Books & authors
The “First lines: name the book” quiz — Books & authors. It has 25 questions in five categories: Timeless classics, 20th-century icons, Speculative worlds, Mystery & thrillers, Award winners. Questions get harder as the points go up, from 100 to 500.
The 100- and 200-point questions are open here. The rest show only their first words, and there are no answers: all of that is in the game itself.
'Call me Ishmael.' Which Herman Melville novel about Captain Ahab opens with these three famous words?
Which Jane Austen novel begins with the observation that a single man in possession of a good fortune must want a wife?
'It was the best…
In the game'There was no possibility…
In the gameOn February 24, 1815…
In the gameIn the opening line of which novel does Colonel Aureliano Buendía, facing a firing squad, remember the day he went to discover ice?
'Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can't be sure.' Which Albert Camus novel opens with this detached reflection?
In the opening sentence…
In the gameIn the opening lines…
In the game'The past is a…
In the game
'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' Name this dystopian novel by George Orwell.
'It was a pleasure to burn.' Which classic Ray Bradbury novel about firemen burning books opens with this line?
'The sky above the…
In the game'All this happened, more…
In the gameWhich satirical Douglas Adams…
In the game
'Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.' Which gothic mystery novel by Daphne du Maurier opens with these words?
'When I think of my wife, I always think of her head.' Which psychological thriller by Gillian Flynn opens with these words?
In the opening lines…
In the gameIn the opening sentence…
In the gameIn the opening lines…
In the gameIn the opening line, thirty-one-year-old Kathy H. explains that she has been a carer for over eleven years. Name this Kazuo Ishiguro novel.
'At dusk they pour from the sky.' Which Pulitzer-winning novel by Anthony Doerr set in Saint-Malo opens with these words?
'So now get up.'…
In the gameWhich Serhiy Zhadan novel…
In the game'124 was spiteful.' Which…
In the gameAll 25 questions and the answers are in the game. Invite your class or friends with a link — guests need no account.