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Salinger J D Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Salinger J D Quizzes, Trivia

J. D. Salinger Trivia

J. D. Salinger Trivia Quizzes

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Jerome David Salinger was perhaps as well known for his reclusive lifestyle as he was for his writing, despite the fact that 'The Catcher in the Rye' gained instant success when it was published in 1951.
22 quizzes and 265 trivia questions.
1.
  Multiple Choice Quiz about The Catcher In The Rye   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
This quiz deals with one of the more controversial books of the 20th Century. I ask not to use this quiz as a crutch. Read this classic book and fill in the banks this quiz will leave you.
Average, 15 Qns, Oddball, Jun 12 22
Recommended for grades: 9,10,11
Average
Oddball
Jun 12 22
8584 plays
2.
  Franny and Zooey    
Classification Quiz
 10 Qns
Besides "The Catcher in the Rye", J.D. Salinger wrote stories and novellas like "Franny and Zooey". In this quiz, match the quote with the character who said it: Franny (a female student) or Zooey (a male actor). Good luck!
Average, 10 Qns, Lpez, Feb 23 23
Average
Lpez gold member
Feb 23 23
41 plays
3.
  Holden as the "Catcher in the Rye"    
Multiple Choice
 25 Qns
Hey everyone! I hope this "Catcher in the Rye" quiz is challenging and fun for everyone.
Average, 25 Qns, andrea704, Jun 13 22
Average
andrea704
Jun 13 22
2754 plays
4.
  The Catcher in the Rye: The Beginning    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
"The Catcher in the Rye" is definitely a literary masterpiece. Take a look at some of what happens in the first chapters of J.D. Salinger's book. Good luck!
Average, 10 Qns, Lpez, Sep 26 13
Average
Lpez gold member
2078 plays
5.
  A Perfect Day for Bananafish   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A general quiz on one of J. D. Salinger's most well-known short stories. The quiz contains some spoilers if you haven't read the story. Best of luck.
Average, 10 Qns, Triviaballer, Dec 28 14
Average
Triviaballer gold member
1197 plays
6.
  The Glass Family   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Some questions about Salinger's endlessly fascinating characters.
Average, 10 Qns, wylie6, Apr 15 09
Average
wylie6 gold member
313 plays
7.
  Phonies, flits & hot-shots: Salinger's "Catcher"   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
If you really want to know about it, you should try this dopey quiz, for god's sakes. It's about "Catcher in the Rye". Old Salinger. He's this terrific WRITER and all.
Tough, 10 Qns, coolupway, Dec 15 07
Tough
coolupway
2298 plays
8.
  "Just Before the War with the Eskimos" by Salinger    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz tests players' knowledge of one of Salinger's unique short stories from the collection "Nine Stories". Best of luck!
Average, 10 Qns, Triviaballer, Apr 02 08
Average
Triviaballer gold member
469 plays
9.
  What Would Seymour Do?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Seymour Glass: poet, visionary, tragic hero, and a key character in JD Salinger's Glass family stories. See how much you know about him.
Difficult, 10 Qns, Kankurette, Jul 28 13
Difficult
Kankurette gold member
410 plays
10.
  'Catcher in the Rye' Quiz    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Hey Everyone! Are you ready to test your knowledge of 'Catcher in the Rye'? Have Fun!
Average, 10 Qns, SSplash85, Jun 14 19
Average
SSplash85
Jun 14 19
3171 plays
trivia question Quick Question
Where is Holden throughout the novel?

