Here are five questions about the opening lines of books.
One
In a hole in the ground there lived a …. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a …-hole, and that means comfort.
What one word has been omitted from the above opening lines which were first published in 1937?
Two
The story so far: in the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.
The second book of an unusual trilogy begins with the above lines. What is the title of this book? How many books did the creator of this work write in the ‘trilogy’?
Three
It was a pleasure to …
In Ray Bradbury’ Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag, the protagonist, was responsible for the opening sentence. What four-letter word completes it?
Four
Stately, plump … came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.
Who was the subject of this opening sentence (the name has been removed from the above quote) from Ulysses by James Joyce?
Five
LOG ENTRY: SOL 6 I’m pretty much fucked. That’s my considered opinion. Fucked. — The Martian by Andy Weir
The opening lines of The Martian are displayed above. Who was the American astronaut writing this log entry?
The person known as the Man in the Iron Mask was an unidentified prisoner of state during Louis XIV’s reign. His imprisonment was kept secret, leading to a long-lasting legend about his identity. Warranted for arrest on 19 July 1669 as ‘Eustache Dauger’, he was apprehended near Calais on 28 July, incarcerated on 24 August, and held for 34 years in four successive French prisons, including the Bastille. He died there on 19 November 1703, and his burial certificate bore the name of ‘Marchioly’, leading historians to conclude he was Italian diplomat Ercole Antonio Mattioli.
Two
Complete this Nevil Shute novel’s title: On the …?
Answer: Beach
Nevil Shute’s 1957 apocalyptic novel On the Beach follows a diverse group of people in Melbourne as they brace for the arrival of deadly radiation from the Northern Hemisphere. This radiation follows a nuclear war that occurred some years earlier. As the radiation draws nearer each character grapples with their impending death in their own unique way.
Three
In what story did John Le Carre first introduce the character of George Smiley?
Answer: Call for the Dead
John le Carré’s first novel, Call for the Dead (1961), introduces George Smiley and the fictional ‘Circus‘ based on MI6.
Four
What author was accused of obscenity after the 1915 publication of The Rainbow?
Answer: D.H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence’s novel The Rainbow, first published by Methuen & Co. in 1915, explores three generations of the Brangwen family in Nottinghamshire. It delves into their individual struggles for growth and fulfilment within the constraints of English social life. Lawrence’s Women in Love (1920) is the sequel and continues the story of the Brangwen family.
Five
TRUE! — nervous — very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?
Who wrote the short story which opens with the above sentence?
Answer: Edgar Allan Poe
TRUE! — nervous — very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses — not destroyed — not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily — how calmly I can tell you the whole story. — First paragraph of The Tell-Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe, 1843. Poe Stories
The Tell-Tale Heart is a short story about a narrator who murders an old man with a “vulture-eye” and hides the body. The narrator’s sanity is questioned as they hear a thumping sound, believing it to be the dead man’s beating heart.
Thomas Hart Benton’s 1948 painting Poker Night depicts a scene from which Tennessee Williams play?
Answer: A Streetcar Named Desire
Two
What skill can be called funambulism?
Answer: Tightrope walking
Three
A ribauldequin was a type of musical instrument. Is this true or false?
Answer: False
It was a type of multiple barrelled gun
Four
The Taj Mahal is located on the south bank of what river?
Answer: Yamuna
The Taj Mahal, an ivory-white marble mausoleum in Agra, India, was commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1631 to house the tomb of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
Five
Who is the world’s best-selling fiction writer?
Answer: Agatha Christie
The world’s best-selling fiction writer is the late Dame Agatha Christie (née Miller, later Lady Mallowan, 1890–1976), whose 78 crime novels have sold an estimated 2 billion copies in 44 languages. Agatha Christie (UK) also wrote 19 plays and, under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, six romantic novels. Royalty earnings are estimated to be worth millions per year.
Who was the first astronaut to drive a Lunar Rover on the Moon’s surface?
Answer: David Scott
Between July 30 and August 2, 1971, David Scott, commander of Apollo 15, drove the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV-1) for 3 hours and 2 minutes. These journeys covered A total of 17.25 miles (27.76 km) across the lunar surface. Apollo 15(LRV-1) 17.25 miles (27.76 km) 3 h 02 min 7.75 miles (12.47 km) 3.1 miles (5.0 km)
Two
What, in Roman numerals, is the sum of LXXXIV and DCCLIX?
