A Literary Ladder Trivia Quiz

Published in 1813, 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen follows Elizabeth Bennet, an independent young woman who initially dislikes the proud Mr. Darcy. Misunderstandings and social expectations fuel her prejudice against him.

However, as events unfold, including Darcy secretly helping her family, Elizabeth comes to see Darcy in a new light. Overcoming pride and prejudice, they find love and marry, highlighting themes of class, reputation, and personal growth.

'Moby-Dick', written by Herman Melville, was published in 1851. It grapples with themes of obsession, fate, and the struggle between man and nature as it follows Ishmael, a sailor who joins the whaling ship Pequod.

The ship's captain, Ahab, is obsessed with hunting Moby Dick, a massive white whale that took his leg. As the journey unfolds, Ahab's obsession leads the crew into danger. In the final confrontation, Moby Dick destroys the ship, and only Ishmael survives to tell the tale.

'War and Peace' was written by Leo Tolstoy and published in 1869. It is a sweeping historical novel set during the Napoleonic Wars. It follows multiple Russian aristocratic families, including Pierre Bezukhov, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, and Natasha Rostova, as they navigate love, war, and personal transformation.

The novel explores how history shapes personal destiny, blending intimate drama with epic scope.

F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' was published in 1925. The novel is set in the Roaring Twenties, and it follows the story of Nick Carraway, focusing on themes of wealth, love, the American Dream, and the illusion of happiness.

Nick moves to West Egg and becomes entangled in the life of his wealthy neighbour, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is obsessed with rekindling his past romance with Daisy Buchanan, who is now married to Tom Buchanan. As Gatsby throws lavish parties to win Daisy back, tensions rise, leading to betrayal, tragedy, and Gatsby's downfall.

The 1960 novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' was written by Harper Lee. It is set in the racially segregated American South during the Great Depression. It follows Scout Finch, a young girl growing up in Maycomb, Alabama, alongside her brother Jem and their father, Atticus, a principled lawyer.

When Atticus defends Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of assaulting a white woman, the town's deep-seated racism is exposed. Meanwhile, Scout and Jem become fascinated by their mysterious neighbour, Boo Radley. The novel confronts racial injustice, empathy and morality.

Gabriel García Márquez's novel 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' (published in 1967) is a landmark novel in magical realism. It tells the multi-generational story of the Buendía family, whose patriarch, José Arcadio Buendía, founded the fictional town of Macondo.

Over a century, the family experiences love, war, political upheaval, and supernatural events, reflecting the broader history of Latin America. It centres on issues such as solitude, memory, and destiny. Its cyclical structure and surreal tone reflect the blurred lines between myth and memory.

Stephen King's 1977 novel 'The Shining' is a psychological horror story that delves into themes of loneliness, substance abuse, and eerie supernatural forces. It follows Jack Torrance, a writer who is battling alcoholism.

He takes on a winter caretaker position at the Overlook Hotel. He moves in with his wife, Wendy, and their son, Danny, who has an extraordinary ability known as 'the shining'. As the hotel's sinister past begins to take hold of Jack, he spirals into insanity, posing a deadly threat to his family.

Margaret Atwood's novel 'The Handmaid's Tale' (published in 1985) is a dystopian novel set in the totalitarian Republic of Gilead, where women's rights have been stripped away. The story follows Offred, a Handmaid forced to bear children for elite couples.

As she navigates oppression, she secretly resists the regime, recalling her past life and searching for freedom. At its core, the novel explores themes of power, gender oppression, and resistance. Atwood's chilling vision critiques authoritarianism and the erasure of identity.

'Life of Pi', published in 2001 by Yann Martel, follows Pi Patel, a young boy from India who survives a shipwreck and is stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean. His only companion? A Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

As Pi struggles to stay alive, he must navigate hunger, fear, and the unpredictable nature of his wild companion. The novel highlights themes of faith, survival, and the power of storytelling, leaving readers questioning what is real and what is imagined, as it blurs the line between fact and fable.

Published in 2011, Andy Weir's novel 'The Martian' concerns itself with themes of survival, resilience, and the power of science. It follows Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded on Mars after his crew mistakenly believes he died during a storm. Left alone with limited supplies, Watney must use his ingenuity to survive while NASA and his crew work against the odds to bring him home.