The full quote reads like a paragraph; it's an astounding 119 words long. Can you guess these famous first lines from classic books? Use this quiz to find out which novels universe youre best suited to. See how many of these iconic first lines you knowor make an educated guess for the ones you dont! Generations of children and adults have since taken it to their hearts. ", This quote is from the "Manual of Muad'Dib" in Frank Herbert's sci-fi classic. "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.". It was 226 pages and published in 1990. Good luck! First Lines Of Books Quiz! | Beano.com Its illustrations were by Robert Lawson. (We can't tell you the answers here; you'll run across all three in the quiz). The quote above reflects King's casual, conversational style. Once upon a time there was a lion, a witch, and a wardrobe. Neverland became a world-famous place thanks to J.M. I want to add so many of those book to my TBR right now just based on their first line! Why Did the Titanic Have so Few Lifeboats? Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress. Written by Geoffrey Trease, Cue for Treason was published in 1940. Sylvia Plath wrote just one novel, a bleak book called "The Bell Jar," before she committed suicide. Tolkien wrote "The Hobbit" for his children. Famous First Lines Book Trivia Quiz Be sure to cry at your own mother's funeral or else. Ergo, you may enjoy the challenge of testing your literary knowledge! "But his dreams were as gigantic as his surroundings were small.". Ding-dong, ding-dong.". Hypocrisy takes center stage in Sinclair Lewis' "Elmer Gantry," a collision of morality and human nature. "Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.". Ill give you the opening line from a classic novel, and you identify which book it comes from. And take this quiz to get matched to your ideal fictional vacation destination! Novel by Opening Lines Quiz - Sporcle pat says. 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. For this quiz, we've picked what we feel is the best-known, most-quoted line. "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.". You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings. "The past is a foreign country: They do things differently there.". The Boy in the Tower was written by Polly Ho-Yen. Find the US States - No Outlines Minefield. "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville. ", "Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved.". Timed Quiz Game. But they all work together to make the reader understand why brazenly dishonest propaganda is called "Orwellian. 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.. Tolkien, The Hobbit was published in 1937 in the United Kingdom. The odious Eustace was a main character in this sequel to "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. The black humor of "Catch-22" made Joseph Heller one of the most highly regarded authors of the past century. Registered office: 20 Vauxhall Bridge Rd, London,SW1V 2SA, UK. Lewis. "Why didn't you tell me there was danger in men-folk? or as shown below. 3. What did the monsters do with their teeth in Where the Wild Things Are? It was written, of course, by Charles Dickens. All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. ", "I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. 2. Scotland becomes a bewitching and wonderful place in "The Crow Road," an ominous and funny look at human life. "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents . It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. It was published in 1952 by Harper & Brothers. If you're wondering why the full line isn't quoted, trust us, it's for the best. ", Charles Johnson writes of a man who unwittingly boards a slave ship to avoid a forced marriage in "Middle Passage. Gnashed their terrible teeth 2. What is the second Harry Potter book called? The catch in "Catch-22" was that anyone who went to the Army's psychologists asking to be let out of combat missions, based on an irrational fear of them, couldn't be taken off combat duty. The Literary World (Famous Novels) Question: Who wrote Jane Eyre? Take this first lines from books quiz to see how many first sentences you know! Lewis and Chris Van Allsburg. I approve of that reading challenge(: I hope you find some new favourites in the months to come! Some people love it and find it inspirational; others find it misleading and likely to promote self-centeredness. "In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.". "War is peace. "High school isn't a very important place. 3. "It was an afternoon in late September. "Of all the things that drive men to sea, the most common disaster, I've come to learn, is women. Written in 2005 by Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief was the first novel in the Percy Jackson & Olympians series. 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.. Madeline was illustrated and written by Ludwig Bemelmans in 1939. Written by Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was published in 1964. It'd kill your mammy., Alice Walker analyzed the oppression of Southern black women in 1982's "The Color Purple. Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. In the movie, it was moved up to a prologue segment about heroine Bella's near-death. "There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.. 