FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about All at Sea
Quiz about All at Sea

All at Sea Trivia Quiz


Here's a mixture of books which are linked only by having a nautical setting. I hope you don't suffer from seasickness while playing the quiz.

A multiple-choice quiz by rossian. Estimated time: 4 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Literature Trivia
  6. »
  7. Specific Subjects & Themes
  8. »
  9. Ships and Sea Life

Author
rossian
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
392,371
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
377
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Linda_Arizona (7/10), shvdotr (9/10), Guest 90 (5/10).
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. A ship called the 'Hispaniola' appears in which of these novels? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Which author, perhaps better known for another novel set at sea, created the character Billy Budd? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The name Sebastian Junger may not too familiar, but the title of his 1997 book is likely to ring a bell, if only from the film adaptation. Which of these is it? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Which adjective did Nicholas Monsarrat use to describe the sea in his 1951 novel, set during World War II? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. 'We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea' is a book in which series, primarily aimed at children? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Patrick O'Brian's novels, beginning with 'Master and Commander' and set during the Napoleonic Wars, featured which hero? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Although Jack London wrote about the Yukon in several books, a novel published in 1904 is set mainly afloat. The name of which animal, which would be at home in his Yukon novels, forms part of the title? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. 'Captains Courageous' was published in 1897, the creation of which Nobel Laureate? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. William Golding's novels 'Rites of Passage', 'Close Quarters' and 'Fire Down Below' are known by which collective name as a trilogy? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. 'HMS Ulysses', dating from 1955, was the first published novel by which prolific Scottish thriller writer? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Mar 23 2024 : Linda_Arizona: 7/10
Mar 21 2024 : shvdotr: 9/10
Mar 04 2024 : Guest 90: 5/10
Mar 01 2024 : andymuenz: 10/10
Feb 02 2024 : Guest 108: 6/10
Feb 01 2024 : Guest 66: 9/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. A ship called the 'Hispaniola' appears in which of these novels?

Answer: Treasure Island

All the novels listed were written by Robert Louis Stevenson. The 'Hispaniola' was the ship on which the hero of the story, Jim Hawkins, sets sail in search of pirate gold. The characters also include Long John Silver who, with his wooden leg and parrot, has implanted an image of pirates which most of us can conjure up with little effort. 'Treasure Island' was published in 1883.
2. Which author, perhaps better known for another novel set at sea, created the character Billy Budd?

Answer: Herman Melville

The novella was published in 1924, after Melville's death, under the title 'Billy Budd, Sailor' and has been revised a couple of times since. Melville himself had died in 1891. The story is about the title character being pressed into service in the navy at the end of the eighteenth century and being falsely accused of inciting mutiny.

The 'other novel' mentioned in the question is called 'Moby-Dick; or, The Whale' from 1851.
3. The name Sebastian Junger may not too familiar, but the title of his 1997 book is likely to ring a bell, if only from the film adaptation. Which of these is it?

Answer: The Perfect Storm

The book was published in 1997 and describes the lives of the fishermen of the boat 'Andrea Gail' based in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The early chapters create a picture of the men's lives in ordinary times. The latter part is an imagining of what might have happened when the crew found themselves caught in a great storm in 1991.

The film adaptation came out in 2000, starring George Clooney.
4. Which adjective did Nicholas Monsarrat use to describe the sea in his 1951 novel, set during World War II?

Answer: Cruel

The book was based on the author's own experiences during the war, serving on escorts to ships crossing the Atlantic to bring much needed supplies to Britain. They faced constant danger from German U-boats, and the book also described the difficulties faced by the civilians at home. 'The Cruel Sea' was adapted for a film version in 1953.
5. 'We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea' is a book in which series, primarily aimed at children?