Answer: DCCCXLIII
LXXXIV =
L = 50
XXX = 30
IV = 4 → 50 + 30 + 4 = 84
DCCLIX =
D = 500
CC = 200
L = 50
IX = 9 → 500 + 200 + 50 + 9 = 759
84 + 759 = 843
Convert 843 to Roman numerals:
800 = DCCC
40 = XL
3 = III
→ 843 = DCCCXLIII
Three
John F. Kennedy had a dog called Dunker. What breed was it?
Answer: Dachshund
The Dachshund is a small, long-bodied dog breed originally developed in Germany to hunt badgers. The name literally means ‘badger dog’—Dachs = badger, Hund = dog. They’re often called ‘sausage dogs’ because of their shape.
Four
Which character in a work by Alexandre Dumas was possibly inspired by the vengeful shoemaker Pierre Picaud of Nîmes?
Answer: Edmond Dantes, The Count of Monte Cristo
Pierre Picaud, a shoemaker from Nîmes, is believed to have inspired Edmond Dantès, the protagonist of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Picaud’s story is strikingly similar to that of Dantès. In the early 19th century, Picaud was wrongfully imprisoned due to the betrayal of his friends and his fiancée. During his imprisonment in the Château d’If, he met an old man who shared with him knowledge of treasure hidden on the island of Monte Cristo. Upon his release, Picaud used this treasure to exact revenge on those who had wronged him, much like Edmond Dantès does in Dumas’ novel. This story of Picaud’s life—his unjust imprisonment, subsequent escape, and thirst for vengeance—closely mirrors the narrative of The Count of Monte Cristo.
Five
Please list the US states whose names start with the letter ‘M’?
Answer: Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri and Montana
Bart Mancuso (Scott Glenn), commander USS Dallas, The Hunt for Red October. Image Jack Ryan Fandom
One
American novelist Tom Clancy died today in 2013. The film adaptation (1990) of his novel The Hunt for Red October (1984) featured who in the role of Jack Ryan and what was the name of the American Los Angeles-class attack submarine skippered by Commander Bart Mancuso?
Answer: Alec Baldwin and USS Dallas
The Hunt for Red October chronicles the efforts of CIA analyst Jack Ryan to prove that Soviet submarine Captain Marko Ramius is not attempting to attack the US but is instead defecting to the United States with the Soviet Union’s cutting-edge ballistic missile submarine, the Red October. The story, adapted from Tom Clancy’s novel of the same name, portrays a dangerous geopolitical game of cat and mouse as both the Soviet and American navies attempt to locate the advanced, stealthy submarine, fearing a nuclear confrontation if Ramius’ intentions are misunderstood.
Two
On this date, who became the first queen to rule England in her own right?
Answer: Mary I
Mary I, England’s first queen ruling in her own right, earned the nickname Bloody Mary for her persecution of Protestants to restore Roman Catholicism. Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, became Queen of England and Ireland in 1553. Her attempts to restore Catholicism, including the Marian persecutions, were largely unsuccessful and her reign ended with her death in 1558.
Three
Yosemite National Park was established in 1890 by the US Congress. Two questions: in what US state is Yosemite National Park located, and what other US National Park in that state straddles the Nevada border?
Answer: California and Death Valley National Park
Yosemite National Park is located in California. Nevada boasts two national parks: Great Basin National Park and Death Valley National Park. Death Valley extends across both California and Nevada.
The ‘Thrilla in Manila‘ was a 1975 prizefight between which two prizefighters?
Answer: Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier
Muhammad Ali defeated Joe Frazier in the 14th round of their third boxing match, the ‘Thrilla in Manila’, on 1 October 1975. The fight, considered one of the greatest in boxing history, was watched by an estimated 1 billion viewers.
Paddy O’Neil (Richard Harris), Patriot Games. Image Jack Ryan Fandom
Five
Which Irish actor, born in 1930, played Paddy O’Neil in Patriot Games (1992) and Marcus Aurelius in Gladiator (2000)?
Answer: Richard Harris
Irish actor and singer Richard Harris, known for his roles in films like This Sporting Life, The Field, and Gladiator, received numerous accolades including a Cannes Film Festival Award and a Grammy Award. He also gained acclaim for his role as Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films. He also topped the music charts with MacArthur Park reaching number one in Australia, Canda and Jamaica; and top-ten entries in the UK, US and Ireland.
