Oscar Wilde's only published novel is 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Though famous for his plays and essays, Wilde only wrote one full-length novel, published in 1890.
Medium Level – GK Questions
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In Bram Stoker's 'Dracula', which character leads the group trying to defeat the vampire?
- Jonathan Harker
- Abraham Van Helsing
- Quincey Morris
- Arthur Holmwood
Answer: Abraham Van Helsing
Professor Abraham Van Helsing is the Dutch doctor and vampire hunter who mentors the others.
Rabindranath Tagore's novel 'Gora' deals with themes of caste, religious orthodoxy, and Indian nationalism.
- True
- False
Answer: True
'Gora' (1910) is considered Tagore's masterpiece, exploring the complex identity of its protagonist in colonial India.
The famous Urdu poetry collection 'Naqsh-e-Faryadi' was authored by:
- Mirza Ghalib
- Faiz Ahmed Faiz
- Mir Taqi Mir
- Ahmad Faraz
Answer: Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Faiz Ahmed Faiz published 'Naqsh-e-Faryadi' in 1941. It blends romanticism with revolutionary and Marxist themes.
The Hindi historical play 'Skandagupta' was written by ________.
- Ramdhari Singh Dinkar
- Jaishankar Prasad
- Mohan Rakesh
- Dharamvir Bharati
Answer: Jaishankar Prasad
Jaishankar Prasad wrote 'Skandagupta' in 1928, focusing on the Gupta emperor's struggle against the Hunas.
Geetanjali Shree's 'Tomb of Sand' was the first Hindi novel to win the International Booker Prize.
- True
- False
Answer: True
In 2022, 'Tomb of Sand' (translated by Daisy Rockwell) became the first book in an Indian language to win the International Booker Prize.
A 'Petrarchan' sonnet is divided into an octave and a:
- Quatrain
- Sestet
- Couplet
- Tercet
Answer: Sestet
The Petrarchan sonnet consists of an eight-line octave (ABBAABBA) and a six-line sestet (CDCDCD or CDECDE).
The play 'Hedda Gabler', featuring a manipulative and tragic female protagonist, was written by ________.
- August Strindberg
- Henrik Ibsen
- Anton Chekhov
- George Bernard Shaw
Answer: Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen published 'Hedda Gabler' in 1890. It is a masterpiece of psychological realism.
Anton Chekhov's play 'The Cherry Orchard' is best described as a:
- Historical tragedy
- Comedy of manners and social change
- Surrealist farce
- Melodrama
Answer: Comedy of manners and social change
Chekhov insisted it was a comedy, though Stanislavski directed it as a tragedy. It depicts the decline of the Russian aristocracy.
In Fyodor Dostoevsky's 'The Idiot', the protagonist Prince Myshkin is considered an idiot because of his low intelligence.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Prince Myshkin is called an 'idiot' by society because of his extreme innocence, empathy, and lack of worldly cynicism, not because of low intelligence.
Leo Tolstoy's final major novel, 'Resurrection', primarily critiques:
- The Russian Orthodox Church and the justice system
- The French Revolution
- The institution of marriage
- The rise of industrialization
Answer: The Russian Orthodox Church and the justice system
Published in 1899, 'Resurrection' explores the guilt of a nobleman and harshly criticizes the hypocrisy of the state and church.
Sunil Gangopadhyay's historical novel 'Sei Somoy' (Those Days) is set during which period?
- The Mughal Empire
- The 19th Century Bengal Renaissance
- The Partition of Bengal (1905)
- The Naxalite Movement
Answer: The 19th Century Bengal Renaissance
'Sei Somoy' covers the cultural and social awakening in Bengal during the 19th century, featuring figures like Vidyasagar and Ishwar Chandra.
Ismat Chughtai faced an obscenity trial for her Urdu short story 'Lihaaf' (The Quilt).
- True
- False
Answer: True
Published in 1942, 'Lihaaf' explored female sexuality and homosexuality, leading to an obscenity trial in Lahore which Chughtai successfully fought.
Vikram Seth's 'The Golden Gate' is unique because it is a novel written entirely in ________.
- Prose
- Free verse
- Sonnet stanzas
- Blank verse
Answer: Sonnet stanzas
'The Golden Gate' (1986) is composed of 590 14-line stanzas based on the Pushkin sonnet form.
The Vayalar Award is a prestigious literary award given for works in which language?
- Tamil
- Kannada
- Malayalam
- Telugu
Answer: Malayalam
The Vayalar Award is given annually for the best literary work in Malayalam.
Harivansh Rai Bachchan was the first recipient of the Saraswati Samman.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Instituted in 1991, the first Saraswati Samman was awarded to Harivansh Rai Bachchan for his four-volume autobiography.
Victor Hugo's 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame' features the iconic bell-ringer ________.
- Jean Valjean
- Quasimodo
- Javert
- Gavroche
Answer: Quasimodo
Quasimodo is the deformed bell-ringer of Notre-Dame Cathedral who falls in love with Esmeralda.
Which Charles Dickens novel opens with the famous case of 'Jarndyce and Jarndyce'?
- Oliver Twist
- Bleak House
- David Copperfield
- Great Expectations
Answer: Bleak House
'Bleak House' (1853) centers around a long-running Chancery court case that consumes the lives and fortunes of those involved.
Thomas Hardy's 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' is set in the fictional region of Wessex.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Hardy set most of his major novels in Wessex, a semi-fictionalized representation of the south and west of England.
In Jane Austen's novel 'Emma', the titular character's primary pastime is:
- Playing the pianoforte
- Matchmaking
- Writing poetry
- Painting landscapes
Answer: Matchmaking
Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, amuses herself by attempting to arrange marriages for her acquaintances.