Rivalry rather than introducing an unrelated central pair?
- A.Tough Guy
- B.Role Model
- C.Common Goal
- D.The Long Game.
Answer: The Long Game.
The Long Game revisits Shane and Ilya after Heated Rivalry.
Question 12
The Koopalings debuted in which game?
- A.Super Mario World
- B.Super Mario Land
- C.Super Mario Sunshine
- D.Super Mario Bros. 3
Answer: Super Mario Bros. 3
The Koopalings first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3.
Question 13
Which gloomy character from the first The Sims seems professionally committed to ruining the vibe?
Answer: The tragic clown.
The tragic clown is a gloomy character from the first The Sims.
Question 14
What is the title of the joke book Ellie reads from in the first game, proving the apocalypse could not kill wordplay?
Answer: No Pun Intended
In the first game, Ellie can read aloud from a joke book called No Pun Intended.
Question 15
What gets upgraded from ordinary scheduling headache to sci-fi plot device in Sea of Tranquility?
Answer: An author tour itinerary.
The novel turns an author tour itinerary into part of its science-fiction plot.
Question 16
Silvia Moreno-Garcia said she set out to write what kind of novel in Mexico?
Answer: A gothic novel set in Mexico.
The author has explicitly said she wanted to write a gothic novel set in Mexico.
Question 17
Which Cosmere novella wins the unofficial award for 'longest title that sounds like a terrible camping destination'?
Answer: Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell is a Cosmere novella.
Question 18
Which award did The Midnight Library win in 2020, adding a shiny trophy to its shelf life?
Answer: The Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction.
The novel won the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction in 2020.
Question 19
This literary novel makes arguing about what sound oddly glamorous?
Answer: Game design.
It is a literary novel that can make arguing about game design sound oddly glamorous.
Question 20
Before vanishing, Julián Carax had done what as a writer?
- A.Worked only as a newspaper columnist
- B.He had written several novels.
- C.Published only poems
- D.Completed a single unfinished manuscript
Answer: He had written several novels.
Julián Carax is established is the author of several novels before his disappearance.
Question 21
Before the big reveal in The Witcher 3, what is the name of the cursed creature later revealed to be Avallac'h?
Answer: Uma
Uma is the name of the cursed creature later revealed to be Avallac'h in The Witcher 3.
Question 22
Julian Morrow instructs his select students in which ancient language rather than Latin?
- A.Hebrew
- B.French
- C.Greek.
- D.Sanskrit
Answer: Greek.
A specific point in the novel is that Julian teaches Greek, not Latin.
Question 23
Cloud Cuckoo Land arrived after Anthony Doerr had become a Pulitzer winner for which earlier novel?
Answer: All the Light We Cannot See
The Pulitzer-winning novel referenced here is All the Light We Cannot See.
Question 24
Which novel comes second in the Sherlock Holmes series?
- A.The Sign of Four
- B.A Study in Scarlet
- C.The Gloria Scott
- D.The Engineer's Thumb
Answer: The Sign of Four
The second Holmes novel is "The Sign of Four.".
Question 25
The Narnia books belong to what fantasy subgenre?
Answer: Portal fantasy
The books are portal fantasy novels.
Question 26
Near the novel’s end, which traveler is pregnant?
- A.Lydia
- B.Miranda
- C.Eleanor
- D.Elizabeth
Answer: Eleanor
Eleanor is the pregnant woman traveling with the Symphony near the end.
Question 27
If a virtual world is so perfect it becomes satire, which Sanderson novella are you probably reading?
- A.Firstborn
- B.Perfect State
- C.Secret History
- D.Legion
Answer: Perfect State
Perfect State satirizes idealized virtual worlds.
Question 28
What kind of geographical feature is Dreadmount in the world of the novel?
- A.A fortress
- B.A mountain pass
- C.An island
- D.A volcano
Answer: A volcano
Dreadmount is identified specifically is a volcano.
Question 29
Which character moonlights as a connection between The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising?
Answer: Mick Riva appears in both The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising.
Mick Riva is the shared character linking those two novels.
Question 30
Which Trials of Apollo book takes the dramatic title The Tyrant's Tomb?
- A.The second novel
- B.The third novel
- C.The fifth novel
- D.The fourth novel
Answer: The fourth novel
The Tyrant's Tomb is the fourth Trials of Apollo novel.
Question 31
Which character spends much of The Lightning Thief acting like Percy’s nervous school friend while actually being a satyr on protector duty?
Answer: Grover Underwood.
Grover is Percy’s best friend and assigned protector, even if his human disguise does occasionally scream 'definitely hiding hooves.'
Question 32
Which publishing imprint released the original Hunger Games novels?
- A.Del Rey
- B.Scholastic Press
- C.Candlewick Press
- D.Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Answer: Scholastic Press
The original Hunger Games novels were published by Scholastic Press.
Question 33
What famous train provides the setting for one of Christie’s best-known novels, Murder on the Orient Express?
Answer: The Orient Express.
Murder on the Orient Express is set aboard the Orient Express, turning luxury travel into a very bad time for one passenger.
Literature Trivia Deep Cuts
33 questions
Harder details and niche references for expert players.
Question 1
Sea of Tranquility explicitly returns to the fictional universe of which earlier Emily St. John Mandel novel?
Answer: The Glass Hotel.
The novel explicitly revisits Mandel's fictional universe from The Glass Hotel.
