Began around the early 1900s, modernism is an important period and movement in literary history. It includes a range of subgenres and styles with a countless list of prominent authors. Whether you love it or hate it, check out the following 35 trivia modern literature quiz questions and answers to see how well you know about literary works over the last century.
Modern Literature Quiz Questions And Answers
1. The 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to a writer from which country?
A. Spain
B. Germany
C. The United States Of America
2. How many novels in total did the British writer Roald Dahl complete?
A. 8
B. 19
C. 27
3. “Country of the Blind” and “Quite Ugly One Morning” are two notable novels by which Scottish writer?
A. Irvine Welsh
B. Ian Rankin
C. Christopher Brookmyre
4. Which of the following fictional detectives is featured in novels by Agatha Christie?
A. Sherlock Holmes
B. Hercule Poirot
C. Albert Campion
5. In the children’s book “The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle”, which kind of animal is Tiggy-Winkle?
A. A mouse
B. A rabbit
C. A hedgehog
6. The poet Philip Larkin became a librarian in 1955 at which of the following universities?
A. Oxford University
B. Hull University
C. Liverpool University
7. In the first line of the novel “Mrs Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf, Clarissa Dalloway is going to purchase what?
A. Flowers
B. Food
C. Books
8. Complete the title of a notable adventure novel by Jules Verne: “Around the World in … Days”
A. Eighty
B. Two Hundred
C. One Thousand
9. “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” are notable works by which American writer?
A. Ernest Hemmingway
B. John Steinbeck
C. Mark Twain
10. In the historical novel “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens, the story is set in London and which European city?
A. Paris
B. Madrid
C. Berlin
11. Tweedledee and Tweedledum are two characters in which children’s book?
A. The Chronicles of Narnia
B. Alice in Wonderland
C. The Little Prince
12. What is the title of the 2003 novel by Monica Ali about the Bangladeshi community in London?
A. Stone Lane
B. Wood Lane
C. Brick Lane
13. The British Indian writer win the Booker Prize in 1981 for which notable novel?
A. Midnight’s Children
B. East, West
C. The Satanic Verses
14. Which football club is prominently featured in the memoir “Fever Pitch” by Nick Hornby?
A. Liverpool
B. Arsenal
C. Manchester City
15. In his 1951 post-apocalyptic novel “The Day of the Triffids” by John Wyndham, what is a triffid?
A. An animal
B. A car
C. A plant
16. Which British Prime Minister was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for “mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values.”
A. Margaret Thatcher
B. Sir Harold Wilson
C. Sir Winston Churchill
17. How many books has the American novelist Harper Lee published during her career?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
18. What is the real name of Jay Gatsby in the 1925 novel “The Great Gatsby” by Scot Fitzgerald?
A. James Gatz
B. Robert Gatsby
C. Tom Gatz
19. In the novel “The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, which species is described as not evil, but callous, officious, bureaucratic, and bad-tempered?
A. Morons
B. Dodons
C. Vogons
20. The historical novel “The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757” by James Fenimore Copper” revolved around which community in the U.S.?
A. Native Americans
B. Black Americans
C. Asian Americans
21. What is the longest novel by John Steinbeck with the title taken from a phrase in the Bible?
A. The Grapes of Wrath (1939)
B. East of Eden (1952)
C. Of Mice and Men (1937)
22. “The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories”, “Nights at the Circus”, and “Wise Children” are notable works of which British writer?
A. Becky Thatcher
B. Cameron Post
C. Angela Carter
23. Which of the following is a reason that the writer Walker Percy committed suicide in 1917?
A. His wife passed away
B. He was diagnosed with a serious condition
C. He could not find a publisher for his novel
24. What is the genre of the novel “1984” by English writer George Orwell?
A. Dystopian fiction
B. Utopian fiction
C. Romance
25. The novel “Gone with the Wind” by American author Margaret Michell is set during which historical period?
A. The American Civil War
B. World War I
C. World War II
26. Who was the best-selling fiction author of the 20th century?
A. Dan Brown
B. Agatha Christie
C. J.R.R. Tolkien
27. In 1969, which best-selling author became the youngest member of the British House of Commons?
A. Bertie Wooster
B. Jeffrey Archer
C. Jane Austen
28. In the famous novel “Animal Farm” by George Orwell, a group of farm animals is ruled by which animal?
A. A pig
B. A horse
C. A chicken
29. How many years in total did Robinson Crusoe spend on the remote island?
A. 13 years
B. 28 years
C. 35 years
30. The last one in this modern literature quiz questions and answers: which Russian writer is the author of the classic work “Anna Karenina”?
A. Leo Tolstoy
B. Fyodor Dostoevsky
C. Maxim Gorky
31. What makes the “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” by D. H. Lawrence controversial?
A. It contains extreme political propaganda
B. It contains a lot of sexual contents
C. The content is violent
32. Which historical event had a big impact on the development of modern literature?
A. The Great Depression
B. World War I
C. World War II
33. Which genre of novels is Stephen King mostly known for?
A. Romance
B. Horror
C. History
34. The title of the novel “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green is taken from which play by Shakespeare?
A. Julius Caeser
B. Hamlet
C. King Lear
35. “To Kill a Mocking Bird” is set in which U.S. State?
A. Alabama
B. Colorado
C. Missouri
What do you think about these modern literature quiz questions and answers? We hope you have learned a lot of knowledge and interesting facts about it. For more challenges, make sure to check out the following poetry trivia quiz or this multiple choice trivia quiz.
