Frank Herbert's 'Dune' won both the Hugo Award and the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Published in 1965, 'Dune' is a landmark in science fiction, sweeping the major awards of its time.
GK Questions
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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.
Virginia Woolf is a pioneer of the ________ narrative technique, prominently used in 'Mrs. Dalloway'.
- Epistolary
- Stream of Consciousness
- Magical Realism
- Omniscient Third-Person
Answer: Stream of Consciousness
Stream of consciousness attempts to replicate the continuous flow of thoughts and feelings in the human mind.
Robert Louis Stevenson's adventure novel 'Treasure Island' features which famous pirate?
- Captain Hook
- Long John Silver
- Blackbeard
- Jack Sparrow
Answer: Long John Silver
Long John Silver is the cunning and charismatic quartermaster and antagonist of 'Treasure Island'.
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.
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.
Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' is subtitled 'The Modern ________'.
- Prometheus
- Faust
- Don Quixote
- Icarus
Answer: Prometheus
The full title is 'Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus', comparing Victor Frankenstein to the Titan who stole fire from the gods.
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.
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.
Arundhati Roy's debut novel 'The God of Small Things' is set in which Indian state?
- Tamil Nadu
- Kerala
- West Bengal
- Goa
Answer: Kerala
The novel is set in Ayemenem, Kerala, and explores the strict caste system and social laws of the region.
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.
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.
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.