26 . With some books, pretty much everyone agrees on what its most famous line is - this is true of the opening line of "Pride and Prejudice," which you'll find on everything from dishtowels to bookmarks. Literature Quizzes | Britannica Find an interactive version of the activity here, followed by an answer key for the magazine edition. "Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt.". Weekly quiz: Can you guess the classic novel from these iconic first lines? As a new month begins, test your knowledge of the best opening lines in literature. . Popular Quizzes Today. 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. 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. Famous First Lines Book Trivia Quiz Category Number: 180 Text, Audio, or Picture Round? This comes from Stephen King's classic chiller about high-school revenge. This line sums up Thomas Hardy's doomed hero in a few words. But can you actually match them to their books? The Overstory The Nickel Boys The Underground Railroad The Goldfinch 3. In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. Chandler also wrote "Farewell, My Lovely" and "The Lady in the Lake. Fun fact: Angelou wrote and read a poem for Bill Clinton's presidential inauguration. ", "Mother died today. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a gentleman in possession of a fortune, must be in want of a wife.". Here are ten basic books questions to get your trivia juices flowing 1. Click here to read my affiliate policy. In the pleasant city of Stillwater, Mr. Popper, the house painter, was going home from work.". "You dont know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that aint no matter. "Thoughtcrime" is a real problem in "Nineteen Eighty-Four," George Orwell's terrifying and dark novel, which consistently ranks as one of the best of the 20th century. ", "The Big Sleep" is Raymond Chandler's most famous book, introducing his hero, Philip Marlowe. Steinbeck's novel is one of the greatest known in America. "Elmer Gantry was drunk. First Lines of Famous Novels Quiz. Eesh! The Spanish-language novel "Love in the Time of Cholera" was published in English in 1988. Written by Charles Dickens and published in 1843, A Christmas Carols tells the story of the infamous Ebenezer Scrooge. It is considered a children's historical novel set in Elizabethan England at the end of the 16th Century. This realistic wartime account details the Lost Generation, or the boys who turned into men during World War I. Uncle Tom's Cabin (Harriet Beecher Stowe), One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (Ken Kesey). 2. Written by C. S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was a fantasy novel published on October 16, 1950. Famous First Lines - 10 questions - 4 mins Can You Guess the Children's Book From Its First Line? | Zoo Spoiler alert: The "we're not savages" thing proves to be wrong. AND HOW. But what sort of vermin did he turn into? When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere. Play < Autobiographies & Authors 3 Previous. The novel came out in October 1847, only six weeks after it had been accepted for publication. Quiz: Famous First Lines of Books | Booklist Queen 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. It was published in 1971 and had 150 pages. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly.". What else could this be but the late-60s teen classic? Which books opens with this line? Your email address will not be published. Written by Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat was published on March 12, 1957. It was too wet to play. Bronte used weather regularly throughout the novel to indicate Jane's moods. Theyre out there. "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.". First Lines Quiz | Famous First Lines | 10 Questions - Fun Trivia ", The cold passed reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out on the hills, resting.". START QUIZ I got . Find out here if you are in the first rank or an April fool, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, Flashman at the Charge by George Macdonald Fraser, Cities of the Red Night by William Burroughs, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson, The Books of Albion: The Collected Writings of Peter Doherty, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, One Hundred and Twenty Days of Sodom and Other Writings by the Marquis de Sade, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? "The sun did not shine. ', '#d13d50', 'A0A6FP0KU');kofiwidget2.draw(); Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Very fun post! Originally titled "First Impressions," Jane Austen's 1797 novel chronicles the experiences of fictional feminist-before-it-was-cool Elizabeth Bennet. Famous First Lines from Books Quiz As a book lover, it brings me great delight that I'm married to another book lover. Famous First Lines in Novels Quiz By: Nathan Chandler 4 min Image: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images About This Quiz Calling all bookworms: How well do you know literature? Famous First Lines in Novels Quiz | HowStuffWorks First lines quiz | Culture | The Guardian It is 541 pages long. He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf stream and he had gone 84 days now without taking a fish. Which Dickens character says "Please, Sir, I want some more" 5. "Anna Karenina" is his second-most-famous work, overshadowed slightly by "War and Peace. Published in 1938, "Murphy" was Samuel Beckett's exploration of a weird guy named Murphy who hangs out alone in the dark and befriends hookers. 