Book Quiz with 10 questions about Author

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Books Quiz - Author - James Joyce (Questions)

Test your knowledge of James Joyce’s bold, challenging writing, from Dubliners to Ulysses, and see how closely you’ve been paying attention to his modernist experiments.

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Fascinating Fact:

Joyce’s early collection Dubliners presents everyday life in Dublin with precise, realistic detail and moments of sudden insight, often called epiphanies.

In Specialist Books, this quiz looks at James Joyce as a major modernist author. You will revisit his stories and novels, exploring style, structure and the ways he portrays consciousness and city life.

Key Terms

Modernism: A movement in early twentieth century literature that experimented with form, language and viewpoint.
Stream of consciousness: A narrative technique that follows a character’s flowing, often fragmented, thoughts and feelings.
Epiphany: A sudden moment of insight or realisation that changes how a character sees their life or situation.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is James Joyce best known for?

James Joyce is best known for his modernist works Dubliners, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses and Finnegans Wake, which transformed narrative style in English.

In what order should I read James Joyce’s books?

Many readers start with Dubliners, move on to A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, then read Ulysses, leaving Finnegans Wake until they feel confident with his style.

Why is James Joyce sometimes difficult to read?

Joyce can be challenging because he experiments with language, structure and viewpoint, using dense allusions and interior monologue that demand slow, careful reading and rereading.

Try These Related Quizzes

Joyce's initials were J A A. What was his third Christian name?

[ ]	Alan
[ ]	Albert
[ ]	Aloysius
[ ]	Alvin

Whom did Joyce marry in 1931?

[ ]	Nora Barnacle
[ ]	Nora Limpet
[ ]	Nora Whelk
[ ]	Nora Winkle

What was the title of the collection of Joyce's short stories published in 1914?

[ ]	Dubliners
[ ]	Londoners
[ ]	New Yorkers
[ ]	Parisiennes

Complete the title of Joyce's 1916 semi-autobiographical novel - A portrait of the Artist...?

[ ]	As a Young Dog
[ ]	As a Young Man
[ ]	As a Young Poet
[ ]	As a Young Writer

In which city was Joyce born in 1882?

[ ]	Cork
[ ]	Dublin
[ ]	Galway
[ ]	Limerick

From 1888 until 1892 Joyce attended Clongowes Wood College, a boarding school in which Irish county?

[ ]	Carlow
[ ]	Clare
[ ]	Kerry
[ ]	Kildare

What was the title of Joyce's final novel, published in 1939?

[ ]	Brogans Wake
[ ]	Finnegans Wake
[ ]	Hogans Wake
[ ]	Logans Wake

What is the title of Joyce's 1918 play?

[ ]	The Examiners
[ ]	The Exhibitionists
[ ]	The Exiles
[ ]	The Extortionists

Which of these is a character created by Joyce?

[ ]	Molly Bloom
[ ]	Molly Flower
[ ]	Molly Rose
[ ]	Molly Snowdrop

10.

In 1941 Joyce underwent an operation on a perforated ulcer in which Swiss city?

[ ]	Bern
[ ]	Geneva
[ ]	Lausanne
[ ]	Zurich

Books Quiz - Author - James Joyce (Answers)

Joyce's initials were J A A. What was his third Christian name?

[ ]	Alan
[ ]	Albert
[x]	Aloysius
[ ]	Alvin

His full name was James Augustine Aloysius Joyce

Whom did Joyce marry in 1931?

[x]	Nora Barnacle
[ ]	Nora Limpet
[ ]	Nora Whelk
[ ]	Nora Winkle

On hearing of Nora's surname, Joyce's father said: 'She'll stick with him'

What was the title of the collection of Joyce's short stories published in 1914?

[x]	Dubliners
[ ]	Londoners
[ ]	New Yorkers
[ ]	Parisiennes

Dubliners contains fifteen short stories which describe Irish middle class life in the early 20th Century, at the height of Irish nationalism

Complete the title of Joyce's 1916 semi-autobiographical novel - A portrait of the Artist...?

[ ]	As a Young Dog
[x]	As a Young Man
[ ]	As a Young Poet
[ ]	As a Young Writer

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog was written by Dylan Thomas

In which city was Joyce born in 1882?

[ ]	Cork
[x]	Dublin
[ ]	Galway
[ ]	Limerick

Joyce was born at number 41 Brighton Square, Rathgar, Dublin

From 1888 until 1892 Joyce attended Clongowes Wood College, a boarding school in which Irish county?

[ ]	Carlow
[ ]	Clare
[ ]	Kerry
[x]	Kildare

The school has educated other writers apart from Joyce including Pat Reid MBE, Maurice Healy and Aidan Higgins

What was the title of Joyce's final novel, published in 1939?

[ ]	Brogans Wake
[x]	Finnegans Wake
[ ]	Hogans Wake
[ ]	Logans Wake

This one was hard work; it took him 17 years to write it

What is the title of Joyce's 1918 play?

[ ]	The Examiners
[ ]	The Exhibitionists
[x]	The Exiles
[ ]	The Extortionists

The Exiles is based on The Dead, the final short story in Joyce's Dubliners