From Quiz "Holden as the "Catcher in the Rye""




11.
  The Catcher in the Rye Test    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
"The Catcher in The Rye" is a classic by J. D. Salinger, and is my favorite book.
Average, 10 Qns, portgleep, Jan 05 08
Average
portgleep
1495 plays
12.
  Holden Caulfield: The Man, The Myth, The Legend    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Holden Caulfield, the protagonist in J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" has many sides to him. Let's see how well you know everyone's favorite rebel.
Average, 10 Qns, Teensleuth, Jun 04 23
Average
Teensleuth
Jun 04 23
363 plays
13.
  Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a quiz about J.D. Salinger's story "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters"
Tough, 10 Qns, B.U., Sep 08 08
Tough
B.U.
241 plays
14.
  "Franny and Zooey"    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
"Franny and Zooey" is a book written by J.D. Salinger, a prolific writer of the 60's known for his characters searching for something more to life and spirituality.
Average, 10 Qns, samarayum, Dec 28 03
Average
samarayum
730 plays
15.
  10 Questions on The Catcher in the Rye    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
J.D. Salinger's novel sparked controversy in the 1950s with its profanity and pessimistic outlook on life. Did you pay attention in school, if you were allowed to read the book?
Average, 10 Qns, bigox, Dec 10 06
Average
bigox
3083 plays
16.
  "The Catcher In the Rye" for the Hardcore    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
How many times have you read J. D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye"? Here's a quiz for true Holden Caulfield aficionados.
Average, 10 Qns, lacraig, Jan 05 16
Average
lacraig
1258 plays
17.
  Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye:" minor characters    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
There is at least one minor character introduced in each of the twenty-six chapters. The following questions are about characters who might have been forgotten.
Tough, 10 Qns, CaptainThought, Feb 02 10
Tough
CaptainThought
340 plays
18.
  Catcher In The Rye    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a quiz on the best book ever written. Have fun!
Tough, 10 Qns, Blinkgreday, Jul 29 14
Tough
Blinkgreday
2214 plays
19.
  Difficult The Catcher in the Rye Trivia    
Multiple Choice
 25 Qns
"The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger has become a permanent staple not only in the 7th Grade English Curriculum, but also in a generation of people that know exactly what it is trying to say.
Difficult, 25 Qns, Bernstein, Nov 14 10
Difficult
Bernstein
1376 plays
20.
  What do you know about The Catcher in the Rye?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz on the classic novel by J.D. Salinger.
Average, 10 Qns, nat_mermaid, Jun 11 08
Average
nat_mermaid
679 plays
21.
  Dead Author Tribute- J.D. Salinger    
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
This is a quiz on the works of J.D. Salinger.
Tough, 20 Qns, neigh101, Feb 25 23
Tough
neigh101
Feb 25 23
159 plays
22.
  Works of J D Salinger    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Come out of seclusion, J D!
Average, 10 Qns, hornmafia, Jun 04 23
Average
hornmafia
Jun 04 23
1050 plays
Related Topics
  Contemporary Literature and Fiction [Literature] (22 quizzes)


J. D. Salinger Trivia Questions
1. Holden Caulfield, the main character, is a sixteen year-old teen with quite a lot of problems. One of them, described right at the start of the book, is that he is being expelled from his school. Which school is he being expelled from?

From Quiz The Catcher in the Rye: The Beginning

Answer: Pencey Prep

Holden, as he says, "got the axe" and was expelled from Pencey Prep, as he was flunking four out of five subjects, all subjects except for English. He had also been kicked out from Whooton School and Elkton Hills in the past. Pencey Prep is an exclusive school in Agerstown, Pennsylvania, a fictional town.

2. When Seymour was having dinner with his fiancée and her mother, what did he claim he wanted to be?

From Quiz What Would Seymour Do?

Answer: A dead cat

When Buddy is in his and Seymour's apartment in 'Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters', he reads some of the entries in Seymour's diary. One of the entries mentions him going out for a meal with Muriel and Mrs. Fedder, her mother, and claims that Mrs. Fedder 'has been haunted for days' after she asked Seymour what he was going to do when he left the Army, and he responded with the above comment, which she wrote off as a joke. His reason for making the comment is that, according to a Zen Buddhist master, a dead cat is the most valuable thing in the world, as no-one can put a price on it.

3. In "Down at the Dingy" how does Boo Boo get her son to come out of the boat?

From Quiz Dead Author Tribute- J.D. Salinger

Answer: she tells him that, when Daddy comes home, they'll all go for a ride

They have a boat that they never use. The kid decides to go and sit in it and won't come out.