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. It'd kill your mammy." ", This is the first sentence of the famous Tolstoy novel. "What is essential is invisible to the eye.". He was eloquently drunk, lovingly and pugnaciously drunk.". "When you want something, the whole universe conspires to help you get it.". Ken Kesey's strange "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" was made into a hugely successful movie in 1975. Popular Quizzes Today. April 19, 2022 at 1:43 pm. . Sample Hard Question:All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Hosting by Black Chicken Floral designs by Judith Glover Book and tea cup illustration by Anna Carnes. Yup, it's another opening line. ", Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security. Bucket.". Find the US States - No Outlines Minefield. It's going to cost more than one life by the time your mess is cleaned up. The character of Celie took those words seriously, as the novel by Alice Walker includes many letters to God about her life. 4. By signing up, I confirm that I'm over 16. Also, one of the most famous whales. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness". Written by Johanna Spyri, Heidi was first published in 1881 in Switzerland. The 1851 classic by Herman Melville boasts perhaps one of the most famous opening lines of all time. Sample Hard Question:All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. It was published on January 29, 2015. Or maybe, yesterday; I can't be sure.". By Derek As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.. ", Okay, these are three lines. "Sophie had waited all her life to be kidnapped.". "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.". "Ba-room, ba-room, ba-room, baripity, baripity, baripity, baripityGood.". You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the thing you were after.". Honor and duty are explored in "The Good Soldier," written by Ford Madox Ford in 1915. Quiz: Can You Match the First Lines of Famous Books to Their Titles She was having tea with her mummy in the kitchen. If you consider yourself a capital-R Reader, put yourself to the test with this guess the book quiz. In The Hobbit, what sort of creature is Smaug? "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.". Take this quiz now to journey back and test your skills! You'll be pushed to recall the titles that go with the first lines of popular novels from the last ten years. Undoubtedly, these famous quotes ring a bell. "Catch-22" is a novel about World War II pilots. Its such a gift to be able to read from masterful storytellers like these! Less literary and more hilarious, the 1979 story by Douglas Adams begs the question of the meaning of "life, the universe, and everything." You'll have to read Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis" to find out. ", "This is the story of America. It's a fun book trivia category! Famous Opening Lines Quiz - By Repsaj600 - sporcle.com How does 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' begin? There's also a robot named Marvin, which is cool. Can you identify these classic first lines from literature? 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. The following quiz contains the opening lines to 11 classic novels. "Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were looking for a place to live.". 1. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. It was published in 1997. Puff, puff, puff. They deal with the infamous Dust Bowl, and such hardships as little money and shelter. And what better way to fake it than to be able to quote a classic book's most famous line? "From the pleasantly situated old town of Mayenfield a footpath leads up through shady green meadows to the foot of the mountains, which, as they gaze down on the valley, present a solemn and majestic aspect.". Published on June 25, 2013, Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great was written and illustrated by Bob Shea. Can you identify these classic first lines from literature? Published in 2013, The School for Good and Evil was written by Soman Chainani. The classic novel opening-line quiz - BBC Bitesize "In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf.". From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology Do you know which hero took a dip in the River Styx? Charlotte's Web was written by E.B. How well do you know the famous opening lines mentioned in this quiz? Through the fence, between the curling flower spaces, I could see them hitting. First Lines of Famous Novels Quiz - Sporcle Also popular are the later lines about "fear the mind-killer. This book is a perennial classic by poet and memoirist Angelou. Book Opening Lines quiz < General < Literature - Triviaplaza Question: What was the first book in the Harry Potter series? The simple, classic line above is its opening line. She followed it up with "Little Men" and "Jo's Boys. Where do the Berenstain Bears live? Based on its first line, name the book. His insight into the regrets of midlife was remarkable for such a young man. "They say when trouble comes close ranks, and so the white people did.". As terribly as I scored on it, Im glad Ive already been reading more classics! BOOK FIRST LINES QUIZ QUESTIONS, BOOK OPENING LINES - Free Pub Quiz It was awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction.