100+ Literature Trivia Questions & Answers to Test Your Knowledge

Are you looking for a way to spice up your book club meetings or test your literary knowledge? I’ve got you covered! As someone who’s always got their nose in a book, I’ve put together this collection of over 100 literature trivia questions that are perfect for any gathering or just challenging yourself.

Last summer, my friends and I started a monthly trivia night that always includes a literature round. It’s become our favorite way to learn new book facts while having tons of fun! I’ve collected the best questions from those nights, plus added plenty more to create this comprehensive literature trivia collection.

Classic Literature Trivia

Classic literature has stood the test of time for good reason. These works continue to inspire and challenge readers generations after they were written. How many of these classics have you read?

In which Charles Dickens novel would you find the character Miss Havisham? Answer: Great Expectations
What was the first novel written by Jane Austen, though it wasn’t published until after her death? Answer: Northanger Abbey
Who wrote “The Count of Monte Cristo”? Answer: Alexandre Dumas

Which Russian author wrote “War and Peace”? Answer: Leo Tolstoy
In “Moby Dick,” what is Captain Ahab’s artificial leg made of? Answer: Whale bone (ivory)
Which two noble families are featured in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”? Answer: Montague and Capulet

Who wrote “Pride and Prejudice”? Answer: Jane Austen
What is the name of the farm in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”? Answer: Manor Farm
Which Emily Brontë novel features the characters Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff? Answer: Wuthering Heights

In which city is James Joyce’s “Ulysses” set? Answer: Dublin
Who wrote “The Picture of Dorian Gray”? Answer: Oscar Wilde
What is the name of Don Quixote’s horse in the novel by Miguel de Cervantes? Answer: Rocinante

Which Charlotte Brontë character says “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me”? Answer: Jane Eyre
What was the original title of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”? Answer: Trimalchio in West Egg
Which Russian novelist wrote “Crime and Punishment”? Answer: Fyodor Dostoevsky

In which Shakespeare play does the character Polonius appear? Answer: Hamlet
Who wrote the epic poem “Paradise Lost”? Answer: John Milton
What is the first line of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”? Answer: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

Which author created the character Sherlock Holmes? Answer: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
In “The Scarlet Letter,” what does the letter ‘A’ stand for? Answer: Adultery

If you enjoy thought-provoking questions like these, you might also like our collection of philosophical questions that will get you thinking even more deeply.

Modern Fiction Trivia

From bestsellers to book club favorites, modern fiction has given us countless memorable characters and stories. Test your knowledge of literature from the last few decades!

Who wrote the Harry Potter series? Answer: J.K. Rowling
In Stephen King’s “The Shining,” what is the name of the hotel? Answer: The Overlook Hotel

Which dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood was adapted into a popular TV series in 2017? Answer: The Handmaid’s Tale
Who wrote “The Da Vinci Code”? Answer: Dan Brown
What is the first book in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy? Answer: The Fellowship of the Ring

Which Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee features the character Atticus Finch? Answer: To Kill a Mockingbird
Who wrote “The Hunger Games” trilogy? Answer: Suzanne Collins
In which fictional town is Stephen King’s “It” set? Answer: Derry, Maine

What is the name of the main character in Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl”? Answer: Amy Dunne
Who wrote “The Kite Runner”? Answer: Khaled Hosseini
What is the name of the secret organization in Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code”? Answer: Opus Dei

Which author wrote “The Road”? Answer: Cormac McCarthy
What is the name of the main character in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”? Answer: Lisbeth Salander
Who is the author of “The Alchemist”? Answer: Paulo Coelho

In which decade was George Orwell’s “1984” published? Answer: 1940s (1949)
Who wrote “Life of Pi”? Answer: Yann Martel
What is the profession of the main character in John Grisham’s novels? Answer: Lawyer

Which novel begins with the line “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again”? Answer: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Who wrote the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, which was adapted into “Game of Thrones”? Answer: George R.R. Martin
What pseudonym did Stephen King use early in his career? Answer: Richard Bachman

Need more interesting questions to ask at your next book club meeting? Check out our interesting questions to ask a girl or interesting questions to ask a guy for conversation starters that work for everyone.

Children’s and Young Adult Literature

Some of our most cherished reading experiences come from the books we read as children. These stories often stay with us long into adulthood. How many of these childhood favorites do you remember?

Who created the character of Matilda? Answer: Roald Dahl

What is the name of the oldest Pevensie child in “The Chronicles of Narnia”? Answer: Peter
In “Charlotte’s Web,” what type of animal is Wilbur? Answer: Pig
Who wrote “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”? Answer: Eric Carle

What is the name of Harry Potter’s owl? Answer: Hedwig
Who wrote “The Cat in the Hat”? Answer: Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel)
In “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” what is the name of the rabbit Alice follows? Answer: The White Rabbit

Who wrote “Where the Wild Things Are”? Answer: Maurice Sendak
What is the name of the main character in “The Jungle Book”? Answer: Mowgli
Which author created “Winnie-the-Pooh”? Answer: A.A. Milne

In the “Percy Jackson” series, who is Percy’s father? Answer: Poseidon
Who wrote “The Hobbit”? Answer: J.R.R. Tolkien
What is the name of the boarding school in the “Harry Potter” series? Answer: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Who wrote “The Secret Garden”? Answer: Frances Hodgson Burnett
In “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” what is the Tin Man looking for? Answer: A heart
Who is the author of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”? Answer: Jeff Kinney

In “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” what is Charlie’s last name? Answer: Bucket
Who wrote “Anne of Green Gables”? Answer: Lucy Maud Montgomery
In the “Hunger Games” trilogy, what district is Katniss Everdeen from? Answer: District 12

Who wrote “Little Women”? Answer: Louisa May Alcott

For fun game ideas to play with kids that might spark their interest in reading, check out our this or that questions that can be adapted for all ages.

Award-Winning Books Trivia

Literary awards highlight some of the most impactful and well-crafted books of our time. How many of these prestigious award winners do you know?

Which novel by Toni Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988? Answer: Beloved
Who was the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature? Answer: Sinclair Lewis
Which book won the first Man Booker Prize in 1969? Answer: Something to Answer For by P.H. Newby

What was the first Harry Potter book to win the Hugo Award? Answer: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Which author has won the most Pulitzer Prizes for Fiction? Answer: John Updike and Booth Tarkington (tied with 2 each)
Which Margaret Atwood novel won the first Booker Prize? Answer: The Blind Assassin

Who is the youngest author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature? Answer: Rudyard Kipling (age 41)
Which novel by Alice Walker won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983? Answer: The Color Purple
Which Cormac McCarthy novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2007? Answer: The Road

Who was the first African American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature? Answer: Toni Morrison
Which novel by Donna Tartt won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2014? Answer: The Goldfinch
What was the first science fiction novel to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction? Answer: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Which author has won the most National Book Awards? Answer: William Faulkner (3 awards)
Which novel by Hilary Mantel won the Booker Prize in 2009? Answer: Wolf Hall
Who is the only author to decline the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction? Answer: Sinclair Lewis (for “Arrowsmith”)

For when you want to test your knowledge in other areas, try our common sense trivia questions for a different kind of challenge.

Famous Authors Trivia

Behind every great book is a fascinating author. How much do you know about the lives and quirks of these famous writers?

Which famous author worked as a customs officer for many years? Answer: Herman Melville

Which author was also a medical doctor? Answer: Arthur Conan Doyle
Which famous children’s author never had children of his own? Answer: Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel)
Which author wrote “The Raven”? Answer: Edgar Allan Poe

Which famous author was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens? Answer: Mark Twain
Which author created the character of James Bond? Answer: Ian Fleming
Which author wrote under the pen name “Currer Bell”? Answer: Charlotte Brontë

Which Russian author was also a doctor? Answer: Anton Chekhov
Which author wrote “The Old Man and the Sea”? Answer: Ernest Hemingway
Which author created the fictional detective Hercule Poirot? Answer: Agatha Christie

