Literature & Art Pub Quiz: 30 Questions on Classic Novels, Poetry & Paintings
This complete childrens book quiz features verified questions and answers, instant explanation notes, and printable team sheets. Designed for pub quizmasters, teachers, trivia hosts, and independent study.
Interactive Quiz Questions & Verified Answers
Round 1: Classic Novels & World Authors
Which English author wrote the 1813 romantic novel 'Pride and Prejudice'?
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Correct Answer: Jane Austen
Quizmaster Note: Originally titled 'First Impressions' when drafted in 1796.
What is the opening line of Charles Dickens' 1859 historical novel 'A Tale of Two Cities'?
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Correct Answer: 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...'
Quizmaster Note: Set in London and Paris during the French Revolution.
Which novel features the eccentric captain Ahab obsessively hunting a giant white sperm whale?
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Correct Answer: Moby-Dick (by Herman Melville, 1851)
Quizmaster Note: Opens with the famous line: 'Call me Ishmael.'
Who wrote the 1949 dystopian novel 'Nineteen Eighty-Four', introducing Big Brother and Thought Police?
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Correct Answer: George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair)
Quizmaster Note: Written on the Scottish island of Jura.
Which 1925 American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald depicts the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his love for Daisy Buchanan?
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Correct Answer: The Great Gatsby
Quizmaster Note: Set in Long Island during the Jazz Age.
Which Russian author wrote 'War and Peace' (1869) and 'Anna Karenina' (1877)?
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Correct Answer: Leo Tolstoy
Quizmaster Note: Nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature multiple times.
In Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, what is the first name of the scientist creator Doctor Frankenstein?
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Correct Answer: Victor (Victor Frankenstein)
Quizmaster Note: Written by Shelley when she was only 20 years old.
Which detective created by Arthur Conan Doyle first appeared in the 1887 story 'A Study in Scarlet'?
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Correct Answer: Sherlock Holmes
Quizmaster Note: Resided at 221B Baker Street in London.
Which Spanish author wrote 'Don Quixote' (published in two parts in 1605 and 1615)?
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Correct Answer: Miguel de Cervantes
Quizmaster Note: Considered the first modern novel.
In J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit', what creature is Smaug?
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Correct Answer: Dragon (Fire-drake)
Quizmaster Note: Hoarded the treasure of the Lonely Mountain (Erebor).
Round 2: Famous Paintings & Visual Artists
Which Italian Renaissance polymath painted the 'Mona Lisa' and 'The Last Supper'?
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Correct Answer: Leonardo da Vinci
Quizmaster Note: Housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Which Dutch post-impressionist painted 'The Starry Night' in June 1889 while at an asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence?
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Correct Answer: Vincent van Gogh
Quizmaster Note: Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York City.
Who painted the famous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome between 1508 and 1512?
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Correct Answer: Michelangelo (Michelangelo Buonarroti)
Quizmaster Note: Commissioned by Pope Julius II.
Which Spanish surrealist artist is famous for melting clocks in his 1931 painting 'The Persistence of Memory'?
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Correct Answer: Salvador Dalí
Quizmaster Note: Known for his flamboyant mustache and eccentric public persona.
Which Norwegian expressionist painted the iconic figure holding its face against a swirling orange sky in 'The Scream' (1893)?
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Correct Answer: Edvard Munch
Quizmaster Note: Created four versions in paint and pastel.
Which Dutch Golden Age artist painted 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' around 1665?
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Correct Answer: Johannes Vermeer
Quizmaster Note: Housed in the Mauritshuis in The Hague.
Who painted the 1937 anti-war masterpiece 'Guernica' in response to the bombing of a Basque town?
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Correct Answer: Pablo Picasso
Quizmaster Note: Displayed at the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid.
Which French impressionist painted the series of approximately 250 oil paintings depicting 'Water Lilies' (Nymphéas) in his garden at Giverny?
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Correct Answer: Claude Monet
Quizmaster Note: Displayed in the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris.
Which American pop artist created the iconic 'Campbell's Soup Cans' and silkscreen prints of Marilyn Monroe in 1962?
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Correct Answer: Andy Warhol
Quizmaster Note: Founder of the famous New York studio 'The Factory'.
Which Mexican painter is celebrated for her numerous unsparing self-portraits, often wearing traditional indigenous Tehuana dresses?
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Correct Answer: Frida Kahlo
Quizmaster Note: Married to muralist Diego Rivera; lived at La Casa Azul in Coyoacán.
Official Numerical Estimation Tie-Breakers
If teams are tied for first place at the end of the round, ask these numerical estimation questions. The team closest to the exact figure wins immediately.
How many total sonnets did William Shakespeare publish in his famous 1609 quarto collection?
Reveal Tie-Breaker Answer
Exact Answer: 154 Sonnets
Reference Fact: Published by Thomas Thorpe.
In what year was the Louvre Museum in Paris first opened to the public as a museum during the French Revolution?
Reveal Tie-Breaker Answer
Exact Answer: 1793
Reference Fact: Opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings.
Quizmaster Hosting & Scoring Guide
- Round Timing: Allow 12 to 15 minutes for teams to complete all questions, followed by one read-through repeat.
- Scoring Integrity: Award 1 point per correct answer. Do not deduct points for incorrect guesses.
- Printable Distribution: Use the print button above to generate clean, un-branded player sheets without answer keys.
Frequently Asked Questions
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