FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Opening Lines from British Books
Quiz about Opening Lines from British Books

Opening Lines from British Books Quiz


I will give you the opening line/s and name of the author. You should then choose from which of that author's books the quote has been taken.

A multiple-choice quiz by rubytops. Estimated time: 4 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Literature Trivia
  6. »
  7. Literature by Region
  8. »
  9. British Literature

Author
rubytops
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
346,497
Updated
May 01 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
939
Last 3 plays: Guest 2 (8/10), Guest 86 (8/10), Guest 78 (6/10).
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. "When I reached 'C' Company lines, which were at the top of the hill, I paused and looked back at the camp, just coming into full view below me through the grey mist of early morning". These are the opening lines to which of Evelyn Waugh's novels? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. "The truth is, if old Major Dover hadn't dropped dead at Taunton races Jim would never have come to Thursgood's at all". Which John Le Carre novel are these the opening lines to? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. "They used to hang men at Four turnings in the old days. Not any more though. Now when a murderer pays the penalty for his crime, he does so up at Bodmin, after a fair trial at the Assizes." The opening lines from which novel by Daphne du Maurier? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. "When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere." These are the first lines of a John Wyndham novel but which one? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. "A Saturday afternoon in November was approaching the time of twilight, and the vast tract of unenclosed wild known as Egdon Heath embrowned itself moment by moment." These are the opening lines of which Thomas Hardy novel? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. "The Boulevard Du Cange was a broad, quiet street that marked the eastern flank of the city of Amiens." Which Sebastian Faulks novel opens with these lines? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. "There was no possibility of taking a walk that day." Which Charlotte Bronte novel opens with this line? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. "The beginning is simple to mark. We were in sunlight under a turkey oak, partly protected from a strong, gusty wind." These are the opening lines of which Ian McEwan novel? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. "The family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex." These are the opening lines of which Jane Austen Novel? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. "Ursula and Gudrun Brangwen sat one morning in the window-bay of their father's house in Beldover, working and talking." These lines are taken from the opening of which D.H. Lawrence novel? 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 : Guest 2: 8/10
Mar 08 2024 : Guest 86: 8/10
Mar 04 2024 : Guest 78: 6/10
Feb 26 2024 : jogreen: 5/10
Feb 12 2024 : Guest 199: 4/10
Feb 04 2024 : Guest 31: 6/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. "When I reached 'C' Company lines, which were at the top of the hill, I paused and looked back at the camp, just coming into full view below me through the grey mist of early morning". These are the opening lines to which of Evelyn Waugh's novels?

Answer: Brideshead Revisited

"Brideshead Revisited" was written by Evelyn Waugh during the period
December 1943 to June 1944 during which time he was recovering from an injury sustained whilst parachuting during his military service. The book was published in 1945. The story is told from the perspective of Charles Ryder and narrates the fortunes of the various members of the "Marchmain" family who he becomes involved with, following his initial friendship with the son of the household, Sebastian, who he meets at Oxford University.
2. "The truth is, if old Major Dover hadn't dropped dead at Taunton races Jim would never have come to Thursgood's at all". Which John Le Carre novel are these the opening lines to?

Answer: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

There are eight books in John Le Carre's "Smiley" series of which "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" is the fifth. John Le Carre is the pen name for David John Moore Cornwell who himself served as a member of the British Foreign Service from 1959 to 1964. There have been many adaptations of the Smiley books for radio, television and the cinema.
3. "They used to hang men at Four turnings in the old days. Not any more though. Now when a murderer pays the penalty for his crime, he does so up at Bodmin, after a fair trial at the Assizes." The opening lines from which novel by Daphne du Maurier?

Answer: My Cousin Rachel

An interesting fact regarding the novel "My Cousin Rachel" is that exactly the same sentence is used to both open and close the story. The novel itself is a gothic tale of mystery and jealousy. At the end of the novel the reader is still left wondering whether the character of Rachel was guilty or innocent of murder.

When questioned about this, du Maurier always said that "she simply did not know."
4. "When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere." These are the first lines of a John Wyndham novel but which one?

Answer: The Day of the Triffids

John Wyndham was born on 10 July, 1903 and was first published in the early 1930s. Although a prolific writer, he first came to public prominence following the publication of "The Day of the Triffids" in 1951. This book was closely followed by "The Kraken Wakes" (1952), "The Chrysalids" (1955) and "The Midwich Cuckoos" (1957).

Other books in the same apocalyptic vein continued to be produced.
5. "A Saturday afternoon in November was approaching the time of twilight, and the vast tract of unenclosed wild known as Egdon Heath embrowned itself moment by moment." These are the opening lines of which Thomas Hardy novel?

Answer: Return of the Native

Written whilst living in Sturminster Newton, "Return of the Native" was published in 1878 in twelve monthly instalments in the magazine "Belgravia."
Egdon Heath, which is frequently personalised and often referred to as a main character of the novel, was a name Hardy made up for the actual stretch of heathland which runs from Brockhampton, in the county of Hampshire, to Poole Harbour, in the county of Dorset. This area in reality forms part of the Studland Heath National Nature Reserve.
6. "The Boulevard Du Cange was a broad, quiet street that marked the eastern flank of the city of Amiens." Which Sebastian Faulks novel opens with these lines?

Answer: Birdsong

"Birdsong" is Sebastian Faulks' fourth novel and the second in the French trilogy set. The first book in the trilogy is "The Girl at the Lion d'Or" and the third "Charlotte Gray". The trilogy is not set in chronological order and each can be read independently of the other.

The working title for "Birdsong" was "Flesh and Blood". The book was first published in hardback by Hutchinson in 1993.
7. "There was no possibility of taking a walk that day." Which Charlotte Bronte novel opens with this line?

Answer: Jane Eyre

"Jane Eyre" was the second novel to be written and submitted to the publishers by Charlotte Bronte, but the first to be published in 1847. The first novel she wrote, "The Professor", was based upon her experiences whilst living and teaching in Belgium. Initially rejected, it was finally published in 1853.
8. "The beginning is simple to mark. We were in sunlight under a turkey oak, partly protected from a strong, gusty wind." These are the opening lines of which Ian McEwan novel?

Answer: Enduring Love

Published in 1997, "Enduring Love" was Ian McEwan's seventh novel. The story explores the themes of love, faith and obsession. The book was adapted for the cinema in 2004 and the film starred Daniel Craig as Joe, Rhys Ifans as Jed and Samantha Morton as Claire (Clarissa in the novel).
9. "The family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex." These are the opening lines of which Jane Austen Novel?

Answer: Sense and Sensibility

Originally given the working title "Elinor and Marianne", the Jane Austen novel, "Sense and Sensibility" was first published in three volumes in 1811. The original publication did not show the name of the author as Jane Austen, but went under her pseudonym, "By a Lady". Jane Austen died in 1817 and is buried in Winchester Cathedral, Hampshire, England.
10. "Ursula and Gudrun Brangwen sat one morning in the window-bay of their father's house in Beldover, working and talking." These lines are taken from the opening of which D.H. Lawrence novel?

Answer: Women in Love

"Women in Love" is the sequel to the novel "The Rainbow". Originally the two novels were to be published as one book, but Lawrence's publisher separated them into two. The novels deal with the lives of the Brangwen sisters, Ursula and Gudrun. At the time the novels were published, the subjects included in the text would have been seen to be controversial, with vivid descriptions of a sexual nature and other daring topics discussed.
Source: Author rubytops

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor LadyCaitriona before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series Ruby's Lit Mix:

A mix of literature quizzes

  1. Playing With Poetry Average
  2. Opening Lines from British Books Average
  3. Narnia, Land Beyond the Wardrobe. Average
  4. The Hercule Poirot Novels of Agatha Christie Average
  5. Match the Poem Title to the Author Average

3/29/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us