Which famous American poet was also a recluse who rarely left her home? Answer: Emily Dickinson
Which author wrote both “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass”? Answer: Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson)
Which Nobel Prize-winning author wrote “One Hundred Years of Solitude”? Answer: Gabriel García Márquez

Which author famously disappeared for 11 days in 1926? Answer: Agatha Christie
Which author wrote “The Great Gatsby”? Answer: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Which famous horror author worked as a janitor before publishing his first novel? Answer: Stephen King

Which poet wrote “The Waste Land”? Answer: T.S. Eliot
Which author wrote “To the Lighthouse”? Answer: Virginia Woolf
Which female author wrote “Frankenstein”? Answer: Mary Shelley

Which American author wrote “The Catcher in the Rye”? Answer: J.D. Salinger

If deep conversations about authors and their works interest you, you might enjoy our list of deep topics to talk about for your next literary discussion.

Literary Characters Trivia

Great characters make literature memorable. Test your knowledge of some of literature’s most beloved and infamous characters!

What is the name of Harry Potter’s godfather? Answer: Sirius Black
Which character says “To be, or not to be, that is the question”? Answer: Hamlet
What is the name of Elizabeth Bennet’s youngest sister in “Pride and Prejudice”? Answer: Lydia Bennet

Who is the main antagonist in “The Lord of the Rings”? Answer: Sauron
What is the name of Holden Caulfield’s younger sister in “The Catcher in the Rye”? Answer: Phoebe
Which character has servants named Gloppy and Oompa-Loompas? Answer: Willy Wonka

Who is the protagonist in “The Great Gatsby”? Answer: Jay Gatsby
What is the name of the main character in “The Hunger Games”? Answer: Katniss Everdeen
Which Shakespeare character says “All the world’s a stage”? Answer: Jacques (from “As You Like It”)

What is the name of the main female character in “Gone with the Wind”? Answer: Scarlett O’Hara
Who is the antagonist in “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”? Answer: Lord Voldemort (or Professor Quirrell)
What is the name of the main character in “Robinson Crusoe”? Answer: Robinson Crusoe

Which detective lives at 221B Baker Street? Answer: Sherlock Holmes
What is the name of Captain Ahab’s ship in “Moby Dick”? Answer: Pequod
Who is the hero of “The Odyssey”? Answer: Odysseus

What is the name of the second Mrs. de Winter in “Rebecca”? Answer: The character is never named
Which Dickens character asks for “more” food? Answer: Oliver Twist
What is the name of the lead character in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”? Answer: Randle Patrick McMurphy

Who is the monster in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”? Answer: The creature has no name (often mistakenly called “Frankenstein”)
What is the profession of Sherlock Holmes’ friend Dr. Watson? Answer: Doctor (specifically, a physician)

For more challenging questions that will get you thinking, try our hypothetical questions that can lead to fascinating literary discussions.

Why Literature Trivia is Perfect for Any Gathering

Literature trivia is both entertaining and educational, making it ideal for book clubs, family game nights, classroom activities, or even ice breakers at social gatherings. I’ve used these questions countless times with friends and family, and they always spark interesting conversations about books we love or want to read.

When my sister visited last fall, we ended up having an impromptu trivia night that turned into a three-hour discussion about our favorite classic novels. That’s the magic of literature trivia – it connects people through shared stories and often leads to discovering new books to add to your reading list!

If you’re looking for more ways to spark great conversations, check out our interesting topics to talk about for ideas that go beyond literature.

Final Thoughts

I hope you’ve enjoyed testing your literary knowledge with these trivia questions! Whether you’re a casual reader or a devoted bookworm, there’s always something new to learn about the wonderful world of literature.

My family and I use these questions during our monthly game nights, and they never fail to spark conversations about our favorite books and authors. I’ve found that even the most reluctant readers in our group get drawn in by the fascinating facts and stories behind these literary works.

Did you know all the answers? Which category was the easiest for you? I’d love to hear how you did in the comments below!

Looking for more trivia to test your knowledge in other areas? Check out our sports trivia questions or 90s movie trivia for more fun challenges!