Divided into eight parts, "Anna Karenina" is considered one of the strongest novels by Leo Tolstoy. I love classics! The Little Engine that Could was written by Watty Piper. Written by C. S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was a fantasy novel published on October 16, 1950. ", This line is from Louisa May Alcott's famous book. Late in the afternoon of a chilly day in February, two gentlemen were sitting alone over their wine, in a well-furnished dining parlor, in the town of P----, in Kentucky. Generations of children and adults have since taken it to their hearts. For each of these book trivia questions, your players will be shown a first line of a book and then they will name the book. As terribly as I scored on it, Im glad Ive already been reading more classics! "High school isn't a very important place. "Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.". ", "This is the story of America. How well do you know your opening lines? Written by George Eliot, "Middlemarch" is made up of eight installments from the early 1870s. One of the nerdy things we like to do is quiz each other on quotes from books, especially the opening lines. Can you identify these classic first lines from literature? Here are ten basic books questions to get your trivia juices flowing 1. Ken Kesey's strange "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" was made into a hugely successful movie in 1975. One may as well begin with Helen's letters to her sister. I'll give you the opening line from a classic novel, and you identify which book it comes from. It was published in 1996 and was the first book in what is now a 5-book series. Holden Caulfield narrates "Catcher" as though he's speaking directly to the reader. Jean Rhys used "Wide Sargasso Sea" to explore themes of inequality in society and relationships. Famous First Lines Book Trivia Quiz #180 Category Number: 180 Text, Audio, or Picture Round? Find if you're a true expert Written By Mamta Raut Do you consider yourself a true Novel Expert? Answer: Jane Eyre was the first novel by Charlotte Bront to be published. 2023 Tea and Ink Society Create Theme by Restored 316 START QUIZ "Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter." Alice's Adventures in Wonderland The Tale of Peter Rabbit The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood This line sums up Thomas Hardy's doomed hero in a few words. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. Lewis and Chris Van Allsburg. The quote above reflects King's casual, conversational style. If you're wondering why the full line isn't quoted, trust us, it's for the best. See how many of these iconic first lines you knowor make an educated guess for the ones you dont! In the November/December 2018 issue, the back-page "Potpourri for the Pen" column featured a matching game in which readers had to match the first lines of famous books to their titles. After all, we're not savages.". ", "We've got to have rules and to obey them. Never let it be said that Charles Dickens was afraid of a long pileup of descriptive phrases! Ill give you the opening line from a classic novel, and you identify which book it comes from. 'An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story', Stephen King once said. To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth. Trivia Night Games to Raise More Money at Your Trivia Fundraiser, How to Set Up a Trivia Night + Trivia Night Rules, Fundraising Tips to Help Your Organization Succeed, Lit Bits: American Literature Trivia Quiz #181, AUDIO: TV Theme Quiz for Trivia Night #200, Famous Addresses: Unique Trivia About Addresses (Real & Fictional) #171, Catholic Quiz: Catholic Trivia Questions #162. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. Johnny Cade says this to his friend, the narrator Ponyboy Curtis, on his deathbed. "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember, it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." "Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.". "The sky above the port was the colour of television, tuned to a dead channel.". Neverland became a world-famous place thanks to J.M. All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Here's a helpful hint: though you might see a book used more than once in the answer options (there are choices for each quote), no book will be the right answer more than once. Thomas Pynchon published the post-World War II novel "Gravity's Rainbow" in 1973. The character of Celie took those words seriously, as the novel by Alice Walker includes many letters to God about her life. Charlotte Bronte's beloved novel takes place at Thornfield Hall, where Jane works as a governess. START QUIZ If you really want to hear about it, the first thing youll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I dont feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.". "Jane Eyre," an 1847 novel by Charlotte Bronte, followed the ups and downs of the life of a dynamic woman named Jane. Eighteen episodes make up "Ulysses," the groundbreaking novel by James Joyce. 3. But with others, there isn't one clear winner. Or what. 2. Take the famous first lines of books quiz to find out how many you can identify correctly. Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. "The sun did not shine. I havent read anything by Catherine Gaskin, but from poking around, she looks like an interesting author! "But his dreams were as gigantic as his surroundings were small.". It's one of the lines that stick in readers' memories, along with, "The children of the night what music they make! Written by Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Peter Rabbit was a 56-page book published in 1902. Sophies mummy said 'I wonder who that could be?'". "In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.". It was the first in the series which inspired the Madeline media franchise. It was awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction. Black boys in white suits up before me to commit sex acts in the hall and get it mopped up before I can catch them. Bear Country 3. ", Charles Johnson writes of a man who unwittingly boards a slave ship to avoid a forced marriage in "Middle Passage. In a book by Leo Tolstoy, the first line is "Happy families are all alike, every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security. But what sort of vermin did he turn into? Written by Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events is a series of 13 children's novels. "Sophie had waited all her life to be kidnapped.". "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Nothing too obscure, though, I promise. Sidebar: does the placement of the commas look wrong to you, like it does to us? J.R.R. "Definitions belong to the definers, not the defined.". "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.". For this quiz, we've picked what we feel is the best-known, most-quoted line. "Catch-22" is a novel about World War II pilots. If you want to stay alive, though, you've got to say that stuff.". Spoiler alert: The "we're not savages" thing proves to be wrong. You'll have to read Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis" to find out. Tolkien, The Hobbit was published in 1937 in the United Kingdom. Your email address will not be published. Which novel begins with this line: "Call me Ishmael"? "When you wish that a Saturday was actually a Monday, you know there is something seriously wrong.". She followed it up with "Little Men" and "Jo's Boys. Famous first lines of books quiz: You are given the opening line of classic novels, you have to answer which classic novel it is. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness". ", This quote is from the "Manual of Muad'Dib" in Frank Herbert's sci-fi classic. Hosting by Black Chicken Floral designs by Judith Glover Book and tea cup illustration by Anna Carnes. "David Copperfield" opens with one of the most powerful lines ever summoned by Charles Dickens. It is 541 pages long. All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. Good suggestions! "It was the day my grandmother exploded.". When you're going you think it's a big deal, but when it's over, nobody really thinks it's great unless they're beered up.". Wuthering Heights by Emily Bront Tom Jones by Henry Fielding Dracula by Bram Stoker Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 5. "There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb and he almost deserved it. "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.". If you consider yourself a capital-R Reader, put yourself to the test with this guess the book quiz. This line comes late in Stephenie Meyer's first novel. So what you're saying is that the deck is stacked against you, eh, Pip? This realistic wartime account details the Lost Generation, or the boys who turned into men during World War I. Bronte used weather regularly throughout the novel to indicate Jane's moods. "You better not never tell nobody but God. "It was an afternoon in late September. "Once there was a little girl called Sophie. (We can't tell you the answers here; you'll run across all three in the quiz). Paulo Coelho's book about following one's "personal legend" has become a deeply polarizing book. Can you identify these classic first lines from literature? As a book lover, it brings me great delight that Im married to another book lover. 'An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story', Stephen King once said. They deal with the infamous Dust Bowl, and such hardships as little money and shelter. In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains. Undoubtedly, these famous quotes ring a bell. This opening line also goes down as one of the longest, because it continues quite a while before the inevitable period. From Bridget Jones to Apocalypse Now to Conversations With Friends, books have been used onscreen to tell us more about characters or just make a brilliant in-joke. Take the famous first lines of books quiz to find out how many you can identify correctly. "It was love at first sight. All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Published in 2013, The School for Good and Evil was written by Soman Chainani. The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald) David Copperfield (Charles Dickens) Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury) Robinson Crusoe (Daniel Defoe) 1984 (George Orwell) Catch-22 (Joseph Heller) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Ken Kesey) Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) More book trivia. What did Harper Lee have against blue jays?! "Not every 13-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial and found guilty.". The first time Yossarian saw the chaplain he fell madly in love with him.". . The Thief was a fantasy novel written by Megan Whalen Turner. This was the first novel of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. In Bram Stoker's book, this line appears first in German, then is translated into English. On an emotional scale of 1 to 10, the characters of "Wuthering Heights" are always operating at an 11. Famous First Lines - 10 questions - 4 mins "Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy.". "Beloved" is the harrowing story of a mother who kills her daughter rather than have her grow up a slave in the pre-emancipation South. Here are some you may have missed. Famous First Lines Book Trivia Quiz Category Number: 180 Text, Audio, or Picture Round? How well do you know the famous opening lines mentioned in this quiz? In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.. The black humor of "Catch-22" made Joseph Heller one of the most highly regarded authors of the past century. "I will live in the past, the present and the future!". In The Hobbit, what sort of creature is Smaug? Classic Children's Book Trivia Questions and Answers 1. It's amazing to consider that this melancholy line, the last of "Gatsby," was written when Scott Fitzgerald was only 26. START QUIZ "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness." "A Tale of Two Cities" "Gone With the Wind" "Anna Karenina" "Call me Ishmael." "The Old Man and the Sea" "Moby-Dick" "Treasure Island" "You better not never tell nobody but God. Countries of the World. But they all work together to make the reader understand why brazenly dishonest propaganda is called "Orwellian. And take this quiz to get matched to your ideal fictional vacation destination! "The Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie. Recommended for grades: 9,10,11 Average agony Dec 14 20 3022 plays 5. Jude wants to be an architect, but England's class system - and misfortune in love - stand in his way. "The first place that I can well remember was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it.". Very fun post! You might disagree with one or two of our picks; if so, tell us your choice in the comments. "On the morning I was scheduled to die, a large barefoot man with a bushy red beard waddled past my house.". Salinger is banned in many libraries for profanity, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual content and violence. We give the first lines, can you name the books? Im banking on the fact that if youre reading this, you are probably somewhat of a book nerd yourself. It was first released in the United Kingdom. This is Ebenezer Scrooge's conclusion, after he learns some important life lessons in "A Christmas Carol." ", Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security. Take this first lines from books quiz to see how many first sentences you know! Lima Beans 4. Sample Easy Question: It was a pleasure to burn. For each of these book trivia questions, your players will be shown a first line of a book and then they will name the book. "Here is Edward Bear, coming down the stairs now, bump bump bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin". All that cold, cold, wet day.".