4. When the book opens, where is Holden telling the story from?

From Quiz Holden Caulfield: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Answer: A mental hospital

Holden is speaking to the reader while he is in a mental hospital. D.B. visits Holden on weekends, and he should be released soon. It is never revealed why he was brought there.

5. Name the mother of the family.

From Quiz The Glass Family

Answer: Bessie

In "Raise High the Room Beam, Carpenters," we are told that Bessie's maiden name was Gallagher. Her husband's name was Les. (Did you see Les Glass?)

6. At the beginning of the story, who is in the room with Seymour and Buddy?

From Quiz Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters

Answer: Franny

Franny was in the room with Seymour and Buddy one night was when Seymour was 17, and Buddy was 15, Franny was in their room because it was the only uncontaminated room in the house during the mumps epidemic.

7. What illness does Mr. Spencer have when Holden visits him?

From Quiz The Catcher in the Rye

Answer: Grippe

Mr. Spencer taught Holden history while he attended Pencey Prep.

8. What activity had Ginnie and Selena just completed at the beginning of the story "Just Before the War with the Eskimos"?

From Quiz "Just Before the War with the Eskimos" by Salinger

Answer: They had just finished playing tennis.

Ginnie and Selena had played tennis five straight Saturday mornings at the East Side Courts. Ginnie considered Selena to be the biggest "drip" at their school, but she didn't know anyone as dependable for bringing a fresh can of tennis balls.

9. How much did Holden Caulfield's red hunting hat cost?

From Quiz The Catcher in the Rye

Answer: "a buck"

When he tells his dormmate Ackley this, Ackley replies, "You got robbed." Holden keeps his hat with him throughout the book.

10. Pency Prep claimed it molded its students into what?

From Quiz "The Catcher In the Rye" for the Hardcore

Answer: Splendid, clear-thinking young men

Holden Caulfield disputed the claim.

11. Within what Salinger work or compilation is "A Perfect Day for Bananafish"?

From Quiz A Perfect Day for Bananafish

Answer: Nine Stories

"Nine Stories" was originally published in 1953. Along with "A Perfect Day for Bananafish", the compilation includes "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut", "Just Before the War with the Eskimos", "The Laughing Man", "Down at the Dinghy", "For Esme--with Love and Squalor", "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes", "De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period", and "Teddy".

12. What is Holden's brother's profession?

From Quiz Holden as the "Catcher in the Rye"

Answer: writer

"He used to be just a regular writer, when he was home. Now he's out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute. If there's one thing I hate, it's the movies. Don't even mention them to me." D.B. isn't a real prostitute, but Holden calls him one because he is selling himself to the movie industry.

13. What book was in Franny's bag?

From Quiz "Franny and Zooey"

Answer: "The Way of the Pilgrim"

"The Way of the Pilgrim" is an overdue library book that Franny has in her bag.

14. Blowhard Pencey grad who made "a pot of dough" in the cut-rate undertaking business, and had a wing of the school named after him.

From Quiz Phonies, flits & hot-shots: Salinger's "Catcher"

Answer: Ossenburger

He made a speech in chapel that lasted "about ten hours". While he was telling the preppies "what a swell guy he was, what a hot-shot and all", Edgar Marsalla interrupted him with a bit of gaseous effluence. Holden: "It was a very crude thing to do... but it was also quite amusing".

15. What is the name of Holden's little brother?

From Quiz 'Catcher in the Rye' Quiz

Answer: Allie

Allie was his little brother that died of cancer.

16. Who is the main character in 'Catcher in the Rye'?

From Quiz Works of J D Salinger

Answer: Holden Caulfield

17. Holden Caulfield attends Pencey Prep. What state is the school located in?

From Quiz The Catcher in the Rye

Answer: Pennsylvania

Pencey is in Agerstown, PA.

18. In Chapter 2, Holden decides to visit his teacher, Mr. Spencer, before he leaves. Spencer is at home when Holden shows up. Which subject does Mr. Spencer teach?

