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Which philosophical novel by Raja Rao explores the search for truth through the protagonist Rama's experiences in Europe and India?
- Kanthapura
- The Serpent and the Rope
- The Chessmaster and His Moves
- The Cat and Shakespeare
Answer: The Serpent and the Rope
Raja Rao published 'The Serpent and the Rope' in 1960. It won the Sahitya Akademi Award and is considered a masterpiece of Indian philosophical fiction.
William Faulkner's 'The Sound and the Fury' is narrated by four different characters, including one who is:
- A ghost
- A cognitively disabled man
- A dog
- An unreliable historian
Answer: A cognitively disabled man
The first section is narrated by Benjy Compson, a 33-year-old man with severe cognitive disabilities, using a stream-of-consciousness style.
The Sanskrit play 'Svapnavasavadattam' (The Dream of Vasavadatta) is attributed to:
- Bhasa
- Kalidasa
- Harsha
- Shudraka
Answer: Bhasa
Bhasa is an ancient playwright whose works were rediscovered in the early 20th century. 'Svapnavasavadattam' is one of his masterpieces.
The Sanskrit epic 'Naishadha Charita', dealing with the story of Nala and Damayanti, was written by:
- Sriharsha
- Bhatti
- Kalidasa
- Magha
Answer: Sriharsha
Sriharsha composed 'Naishadha Charita' in the 12th century. It is renowned for its complex poetic style.
The Neustadt International Prize for Literature was first awarded in 1970 to which Italian poet?
- Eugenio Montale
- Salvatore Quasimodo
- Giuseppe Ungaretti
- Dario Fo
Answer: Giuseppe Ungaretti
Giuseppe Ungaretti, a major figure of Italian Hermeticism, was the inaugural winner of the Neustadt Prize.
The Sanskrit epic poem 'Shishupala Vadha' is one of the five 'Mahakavyas' and was written by:
- Kalidasa
- Bharavi
- Magha
- Sriharsha
Answer: Magha
Magha wrote 'Shishupala Vadha' in the 8th century. It is known for its complex linguistic acrobatics.
The Sanskrit play 'Uttararamacarita' (The Later Story of Rama) was composed by ________.
- Kalidasa
- Bhavabhuti
- Bhasa
- Shudraka
Answer: Bhavabhuti
Bhavabhuti, an 8th-century scholar, wrote 'Uttararamacarita', which covers the later life of Rama and the tragic separation from Sita.
The Hindi short story collection 'Parinde' (Birds), which deals with urban alienation, was written by:
- Nirmal Verma
- Kamleshwar
- Rajendra Yadav
- Mohan Rakesh
Answer: Nirmal Verma
Nirmal Verma, a pioneer of the 'Nayi Kahani' movement, wrote 'Parinde', highlighting the loneliness of modern urban life.
The Sanskrit play 'Ratnavali' is attributed to the king and playwright ________.
- Harsha
- Bhasa
- Shudraka
- Kalidasa
Answer: Harsha
Emperor Harshavardhana is credited with writing three Sanskrit plays: Ratnavali, Priyadarsika, and Nagananda.
Which author has won the Booker Prize twice, for 'The Blind Assassin' and 'The Testaments'?
- Hilary Mantel
- Margaret Atwood
- J.M. Coetzee
- Peter Carey
Answer: Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood won the Booker Prize in 2000 and shared it in 2019. Hilary Mantel, J.M. Coetzee, and Peter Carey have also won it twice.
The Sanskrit prose romance 'Dashakumaracharita' (Tales of the Ten Princes) was authored by ________.
- Banabhatta
- Dandin
- Subandhu
- Harsha
Answer: Dandin
Dandin, a 7th-century Sanskrit scholar, wrote 'Dashakumaracharita', which narrates the adventures of ten princes.
What is a 'MacGuffin' in literature and film?
- A tragic flaw in the protagonist's character
- An object or device that drives the plot but whose specific nature is unimportant
- A sudden, unexpected reversal of fortune
- A narrator who is secretly the villain
Answer: An object or device that drives the plot but whose specific nature is unimportant
A MacGuffin is a term popularized by Alfred Hitchcock. It is an object, goal, or motivator that the characters care about, but the audience doesn't need to know the specifics of.
Who is the author of the famous Odia novel 'Chha Maana Atha Guntha' (Six Acres and a Third)?
- Gopinath Mohanty
- Fakir Mohan Senapati
- Surendra Mohanty
- Pratibha Ray
Answer: Fakir Mohan Senapati
Fakir Mohan Senapati wrote 'Chha Maana Atha Guntha' in the late 19th century. It is a pioneering work of Indian realism and critiques feudal exploitation.
The literary movement 'Naturalism', which applied scientific principles to fiction, was heavily pioneered by the French author ________.
- Victor Hugo
- Honoré de Balzac
- Émile Zola
- Gustave Flaubert
Answer: Émile Zola
Émile Zola was the leading figure of the Naturalist movement, believing that literature should observe and record reality objectively, much like a scientific experiment.
The 'Buddhacharita', an epic poem in Sanskrit narrating the life of Gautama Buddha, was written by:
- Kalidasa
- Banabhatta
- Ashvaghosha
- Harsha
Answer: Ashvaghosha
Ashvaghosha was an Indian philosopher and poet who wrote the Buddhacharita in the early 2nd century CE. It is one of the earliest examples of Sanskrit epic poetry (Kavya).
Who wrote the novel 'In Search of Lost Time'?
- Marcel Proust
- James Joyce
- Franz Kafka
- Thomas Mann
Answer: Marcel Proust
Marcel Proust wrote 'In Search of Lost Time' (À la recherche du temps perdu), a monumental seven-volume novel.
Who wrote the epic poem 'The Divine Comedy'?
- Dante Alighieri
- Geoffrey Chaucer
- John Milton
- Virgil
Answer: Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri wrote 'The Divine Comedy' in the early 14th century. It describes Dante's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise.
Who is the author of the Kannada novel 'Samskara'?
- Kuvempu
- U.R. Ananthamurthy
- Shivaram Karanth
- Girish Karnad
Answer: U.R. Ananthamurthy
U.R. Ananthamurthy wrote 'Samskara' in 1965. It deals with caste and ritual purity in a Brahmin community.
Who wrote the novel 'Ulysses'?
- James Joyce
- Virginia Woolf
- T.S. Eliot
- Marcel Proust
Answer: James Joyce
James Joyce, an Irish modernist writer, published 'Ulysses' in 1922. It is a landmark novel paralleling Homer's Odyssey.
Who wrote the play 'Waiting for Godot'?
- Samuel Beckett
- Eugene Ionesco
- Harold Pinter
- Jean-Paul Sartre
Answer: Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett, an Irish avant-garde novelist and playwright, wrote 'Waiting for Godot', a key work in the Theatre of the Absurd.