Category: Brain Teasers

Trivia: “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” is set in what fictional world?

Narnia
Middle Earth
Tatooine
Neverland

Correct Answer: Narnia

So why is this answer correct? : The bestselling fantasy novel titled “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” (1950) is the first of seven books in C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia” series. The book centers around the Pevensie siblings, who travel from the English countryside to the mythical world of Narnia. They end up fighting alongside a wise lion, Aslan, to defeat the evil White Witch who rules the land.

Trivia: Which mystery author wrote, “And Then There Were None”?

Arthur Conan Doyle
Raymond Chandler
John Grisham
Agatha Christie

Correct Answer: Agatha Christie

So why is this answer correct? : Agatha Christie is one of the most highly-regarded authors in the mystery genre and one of the bestselling novelists of all time. While the novel “And Then There Were None” may be her most popular work, her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections have accounted for over a billion sales in the English language alone.

Trivia: What novel begins, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”?

Catcher in the Rye
To Kill a Mockingbird
A Tale of Two Cities
East of Eden

Correct Answer: A Tale of Two Cities

So why is this answer correct? : Charles Dickens penned the classic “A Tale of Two Cities” in 1859, a novel which has since sold over 200 million copies. Opening with the now famous line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” the book covers events leading up to the French Revolution. Though it follows several characters, the story mainly focuses on Charles Darnay (a former member of the French aristocracy) and Sydney Carton, a British barrister.

Trivia: What school serves as the setting for the “Harry Potter” novels?

Degrassi
Greendale
Ridgemont
Hogwarts

Correct Answer: Hogwarts

So why is this answer correct? : The first Harry Potter novel, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” was published in 1997 and quickly kicked off a bestselling series. The novels, which were written by the author J.K. Rowling, centered around a wizard named Harry Potter and his classmates at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each book in the series has sold tens of millions of copies to date.

Trivia: What was fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien’s first published novel?

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The Hobbit
The Lord of the Rings
A Game of Thrones

Correct Answer: The Hobbit

So why is this answer correct? : In 1937, British author J.R.R. Tolkien published the fantasy novel “The Hobbit,” a prequel that predates the publication of his famed “Lord of the Rings” trilogy by nearly two decades. “The Hobbit” introduces readers to the fantastical world known as “Middle-earth,” and centers around the character Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who joins an expedition to recover stolen treasure from the evil dragon Smaug. Today, over 100 million copies of the book have been sold.

Trivia: What work by Miguel Cervantes is considered the world’s bestselling novel?

Don Quixote
Cien Años de Soledad
Esperanza Rising
Fictions

Correct Answer: Don Quixote

So why is this answer correct? : With upwards of 500 million copies sold, “Don Quixote” is considered the best selling novel of all time. The book was written by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, with the first part of the novel published in 1605 and the second part published a decade later. The novel focuses on a character named Alonso Quixano, who later assumes the identity Don Quixote, who falls further and further into absurdity.

Trivia: What is the most translated book of all time, after the Bible?

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Little Prince
Nineteen Eighty-Four
For Whom the Bell Tolls

Correct Answer: The Little Prince

So why is this answer correct? : The Bible is the most translated book in history, but closely following it on the list is Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s 1943 novella, “The Little Prince.” To date, the book has been translated into 475 languages, including rarer dialects like Quechua and Aramaic, and has sold over 100 million copies.

Germany’s Operation Moonlight Sonata was the codename for the Luftwaffe’s devastating air raids over what British industrial city?

Coventry
Glasgow
Manchester
Newcastle
Liverpool

Correct Answer: Coventry

What was the name of the corrugated shelters that were distributed to over a million families in Britain during the Blitz?

Nigel Shelters
Andersen Shelters
Victoria Shelters
Conrad Shelters
Trollope Shelter

Correct Answer: Andersen Shelters

What American journalist’s live broadcasts for CBS during the London bombing raids captivated American radio listeners?

Walter Cronkite
Ernie Pyle
Edward R. Murrow
William Shirer
David Brinkley

Correct Answer: Edward R. Murrow