Well-Read, Long-Dead Trivia Quiz

Answer: A Tale of Two Cities

In "A Tale of Two Cities" Dickens draws parallels between the plight of the poor in London and in pre-revolutionary Paris. The subsequent violence inflicted upon the French aristocracy by the revolutionaries perhaps served as a warning to the ruling class in England.

Wildly popular during his lifetime, Dickens' novels have never gone out of print, despite more than a century having passed since his death in 1870.

Answer: Africa

"She" sold over 83 million copies, although I'll admit that I hadn't heard of it prior to researching this quiz. However, I was familiar (as may be many of you) with the term "She who must be obeyed". This was the epithet of the lead female character in Haggard's novel, later made famous (again) in the "Rumpole of the Bailey" television series as the name Rumpole used to refer to his wife!

Answer: French

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's work has been translated into at least 190 languages, and sold over 80 million copies. Among the honours afforded to the author and his gorgeous creation are an asteroid (2578 Saint-Exupéry), an asteroid moon (Petit-Prince) and, before the adoption of the Euro, reproduction on the 50 franc note.

Answer: Heidi

Heidi is the creation of Swiss author Johanna Spyri, who died in 1901. The story was originally published in two parts: the cumbersomely named "Heidi's years of learning and travel" and "Heidi makes use of what she has learned"."

Heidi was one of a seemingly endless string of classic children's books of my youth that featured orphans being shunted between odd relatives and paralysis of questionable origin.

Answer: A farm on Prince Edward Island in Canada

The novel tells the story of Anne Shirley, an orphan (another orphan!) living in Canada. Over the numerous sequels Anne grows up, gets married and gets embroiled in the interesting history of the early 20th century.

Answer: Black Beauty

"Black Beauty" is written from the perspective of a horse and powerfully conveys the importance of treating animals (and people) with kindness and respect. Sewell's novel is credited with stimulating concern for animal welfare in Victorian England, including the abolition of the checkrein -- a strap used to ensure horses held their heads high, but which caused considerable pain to the animal.

Answer: The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Beatrix Potter's popular children's story, which she illustrated herself, was first published in 1902. Peter Rabbit holds the distinction of being the first book character to be afforded copyright protection when his likeness was lent to soft toys. Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail were Peter's siblings.

Answer: The Napoleonic Wars

"War and Peace", published in 1869, sold over 36 million copies in the USSR and is also widely read in translation. As well as being notoriously long, Tolstoy's masterpiece is considered an archetype of the new style of novel that emerged in Europe in the middle of the 19th century.

Answer: Pinocchio

"The Adventures of Pinocchio" was published in 1881. The story has since sold 35 million copies as well as famously being immortalised in film.

Answer: Tomorrow is Another Day

The final title comes from a line in the Ernest Dowson poem "Non Sum Qualis Eram Bonae sub Regno Cynarae":

I have forgot much, Cynara! Gone with the wind,
Flung roses, roses riotously with the throng,
Dancing, to put thy pale, lost lilies out of mind...