Book Quiz for March 5th

The Choephori by Aeschylus

King Agamemnon the victor of the Trojan War has been murdered by his estranged wife and her lover. Now Agamemnon's children, Electra and Orestes, are out for revenge. The Choephori (The Libation Bearers) is a Greek tragedy written by Aeschylus originally performed at the Dionysia festival in Athens in 458 BC

The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie

Jerry Burton and his sister Joanna are living in an English village as Jerry recovers from a disabling airplane accident. But when vicious letters begin arriving all over town - including a few addressed to Burton - one recipient takes her own life and another is murdered. Burton takes on the case, but only Miss Marple can unlock the secrets of this troubling tale.

The Plague by Albert Camus

In the town of Oran, thousands of rats, initially going unnoticed by the populace, begin to die in the streets. A hysteria develops soon after, causing the local newspapers to report the incident. Authorities responding to public pressure order the collection and cremation of the rats, unaware that the collection itself was the catalyst for the spread of the bubonic plague. The main...

Command a King's Ship by Alexander Kent

1784: His Majesty's frigate Undine weighs anchor to begin a voyage to India with her new Captain, Richard Bolitho on a mission to safeguard trade and colonial development in little-known areas of the East Indies.

La Reine Margot by Alexandre Dumas

A novel of suspense and drama which recreates the violent world of intrigue, murder and duplicity of the French Renaissance. Dumas fills his canvas with a gallery of unforgettable characters, unremitting action and the engaging generosity of spirit which has made him one of the world's greatest and best-loved story-tellers.

The Wanting Seed by Anthony Burgess

Although the novel addresses many societal issues, the primary subject is overpopulation and its relation to culture. Religion, government, and history are also addressed. A significant portion of the book is a condemnation of war. Burgess once said, "I have spent the last 25 years thinking that The Wanting Seed could, in my leisurely old age, be expanded to a length worthy of the...

Confessions by Augustine of Hippo

The work outlines Augustine's sinful youth and his conversion to Christianity. It is widely seen as the first Western autobiography ever written, and was an influential model for Christian writers throughout the following 1000 years of the Middle Ages. It is not a complete autobiography, as it was written in his early 40s, and he lived long afterwards, producing another important...

Nana by Émile Zola

Nana tells the story of Nana Coupeau's rise from streetwalker to high-class cocotte during the last three years of the French Second Empire. Nana first appears in the end of L'Assommoir, another of Zola's Rougon-Macquart series, in which she is portrayed as the daughter of an abusive drunk; in the end, she is living in the streets and just beginning a life of prostitution.

The Man of Fifty by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Arriving at the family manor, the Major scarcely recognizes his tall, elegant niece as she rushes out to greet him. Surprise soon turns to satisfaction as he learns that she has confessed to being in love with him - and he a 50-year-old man! Instantly turning his attention to his appearance, he determines to transform himself into a suitable lover for a young girl. But he must also...

Zanna's Gift: A Life in Christmases by Orson Scott Card

When the Pullman family lost their eldest son Ernie to an unexpected illness just before Christmas, 1938, it was devastating to all of them, but especially to young Suzanna, their four-year-old daughter who shared a special bond with her big brother. A strangely gifted child, Zanna loved to draw, but Ernie was the only one who was able to see the pictures in the curious patterns she...