Match Work to Author - 1966-1969 Quiz | Literature

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Valley of the Dolls (1966)

Answer: Jacqueline Susann

Jacqueline Susann (1918-1974) was an American novelist whose iconic novel, "Valley of the Dolls" was one of the best-selling books in history with sales of over 31 million copies. It's the story of three young actresses struggling to make it in New York and their battles with love and drug addiction.

2. The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1966)

Answer: Robert Crichton

Robert Crichton (1925-1993) was an American novelist who with this, his first novel, topped the bestseller list for 18 weeks. It's set in Italy during WWII and tells the story of how villagers resisted the Nazis by hiding over a million bottles of their famous (and expensive) wine from them.

3. The Arrangement (1967)

Answer: Elia Kazan

Elia Kazan (1909-2003) was best known as an American film and theatre director who was nominated for Best Director five times winning twice for "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947) and "On the Waterfront" (1954). He also wrote this book about a successful, married man who takes a mistress and then struggles to extricate himself from the arrangement.

4. The Eighth Day (1967)

Answer: Thornton Wilder

Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) was an American novelist and playwright. He won a Pulitzer Prize for "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" in 1928. "The Eighth Day" is the tale of a "murderer" who escapes his execution and his subsequent fate.

5. The Chosen (1967)

Answer: Chaim Potok

Chaim Potok (1929-2002) was an American rabbi and author. This, his first book was nominated for the National Book Award and sold more than 3.4 million copies. It is the story of two fathers and two sons and their individual journeys in pursuit of their own Jewish ideologies.

6. Topaz (1967)

Answer: Leon Uris

Leon Uris (1924-2003) was an American author of historical fiction who is best known for his novel "Exodus" (1958). "Topaz" follows two intelligence agents, an American and a Frenchman, who become embroiled in a Soviet threat just prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

7. The Gabriel Hounds (1967)

Answer: Mary Stewart

Mary Stewart (1916-2014) was a British novelist who developed the romantic mystery genre but may be best known for her Merlin series, which combines the historical novel and fantasy. This tale follows the adventures of two young cousins who visit their eccentric great-aunt Harriet in her ancient palace in Lebanon.

8. The Confessions of Nat Turner (1967)

Answer: William Styron

William Styron (1925-2006) was an American novelist and essayist who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for this work. It's the story of a slave preacher who leads a revolt and is based on his confession, made to his jailers under the "duress of his God".

9. Vanished (1968)

Answer: Fletcher Knebel

Fletcher Knebel (1911-1993) was an American novelist focused primarily on the political world. This is the saga of a noted Washington attorney and top advisor to the President who inexplicably disappears during a combative re-election campaign.

10. Airport (1968)

Answer: Arthur Hailey

Arthur Hailey (1920-2004) was a British-Canadian novelist whose stories revolved around prominent industries. "Airport" depicts the suspense and drama of a plane caught in a powerful blizzard trying to make its way to safety with the guidance of the airport staff.

11. Couples (1968)

Answer: John Updike

John Updike (1932-2009) was an American novelist and poet who won two Pulitzer's, one for "Rabbit is Rich" (1982) and another for "Rabbit at Rest" (1990). "Couples" is a novel that discloses the intermingled secrets of sex in the suburbs of America.

12. The Salzburg Connection (1968)

Answer: Helen MacInnes

Helen MacInnes (1907-1985) was a Scottish-American author whose main focus was novels of espionage. This adventure tells of a British agent who takes on a solo mission to discover Nazi secrets hidden in a lake in the Austrian Alps.

13. Portnoy's Complaint (1969)

Answer: Philip Roth

Philip Roth (1933-2018) was an American novelist and short-story writer who garnered a Pulitzer Prize for his novel "American Pastoral" (1997). "Portnoy's Complaint" is the hilariously funny story of a man with insatiable and perverse sexual desires and his psychological battles.

14. The Love Machine (1969)

Answer: Jacqueline Susann

Jacqueline Susann (1918-1974) was an American writer who became the first novelist to have three consecutive number one bestsellers ("Valley of the Dolls", "The Love Machine" and "Once Is Not Enough" (1973)). "The Love Machine", tells of the rise and fall of a television executive brought about by sex and alcohol.

15. The Godfather (1969)

Answer: Mario Puzo

Mario Puzo (1920-1999) was an American author and screenwriter best known for his crime novels about the Italian-American Mafia. This is the classic story of the Mafia underworld subculture describing the lust for power, the avarice and the binding family loyalty.

Source: Author jcmttt

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Questions		Choices
1. Valley of the Dolls (1966)		Fletcher Knebel
2. The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1966)		Robert Crichton
3. The Arrangement (1967)		Helen MacInnes
4. The Eighth Day (1967)		John Updike
5. The Chosen (1967)		Jacqueline Susann
6. Topaz (1967)		Philip Roth
7. The Gabriel Hounds (1967)		Mary Stewart
8. The Confessions of Nat Turner (1967)		Arthur Hailey
9. Vanished (1968)		Mario Puzo
10. Airport (1968)		Jacqueline Susann
11. Couples (1968)		Chaim Potok
12. The Salzburg Connection (1968)		William Styron
13. Portnoy's Complaint (1969)		Leon Uris
14. The Love Machine (1969)		Thornton Wilder
15. The Godfather (1969)		Elia Kazan

Match Work to Author - 1966-1969 Quiz

Here are some works of fiction that attained the number one position on the New York Times Bestseller list in the years 1966-1969. Parenthetical year indicates when the title first reached the top position on the list. Match the author with their work.