Last Writes Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dying

"As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner was first published in 1930. The story follows the Bundren family as they journey across Mississippi to bury their mother, Addie, in her hometown after her death. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character, mostly members of the Bundren family, which gives readers different viewpoints on the events. Within the book, Faulkner examines how death can bring out both the best and worst in people.

Answer: Blood

"In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote was published in 1966. The nonfiction book tells the true story of the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. Capote follows the lives of the killers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, as well as the investigation that leads to their capture, trial, and execution.

The book uses interviews, records, and Capote's own observations in its analysis, in addition to taking a look at the psychological state of the killers as they awaited execution.

Answer: Kill

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee was first published in 1960. The story is set in the 1930s in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, and is told from the perspective of Scout Finch, a young girl whose father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer. The main plot centers on Atticus defending Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman.

The death of Tom Robinson takes place when he is shot while trying to escape from prison after being wrongly convicted.

Answer: Bones

"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold was published in 2002. Susie Salmon, a fourteen-year-old girl who is murdered at the beginning of the book, narrates the novel. After her death, Susie watches from her personal heaven as her family and friends struggle to cope with her loss and try to find out what happened to her. Sebold uses Susie's unique point of view to show how people process loss and how life continues even after tragedy.

Answer: Death

"Death of a Salesman" is a play by Arthur Miller, first performed in 1949. It centers on Willy Loman, an aging traveling salesman who struggles with feelings of failure as he looks back on his life. As Willy's dreams of success unravel, he becomes increasingly unstable and disconnected from reality.

This causes tension with his wife Linda and their two sons, Biff and Happy. The play builds to Willy's tragic decision to take his own life, believing that his death will provide financial security for his family through his life insurance policy.

Answer: Body

"Body of Evidence" by Patricia Cornwell was first published in 1991. In it, a medical examiner named Dr. Kay Scarpetta investigates the murder of Beryl Madison, a successful writer who is found brutally killed in her home. Scarpetta uncovers a pattern of violence that suggests the killer may strike again.

The investigation is complicated by her personal struggles and the interference of law enforcement. Some themes of the book include how murder affects victims' families and the psychological toll that repeated exposure to death can have on investigators.

Answer: Ghost

"The Ghost Writer" by Philip Roth was published in 1979. The story follows Nathan Zuckerman, a young writer who visits his literary idol, E.I. Lonoff, at the latter's secluded home in the countryside. During his stay, Nathan becomes fascinated by a mysterious guest, Amy Bellette, and imagines that she might be Anne Frank, having survived the Holocaust and living in hiding.

In the novel, Nathan's ambitions clash with the moral responsibilities that come with storytelling.

Answer: Skeleton

"Skeleton Man" by Tony Hillerman was published in 2004. The story begins as Navajo Tribal Police officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee investigate a decades-old plane crash in the Grand Canyon. The crash, which killed everyone on board and scattered valuable diamonds, becomes a murder investigation.

The two officers try their best as they unravel a complex case which mixes modern-day crime and old secrets.

Answer: Gone

"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn was published in 2012. The story's plot centers on the disappearance of Amy Dunne on her fifth wedding anniversary and the growing suspicion surrounding her husband, Nick. The narrative is told from both Nick's and Amy's perspectives, keeping readers guessing about what really happened.

Answer: Sematary

"Pet Sematary" by Stephen King was published in 1983. In the novel, Dr. Louis Creed and his family move to a rural town in Maine. Near their new home, they discover a mysterious burial ground called the "Pet Sematary", where children have buried their pets for generations. Louis learns that the land has the power to bring the dead back to life, but with terrible consequences, as he learns when his own family suffers a terrible loss.