From Quiz The Catcher in the Rye: The Beginning

Answer: History

Mr. Spencer, or as Holden calls him, "Old Spencer", was very sick that day, which Holden described as disgusting as he "isn't too crazy about sick people". Even though Holden flunked History, he kind of likes Mr. Spencer, and vice versa. Spencer even tells him he didn't want to flunk Holden but had to, and he shows him a test Holden took, in which Holden wrote a little note telling Spencer that although his lectures are interesting, he just can't get interested.

19. In "Teddy" why can we assume that Teddy predicted his own death?

From Quiz Dead Author Tribute- J.D. Salinger

Answer: he knew the pool would be empty

Teddy suggests, to Nicholson, that Booper would push him into the pool at their swimming lesson and the pool would turn out to be empty so he would crack his head open and die. After he leaves for his swimming lesson, Nicholson goes down to the pool and hears a scream surrounded by hollow walls. A kid must have peed in the pool earlier or something and they had to empty it. Teddy might have jumped into the empty pool, instead of being pushed, but he still knew it would be empty.

20. At Whooton, who thought the trouble with Holden was he didn't go church?

From Quiz Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye:" minor characters

Answer: Arthur Childs

Arthur was a Quaker who was always reading the Bible. He believed Judas went to hell for betraying Jesus. Holden didn't think so.

21. In this story, whose wedding does Buddy attend?

From Quiz Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters

Answer: Seymour's

Buddy attends Seymour's wedding in 1942, at which in the end Seymour doesn't show up. Bessie is Buddy's mother, Boo Boo is his sister who couldn't come to the wedding and has asked Buddy to go to the wedding, Zooey is twelve years old at that time so neither of them got married. Buddy hardly got the permission to come.

22. What annoyance did Ginnie finally confront Selena about in "Just Before the War with the Eskimos"?

From Quiz "Just Before the War with the Eskimos" by Salinger

Answer: Ginnie always had to pay the whole cab fare.

Ginnie suggested that they take the bus home but Selena insisted that they take a taxi. Ginnie informed Selena that she owed her $1.90 to pay for her portion of the cab rides.

23. What is the name of Holden's sister?

From Quiz The Catcher in the Rye

Answer: Phoebe

He also has an older brother D.B., a writer in Hollywood, and a recently dead younger brother, Allie.

24. Holden had what kind of luggage?

From Quiz "The Catcher In the Rye" for the Hardcore

Answer: Mark Cross

Holden believed it was hard to make friends with somebody when his luggage was better than theirs.

25. The story begins with Muriel attempting to place a call to her mother in New York. However, she is forced to wait over two hours because 97 men of what profession are monopolizing the long-distance lines at the hotel?

From Quiz A Perfect Day for Bananafish

Answer: Advertising

Although Muriel had to wait that long to place the call, the story describes her as "a girl who for a ringing phone dropped exactly nothing". It wasn't until the fifth or sixth ring that she actually picked up the phone.

26. What is the name of Robert Ackley's roommate?

From Quiz The Catcher in the Rye

Answer: Herb Gale

According to Holden, not even Herb Gale, his roommate, ever called him by anything other then Ackley. There's a possible error in the book - later on, after Holden has his fight with Stradlater, he goes into Ackley's room and asks if he can sleep on *Ely's* bed.

27. What is the only class that Holden is not failing?

From Quiz Holden as the "Catcher in the Rye"

Answer: English

Holden is talking with Mr. Spencer: "How many subjects did you carry this term?" "Five, sir." "Five. And how many are you failing in?" "Four. I passed English alright."

28. What restaurant do Franny and Lane eat at?

From Quiz "Franny and Zooey"

Answer: Sickler's

Sickler's is the "hang out" for the college kids in that town.

29. What novel by Charles Dickens does Holden mention in the first line of the book?

From Quiz Catcher In The Rye

Answer: David Copperfield

The whole first line is: 'If you really want to know 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 were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.'

30. What does Stradlater ask Holden to do for him?

From Quiz 'Catcher in the Rye' Quiz

Answer: Write his English composition for him

Holden ends up writing the composition about his brother's baseball mitt.

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