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Generate QuizLiterature – True/False – GK Questions
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Geetanjali Shree became the first Hindi writer to win the International Booker Prize for her novel 'Tomb of Sand'.
- True
- False
Answer: True
In 2022, Geetanjali Shree and translator Daisy Rockwell won the International Booker Prize for 'Tomb of Sand' (originally 'Ret Samadhi'), a first for any Indian language.
A 'bildungsroman' is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of its protagonist from youth to adulthood.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Originating in Germany, a bildungsroman is essentially a 'coming-of-age' story. Charles Dickens' 'David Copperfield' is a classic example.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of 'Half of a Yellow Sun' and 'Americanah', is from Kenya.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a prominent Nigerian author, not Kenyan. Her works frequently explore themes related to Nigerian history and the immigrant experience.
The 'Beat Generation' was a literary movement started by authors like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg that explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-war era.
- True
- False
Answer: True
The Beat Generation, including works like 'On the Road' and 'Howl', rejected standard narrative values, pursued spiritual quests, and rejected materialism.
Lewis Carroll, the author of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', was actually a mathematics professor named Charles Lutwidge Dodgson.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Charles Dodgson was a lecturer in Mathematics at Christ Church, Oxford. He used Lewis Carroll as a pseudonym for his literary works.
Ashapoorna Devi was the first woman to win the Jnanpith Award.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Bengali novelist Ashapoorna Devi won the Jnanpith Award in 1976 for her novel 'Pratham Pratisruti' (The First Promise).
Edgar Allan Poe is widely recognized as the inventor of the detective fiction genre.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Edgar Allan Poe's character C. Auguste Dupin, introduced in 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' (1841), is considered the first fictional detective.
John Bunyan wrote the Christian allegory 'The Pilgrim's Progress' while imprisoned in the Bedford County Gaol.
- True
- False
Answer: True
John Bunyan, an English writer and Puritan preacher, began writing 'The Pilgrim's Progress' during his 12-year imprisonment for unlicensed preaching.
Homer is traditionally credited as the author of the ancient Greek epics, the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey'.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Homer, the legendary ancient Greek poet, is considered the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, which are foundational works of Western literature.
Mahasweta Devi won the Jnanpith Award for her Hindi novel 'Hajar Churashir Maa'.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Mahasweta Devi wrote 'Hajar Churashir Maa' (Mother of 1084) in Bengali, not Hindi. She won the Jnanpith Award in 1996 for her overall contribution to Bengali literature.
R.K. Narayan's fictional town 'Malgudi' was first introduced in the novel 'Swami and Friends'.
- True
- False
Answer: True
R.K. Narayan introduced the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi in his debut novel 'Swami and Friends' published in 1935.
Bharatendu Harishchandra is often referred to as the father of modern Hindi literature.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Bharatendu Harishchandra was a pioneering Hindi writer and playwright whose works initiated the modern literary era in Hindi, known as the 'Bharatendu Yug'.
The 'Tevaram' is a collection of hymns composed by the Vaishnavite Alvars.
- True
- False
Answer: False
The Tevaram is a collection of hymns composed by the three prominent Nayanars (Shaivite saints: Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar). The Alvars composed the Divya Prabandham.
Kalhana's 'Rajatarangini' is a historical chronicle of the kings of Kashmir.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Written in Sanskrit by Kalhana in the 12th century, Rajatarangini (River of Kings) is a metrical historical chronicle of the north-western Indian subcontinent, particularly the kings of Kashmir.
The Man Booker Prize was originally open only to writers from the Commonwealth, Ireland, and Zimbabwe.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Until 2014, the Man Booker Prize was restricted to Commonwealth, Irish, and Zimbabwean writers. It is now open to all English-language novels.
Jayadeva wrote the 'Gita Govinda'.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Jayadeva, a 12th-century poet, wrote the 'Gita Govinda', a song about the love of Krishna and Radha.
Franz Kafka wrote 'The Metamorphosis'.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Franz Kafka published 'The Metamorphosis' in 1915. It tells the story of Gregor Samsa, who turns into a giant insect.
Surdas wrote the 'Sur Sagar'.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Surdas, a blind poet and devotee of Krishna, composed the 'Sur Sagar', a vast collection of hymns.
The Sahitya Akademi Award is the highest literary honor in India.
- True
- False
Answer: False
The Jnanpith Award is generally considered the highest literary honor in India, though the Sahitya Akademi Award is highly prestigious.
Mirabai was a devotee of Lord Krishna.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Mirabai, a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet, was a devoted follower of Lord Krishna and composed many bhajans in his praise.