World Classics — Set 4
Books & Authors · विश्व क्लासिक · Questions 31–40 of 60
Who wrote 'The Sound and the Fury', a complex novel featuring multiple narrators from the Compson family?
Correct Answer: D. William Faulkner
William Faulkner utilized experimental stream-of-consciousness techniques to explore the decline of a Southern aristocratic family. This novel is considered a masterpiece of Southern Gothic literature. Faulkner received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1949.
The ancient Greek philosopher who founded the Academy and wrote 'The Symposium' was?
Correct Answer: A. Plato
Plato wrote a series of dialogues where he often used Socrates as the lead character to discuss philosophical questions. The Symposium focuses on the nature of love (Eros). Plato's Academy was the first institution of higher learning in the Western world.
Who authored the collection of 100 stories titled 'The Decameron' in 14th-century Italy?
Correct Answer: C. Giovanni Boccaccio
Giovanni Boccaccio wrote this work in the vernacular Italian, depicting a group of youths fleeing the Black Death in Florence. The stories cover various themes from tragic love to witty practical jokes. It served as a major influence on subsequent European literature.
The novel 'Gulliver's Travels', a satire on human nature and travellers' tales, was written by?
Correct Answer: D. Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish cleric and satirist who used Lemuel Gulliver's voyages to critique European society and politics. The book is a classic of both English literature and children's fantasy. Swift is also famous for his satirical essay 'A Modest Proposal'.
Which author wrote the realistic novel 'Anna Karenina', beginning with the famous line about happy families?
Correct Answer: A. Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy's novel explores themes of betrayal, faith, and the clash between urban and rural life in Imperial Russia. The story parallels the tragic affair of Anna with the spiritual quest of Konstantin Levin. It is widely regarded as the greatest work of realist fiction.
Who authored the play 'Waiting for Godot', a cornerstone of the Theatre of the Absurd?
Correct Answer: C. Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett, an Irish writer who wrote primarily in French and English, focused on two characters waiting for someone who never arrives. The play explores the human condition and the search for meaning in a seemingly senseless world. Beckett was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969.
The philosophical work 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' was written by which German philosopher?
Correct Answer: D. Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche used the fictionalized version of an ancient Persian prophet to introduce concepts like the 'Übermensch' (Overman). The book is written in a poetic, aphoristic style and critiques traditional morality. Nietzsche is a pivotal figure in modern existentialist and postmodern thought.
Who wrote 'The Old Man and the Sea', a novella that earned him a Pulitzer Prize?
Correct Answer: A. Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway told the story of Santiago, an aging Cuban fisherman who catches a massive marlin after many days of bad luck. The work is famous for its simple, direct prose style and themes of endurance and dignity. Hemingway won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.
Which author wrote 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', his only published novel?
Correct Answer: C. Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde's philosophical novel centers on a beautiful young man whose portrait ages and records his moral decay while he remains youthful. It was highly controversial upon release due to its perceived hedonism. Wilde was a leader of the Aesthetic movement in late Victorian London.
The epic poem 'Aeneid', which tells the legendary story of Aeneas who travelled to Italy, was written by?
Correct Answer: D. Virgil
Virgil wrote the Aeneid during the reign of Augustus to provide a grand foundation myth for Rome. The poem modeled itself after Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Virgil is considered the greatest of the Latin poets.