Famous Authors & Literature
1 / 15From Shakespeare to Hemingway — how well do you know the world's greatest books and authors?
15 quick questionsNo sign-upFree to playTap an answer below to begin ↓
Who wrote the tragic love story 'Romeo and Juliet'?
About Famous Authors & Literature
Give your memory a workout with Famous Authors & Literature: 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 6 medium, 5 easy, 4 hard questions, free to play right in your browser. From Shakespeare to Hemingway — how well do you know the world's greatest books and authors? Expect to spend about 7 minutes; every question comes with an explanation, so you learn something even when you miss.
A few sample questions
1. Who wrote the tragic love story 'Romeo and Juliet'?
Answer: William Shakespeare
Shakespeare wrote 'Romeo and Juliet' around 1594-1596. It remains one of the most performed plays in the world and has inspired countless adaptations.
2. In Shakespeare's 'Hamlet,' what is the famous opening line of Hamlet's most well-known soliloquy?
Answer: 'To be, or not to be'
'To be, or not to be, that is the question' is perhaps the most famous line in all of English literature. The soliloquy explores themes of life, death, and existence.
3. Charles Dickens wrote 'A Tale of Two Cities.' Which two cities does it refer to?
Answer: London and Paris
'A Tale of Two Cities' (1859) is set during the French Revolution. Its opening line — 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times' — is one of the most famous in literature.
4. What was the real name of the American author known as Mark Twain?
Answer: Samuel Clemens
Samuel Langhorne Clemens adopted the pen name Mark Twain, a riverboat term meaning 'two fathoms deep.' He wrote 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' and 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.'
5. Which novel by Jane Austen begins with the line 'It is a truth universally acknowledged'?
Answer: Pride and Prejudice
'Pride and Prejudice' (1813) opens with one of the most iconic sentences in English literature. Austen completed the novel when she was just 21 years old.
Things you'll learn along the way
- 'The Old Man and the Sea' (1952) tells the story of an aging Cuban fisherman. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and helped Hemingway win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.
- 'The Great Gatsby' (1925) captures the glamour and emptiness of the Jazz Age. Though it received mixed reviews initially, it is now considered one of the greatest American novels.
- Harper Lee published 'To Kill a Mockingbird' in 1960. Set in the American South, it addresses racial injustice and won the Pulitzer Prize. Lee published only one other novel in her lifetime.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my progress if I close the page?
Your overall progress — XP, streaks, and badges — is saved in your browser automatically. A quiz that's underway restarts if you leave mid-game, but at about 7 minutes, Famous Authors & Literature fits comfortably in one sitting.
How many questions are in Famous Authors & Literature?
Famous Authors & Literature has 15 multiple-choice questions. Each one has four answer options and an explanation that appears after you answer, so you learn something even when you miss.
Is Famous Authors & Literature free to play?
Yes. The entire SeniorBrainGames catalog — including Famous Authors & Literature — is free, with no sign-up required, no time limits, and no ads on top of the game. It also works offline once the page has loaded once.
How long does Famous Authors & Literature take?
Most players finish Famous Authors & Literature in about 7 minutes. You can pause between questions, replay it as often as you like, and there is no penalty for taking your time — answers are explained after you submit them.
More General Knowledge
Famous Art Museums
How well do you know the world's greatest art museums and their treasures?
Famous Explorers
Test your knowledge of history's greatest explorers!
Famous Novels
How well do you know the world's most celebrated novels and their authors?
Famous Operas
From tragic love stories to comedic farces, test your knowledge of the world's greatest operas!
Famous Playwrights
From Shakespeare to Arthur Miller, how well do you know the masters of the stage?
Try Memory Games
Famous Authors Recall
Match authors to their famous books
Try Memory Games
Famous Bands Recall
How well do you remember the greatest bands in music history?
Free printables
Printable Logic Grids
Logic grid puzzles to solve on paper, with solutions.