Answer: Swallows and Amazons

While all the options listed had numerous books about the same characters, it was Arthur Ransome who placed most of his stories on water, although primarily on the lakes of the English Lake District. The first book was called 'Swallows and Amazons' and the name was then attached to the complete series of twelve books. 'We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea' was published in 1937, with the story, as might be surmised from the title, covering an accidental journey from Essex to the Netherlands across the North Sea.
6. Patrick O'Brian's novels, beginning with 'Master and Commander' and set during the Napoleonic Wars, featured which hero?

Answer: Jack Aubrey

The first book came out in 1969, and set in motion a series of twenty novels in total. Only the death of the author in 2000 brought the stories to an end. Jack Aubrey has been newly promoted to the rank of Commander at the beginning of the story, and given a warship to command. The tale, with echoes of the Montsarrat novel also in this quiz, has Aubrey's ship acting as an escort to merchant ships, before Aubrey goes on to a spot of privateering.

Hornblower features in the books of C S Forester, Marlow was created by Joseph Conrad and Norrington is a character in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' tales.
7. Although Jack London wrote about the Yukon in several books, a novel published in 1904 is set mainly afloat. The name of which animal, which would be at home in his Yukon novels, forms part of the title?

Answer: Wolf

'The Sea-Wolf' was published in 1904, the year after 'The Call of the Wild', the book which had brought London to a wide reading audience. The 'Wolf' of the title is a man named Wolf Larsen who rescues a man who has survived the sinking of a ferry. Wolf keeps the man aboard his ship, used for hunting seals, forcing him to work as a lowly crew member.
8. 'Captains Courageous' was published in 1897, the creation of which Nobel Laureate?

Answer: Rudyard Kipling

Kipling is remembered for his short story collections, such as the 'Just So' stories and the two 'Jungle Book' collections, and poetry, particularly 'If'. 'Captains Courageous' is one of four novels he wrote, with 'Kim' being probably the best known. 'Captains Courageous was published in 1897, with the plot telling the story of a young man who is rescued at sea in the Atlantic by a fishing boat.

While at sea, the boy learns the craft of fishing, before being reunited with his wealthy parents when the boat returns to port in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
9. William Golding's novels 'Rites of Passage', 'Close Quarters' and 'Fire Down Below' are known by which collective name as a trilogy?

Answer: To the Ends of the Earth

The first of the three novels was published in 1980 and is written in the form of journal entries made by Edmund Talbot. He is a young man from an aristocratic family, who is travelling to Australia on board a rather decrepit ship, a former fighting vessel. The next novels, published in 1987 and 1989, show Talbot's increasing maturity, first love affair and his growing respect for the captain of the ship. The books are set in the early nineteenth century when a journey from the UK to Australia was a hazardous expedition, taking around six months to complete - assuming nothing went too badly wrong en route.

Golding's other novels include 'The Lord of the Flies' from 1954 and 'The Spire', published in 1964.
10. 'HMS Ulysses', dating from 1955, was the first published novel by which prolific Scottish thriller writer?

Answer: Alistair MacLean

Partly based on his own experiences, the book was MacLean's first venture into novel writing, telling the story of ships involved in the Arctic convoys to Murmansk during the Second World War. MacLean's follow up book came out two years later, and was also set during the war.

The title was 'The Guns of Navarone', later filmed with Gregory Peck and David Niven. MacLean continued to turn out best sellers, several of which were filmed, including his 1967 offering 'Where Eagles Dare'.
Source: Author rossian

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series Literary Mixture:

These quizzes have questions about different novels - mostly with a theme with some focussing on a specific author's works.

  1. Match the Author Easier
  2. Reader, I Married Him Average
  3. Will You Read My Book? Average
  4. The Year of the Pig Average
  5. Don't Worry, Be Happy Average
  6. Follow the White Rabbit Average
  7. Knights' Tales Easier
  8. Antimacassars and Liniment Average
  9. Happy Ever After: The End Average
  10. Books for Cooks Average
  11. There, But for the Grace of God, Go I Average
  12. Forecasting the Weather Average

3/28/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us