Hi all!
The first edition of the Bookworm Club Quiz got a lukewarm response. Most of it has got to do with my poor advertising skills. My repeated attempts to use the MS M2M/Bulletin system were met with hostility from my opponent – technology.
Even after trying to send a bulletin across, it appears that I failed. Fortunately, the email system worked well :)
I accept that the quiz was slightly tough, and was specially designed to be “Google – free” as it were. I appreciate the input of all those who participated. The bigger concern however is that after finding out the answers, please take a few moments of your life to skim through some of these works, if you were not aware of them already.
1) All the participants correctly guessed the name of the author. It was indeed Tom Stoppard. However, the question was to name the work and the poet paid homage to within it. The extract was from the beginning of the playArcadia. The two characters are Septimus and Thomasina. Septimus is the tutor and Thomasina the pupil. The play begins with comic timing and doesn’t prepare the audience for the tragic twist. The Romantic poet is Lord Byron, who makes an appearance as a recurring house guest. Must read for style.
2) Nobody could get this and understandably so. The name of the play is Wit. It is written by Margaret Edson. It won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The more surprising facet is the name of the poet which I am about to reveal. It is surprise, surprise – John Donne! The play follows the dying stages of a John Donne scholar, and his Holy Sonnets are constantly used to forward the narrative. Sylvia Plath also referred to John Donne in a 1962 BBC interview about her book review – The Colossus. She said - "I remember being appalled when someone criticized me for beginning just like John Donne but not quite managing to finish like John Donne”.
3) Everyone got George Orwell, and I am overjoyed about that. However, the name of the work is – “Why I Write”, published in 1946. It is a testament to every writer. My profile page was a dead giveaway!
4) Samuel Beckett and my favourite play – Waiting for Godot. This was perhaps, the easiest of all!
5) Clemens, as all of you noted is none other than Mark Twain. The other author which Twain satirised was Fenimore Cooper (most noted for The Last of the Mohicans). Twain’s essay – “Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offences” is the most satisfactory. It is famous for establishing ‘rules governing literature’!
6) The great author is David Sedaris. Thank you to Javeed bhai for getting this at its earliest. He is probably the best humourest of this decade, and perhaps this century. The extract was from his work – “When you are engulfed in flames”. His other must read is – “The Santaland Diaries”. I promise, it will be the most hilarious stuff you’ve read in a while.
Now for the prizes!
1st –Sajit bhai Score – 8/12 (gifts worth 800 points)
2nd –Ratnakar ji Score – 5/12 (gifts worth 500 points)
3rd –Javeed bhai Score – 4/12 (gifts worth 400 points)
100 points for every correct answer. Enjoy, and don’t forget – keep reading!!
Love
Virat
