The Best Sellers Multiple Choice Quiz | Mixed Literature

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What nineteenth century novel that chronicled the French Revolution, written by one of England's most prolific writers, is estimated to have sold over 200 million copies?

Answer: A Tale of Two Cities

Charles Dickens most often published his works in monthly installments but "A Tale of Two Cities" was a weekly endeavor, published as thirty one installments during 1858 in "All the Year Round" magazine. In contrast with his other novels, "A Tale of Two Cities" contains very little humor.

"A Tale of Two Cities" has been adapted for the movies at least seven times, the most successful and Oscar nominated was the 1935 version that starred Ronald Coleman as Sydney Carton.

Many quote the opening lines of the novel:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair...."

2. According to compiled sales records, and inspired by industrial mogul Andrew Carnegie, what has been the most popular non-fiction work?

Answer: Think and Grow Rich

"Think and Grow Rich"(1937) was written by Napoleon Hill, inspired by industrial mogul Andrew Carnegie. An astonishing seventy million copies have been estimated sold. Although 'rich' is in the title, it is more of a guidebook for success in any area.

The book places emphasis on a mind set and follows thirteen steps: Desire, Faith, Autosuggestion, Specialized Knowledge, Imagination, Organized Planning, Decision, Persistence, Power of the Master Mind, the Mystery of Sex Transmutation, the Subconscious Mind, the Brain, and the Sixth Sense.

3. What H. Rider Haggard 1889 novel of jungle adventure that has been translated into forty-four languages and sold an estimated one hundred million copies?

Answer: She

Haggard was mainly a writer of adventure novels. In the book, She is 'she who must be obeyed'. The story told in first-person narrative by Horace Holly who finds a lost kingdom in the Africa, encountering primitive natives and their mysterious white queen, Ayesha, who reigns.

Haggard, if not the inventor, popularized the 'lost world' genre. The 1965 film version starred Ursula Andress as 'She' or Ayesha.

An unknown critic, who liked Haggard's early books but not his later ones, is reported to have written a four word review. "Long time; no "She"".

4. Ernest Hemingway is one of the most notable authors of the twentieth century. Which of his novels sold thirteen million copies and awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1953?

Answer: The Old Man and the Sea

By the early 1950s many critics thought that Hemingway's finest work was behind him. But in 1952 he produced "The Old Man and the Sea" that became his most accessible book and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and was an acclaimed part of his body of work for the Nobel Prize in 1954. Being the "Book of the Month Club" selection added to the book's popularity as well.

The story follows the classic narrative of Santiago, a fisherman, challenging nature as the old man fishes and fights to bring in a devilish marlin. Spencer Tracy played Santiago in the 1958 adaptation that earned him an Academy Award nomination. Later Anthony Quinn brought it to television screens in 1990.

5. Many books are printed in a series, that is, several novels with a continuing thread and characters. What series in seven books compiled four hundred and fifty million buyers?

Answer: Harry Potter series

There is little that can be added here that has not been said of Rowling's tales of the young wizard. It took eighty six Perry Mason books to reach three hundred million and Goosebumps sixty two. And Nancy Drew with two hundred million sold required one hundred and seventy five books and several authors.

6. Many today rely on computer spell checkers. These sites will also give the derivation of the word, synonyms, antonyms, and correct usage. But there is still a fondness of the classic dictionary. What is the most popular American dictionary in sales and often assigned in academic situations?

Answer: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

When one enters higher education, the standard English 101 grammar text, probably a required purchase, was Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. Noah Webster published his dictionary in 1807. Since then it has continued with regular updating. Upon Webster's death the rights were purchased by the Merriam Printing Company. In 1996 it was placed online free.

Webster was a spelling reformer. He worked to simplify spelling such as replacing "colour" with "color", "waggon" with "wagon", and "centre" with "center".

7. In 1939 Bill Wilson (aka Bill W.) and Robert Smith (aka Dr. Bob) co-wrote a self-help book that changed the lives of millions of people. They called it the "Big Book". What self-help/support group did they establish?

Answer: Alcoholics Anonymous

The "Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book" has found its way into the lives of thirty million people. Both Bill W. and Dr. Bob were alcoholics, one a failed lawyer and the other a flawed physician. Together they formulated a plan, a twelve step plan, to assist the alcoholic in finding and maintaining sobriety. They were instrumental is showing that alcoholism is not a moral failing but a disease and as such can be treated. Alcoholics Anonymous bases its treatment on responsibly and spirituality. At any one time probably two million people are regularly attending AA meetings.

One key to AA is the Serenity Prayer; the first two verses sum it up.

"GOD, grant me the serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change,

Courage to change the
things I can, and the
wisdom to know the difference".

In 1989 a made-for-tv movie was shown entitled "My Name Is Bill W.". James Woods played Bill W. and won an Emmy. James Garner co-starred as Dr. Bob.

AA has both open and closed meetings. The general public may attend the open meetings but they must respect the anonymous of participants.

8. J. D. Salinger in 1951 wrote a novel that portrayed the world of teenage angst. It was an instant hit, particularly among adolescents. Although it contained some debatable language, blasphemy, and sexuality, it has found its way into high school curriculums. Perhaps you were one of the sixty five million that read _________?

Answer: The Catcher in the Rye

In the 1980s a survey was taken to determine both banned/censored books and most read in US high schools. "Catcher in the Rye" was the number one most banned or censored book. But it was also the second most read. Holden Caulfield became a unlikely role model.

Salinger later became a recluse; he did not grant interviews and his literary production slowed. One of his disappointments was a short story "Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut". It was a study of the emerging suburban life style. Hollywood took the rights to book, rewrote it, and retitled it "My Foolish Heart". In the end it bore little resemblance to either the plot or the theme of the story. On top of that it got two academy Award nominations. After that experience Salinger refused to allow Hollywood to film any of his works, although the list is long of those who have tried.

9. When I was in high school there were copies of an Erskine Caldwell novel that were dog-eared paperbacks. They were passed from one person to another with subversive winks and grins. It was not a part of the curriculum. In the plot we found a dysfunctional family in Georgia obsessed with sex and digging for gold. It became one of the best selling novels of its era. What was this racy novel?

Answer: God's Little Acre

Although Caldwell published "God's Little Acre" in 1933, its popularity increased with subsequent paperback issues. The estimate is that fourteen million copies were sold. Its story is a long tale of censorship and banning.

Because "God's Little Acre" contained scenes of explicit sexuality, Viking Press was sued for disseminating pornography. After sixty authors, editors, and literary critics protested, the judge ruled that it was not. This was considered a landmark case in support of first amendment to the US Constitution for freedom of expression.

In 1947, the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, banned the novel for being pornographic.

Caldwell also authored the novel and play "Tobacco Road".

10. In 1968 zoologist and ethologist Desmond Morris published a book that changed the way man looks at himself. The name was "The Naked Ape" and it was purchased by twelve million book customers. Why was it controversial?

Answer: It compared man to animals in a scientific context

The book's focus was the consequences of the transformation from forest-dwelling, mainly vegetarian creatures, to carnivorous hunter-gatherers. However, many were critical of the sexual overtones. The title comes from the fact that of one hundred and ninety three known primates, man is the only one not covered completely by hair.

One reviewer said: "Morris examines sex, child-rearing, exploratory habits, fighting,(and) feeding... to establish our surprising bonds to the animal kingdom".

Source: Author Rehaberpro

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The Best Sellers Trivia Quiz

Here are some of the best selling books of all time where such data was available. Not included are religious books or foreign language books that have not had wide translation into English. All sales figures are estimates.

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