Question 2
Which 2023 fiction prize longlisted the novel?
Answer: The Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction
The novel was longlisted for the 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.
Question 3
Which organization is headquartered outside the normal timeline in Loki?
Answer: The Time Variance Authority is headquartered outside the normal timeline in Loki.
Loki establishes that the Time Variance Authority exists outside the normal timeline.
Question 4
Put these films in order from earliest to latest release: Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty.
Answer: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty
The release years are 1937 for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1950 for Cinderella, and 1959 for Sleeping Beauty.
Question 5
Wolf Hall was shortlisted for which literary prize?
Answer: The Orange Prize for Fiction
The novel was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction.
Question 6
True or false: A Suk doctor is supposed to be conditioned against harming patients.?
Answer: True
A Suk doctor in Dune is supposed to be conditioned against harming patients.
Question 7
At the opening of the novel, how old is Linus Baker?
Answer: Linus Baker is 40 years old at the start of the novel.
Linus is 40 at the beginning of the story.
Question 8
In Kathy's self-introduction near the start of the novel, what age does she state she is?
Answer: Thirty-one.
Kathy gives her age is thirty-one near the opening of the novel.
Question 9
What was the publication year of the final Harry Potter novel?
Answer: 2007
The last Harry Potter novel was published in 2007.
Question 10
A Dance with Dragons reached publication in which year?
Answer: 2011
A Dance with Dragons was published in 2011.
Question 11
The final two films of the original series both draw from the same novel. Which one?
Answer: Mockingjay
Mockingjay was adapted across the last two original-series films.
Question 12
Which publisher originally released the Twilight novels?
Answer: Little, Brown and Company
The Twilight novels were originally published by Little, Brown and Company.
Question 13
What is the third Cormoran Strike novel?
- A.Troubled Blood
- B.Career of Evil
- C.The Silkworm
- D.Lethal White
Answer: Career of Evil
Career of Evil is the third Cormoran Strike novel.
Question 14
The original novel links two Connelly family branches. Which two surnames does it connect?
Answer: It connects the Haller and Bosch family lines.
The original novel connects the Haller and Bosch branches of Connelly's fiction in one family line.
Question 15
At the center of a classic Twilight Zone setup, characters most often find themselves facing what kind of circumstances?
Answer: Disturbing circumstances
The series centers on characters confronting disturbing circumstances.
Question 16
Which member of the Aldhani group writes a manifesto for the growing rebellion?
Answer: Nemik
Nemik is the rebel who authors the manifesto in Andor.
Question 17
Within the wider Game Changers continuity, what is true of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov beyond a single-book appearance?
- A.They are mentioned once but never reappear
- B.They are antagonists in an unrelated spinoff
- C.They are recurring characters in the wider Game Changers continuity.
- D.They appear only in a prequel novella
Answer: They are recurring characters in the wider Game Changers continuity.
The pair are identified is recurring characters across the continuity.
Question 18
Who is the veteran S.T.A.R.S. member in the original Resident Evil?
Answer: Barry Burton
Barry Burton is identified is a veteran S.T.A.R.S. member in the original game.
Question 19
Which Bond book was published first in 1953?
Answer: Casino Royale was the first Bond novel published in 1953.
The first Bond novel published was Casino Royale in 1953.
Question 20
What is the title of the very first Department Q novel?
Answer: Kvinden i buret
The series begins with Kvinden i buret.
Question 21
In the very first Final Fantasy, what important objects are at the heart of the story?
Answer: The elemental crystals
The original Final Fantasy centers its story around the elemental crystals.
Question 22
Who wrote the novel Rebecca?
Answer: Daphne du Maurier wrote Rebecca.
Rebecca is a novel by Daphne du Maurier.
Question 23
Who wrote the novel A Man Called Ove?
Answer: Fredrik Backman
A Man Called Ove is a novel by Swedish author Fredrik Backman.
Question 24
After Robert Jordan's death, who completed the final three main novels?
Answer: Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson completed the last three main novels in the series.
Question 25
Who serves as the Ring-bearer for most of the novel?
Answer: Frodo Baggins is the Ring-bearer for most of the novel.
Frodo Baggins carries the Ring for most of the story.
Question 26
What was Amor Towles's novel published before A Gentleman in Moscow?
Answer: Rules of Civility
Towles's previous novel before A Gentleman in Moscow was Rules of Civility.
Question 27
Who wrote The Murder of Roger Ackroyd?
Answer: Agatha Christie
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was written by Agatha Christie.
Question 28
Which major literary prize did The Remains of the Day win in 1989?
Answer: The Booker Prize
The novel won the Booker Prize in 1989.
Question 29
Who wrote The Great Gatsby?
Answer: F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Question 30
In the first story, which specific official wears the title of Head Gamemaker?
Answer: Seneca Crane
Seneca Crane is the Head Gamemaker in the first story.
Question 31
What is the name of Kermit's nephew who is also a frog character?
Answer: Robin the Frog
Kermit's nephew is Robin the Frog.
Question 32
What is the well-known Neopets location called the Healing Springs?
Answer: The Healing Springs
The Healing Springs is a well-known location in Neopets.
Question 33
What is the name of Scooby-Doo’s nephew?
Answer: Scrappy-Doo
Scooby-Doo’s nephew is Scrappy-Doo.
Download PDF
Get the generated PDF file for printing, classroom rounds, or offline use.
Download printable PDF