American novelist Tom Clancy died today in 2013. The film adaptation (1990) of his novel The Hunt for Red October (1984) featured who in the role of Jack Ryan and what was the name of the American Los Angeles-class attack submarine skippered by Commander Bart Mancuso?
Two
On this date, who became the first queen to rule England in her own right?
Three
Yosemite National Park was established in 1890 by the US Congress. Two questions: in what US state is Yosemite National Park located, and what other US National Park in that state straddles the Nevada border?
Four
The ‘Thrilla in Manila‘ was a 1975 prizefight between which two prizefighters?
Five
Which Irish actor, born in 1930, played Paddy O’Neil in Patriot Games (1992) and Marcus Aurelius in Gladiator (2000)?
Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, 1961. Image Wikipedia
One
In the 1961 comedy Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Audrey Hepburn stars as Holly Golightly. Born on this date in 1924, who wrote the novella that inspired the film?
Answer: Truman Capote
Truman Capote’s 1958 novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s is set in 1940s New York City’s Upper East Side. It follows a writer’s recollections of his neighbour Holly Golightly and her life in Manhattan. While based on the novella, the film’s screenplay deviates from the book’s original storyline.
Two
In an attempt to appease Adolf Hitler, Great Britain and France agreed to Hitler’s demand for the annexation of the Sudetenland, a region in what former country?
Answer: Czechoslovakia
The Munich Agreement, signed on September 30, 1938, was a settlement reached by Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy that allowed for the German annexation of the Sudetenland, a region in western Czechoslovakia. This agreement was part of the policy of appeasement, where European powers aimed to prevent war by conceding to some of Adolf Hitler’s territorial demands. The Czechoslovak government was not consulted during the negotiations and was forced to accept the terms. The agreement is often criticized for emboldening Hitler, as it failed to prevent further aggression, leading to the occupation of the rest of Czechoslovakia and eventually World War II.
…professional tennis player who became the youngest person in the “open” era to win a Grand Slam singles title and the youngest to be ranked world number one. In her relatively short, injury-plagued career, she won five Grand Slam singles titles—the Australian Open (1997, 1998, 1999), Wimbledon (1997), and the United States Open (1997).
This quote refers to a tennis player born in 1980 in Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia). Who is she?
Answer: Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis, who was named after Martina Navratilova, was introduced to sports by her tennis-playing parents and excelled in skiing and tennis from a young age. After moving to Switzerland, she became the youngest Grand Slam junior titleholder at 12. Hingis turned professional at 14, becoming the youngest player to win a Grand Slam match and the youngest Wimbledon doubles champion. The WTA later restricted participation for young players.
Following World War II, Germany was divided into four zones controlled by the British, French, Americans and Russians. Berlin, completely encircled by the Russian zone, was also partitioned. Image Wikipedia
Four
Today in 1949, an airlift delivering 2,323,738 tons of food, fuel, machinery, and other supplies was officially ended. To what city was this relief supplied?
Answer: West Berlin
The Berlin Blockade (1948-49) was a Soviet attempt to force the Western Allies out of West Berlin by severing all land and water routes. In retaliation, the US and Britain launched the Berlin Airlift to deliver supplies to the city by air. This airlift symbolised the Allies’ unwavering commitment to resisting Soviet expansion. successfully supplying the city for 15 months. The operation, involving over 250,000 flights, underscored the ideological divide between East and West and solidified West Berlin’s alignment with the US and Britain.
Five
An opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart premiered in Austria on this day in 1791. According to Encyclopædia Britannica, ‘It is an allegory of the quest for wisdom and enlightenment presented through Freemasonry symbols’. What is the opera?
The Magic Flute
Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute, is an allegory of the quest for wisdom and enlightenment, rich with Masonic symbolism. The libretto, believed to draw from various sources including medieval romance and Freemasonry, was written by Emanuel Schikaneder, a close friend of Mozart.
See question 4 above. ‘A U.S. Air Force Douglas C-54 Skymaster making a “Little Vittles” candy drop (note the parachutes below the tail of the C-54) on approach to a Berlin airfield. Aircrews dropped candy to children during the Berlin Airlift.’ Image Wikipedia
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