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Books Quiz - Author - Maeve Binchy (Questions)

Maeve Binchy was born in 1939 in Dalkey, a small village outside Dublin. She graduated from University College in Dublin and then became a teacher. She worked for a time in Israel and, while there, had a letter published in The Irish Times, earning her £18 – more than her weekly salary. She then went on to pursue a career as a journalist. Maeve married the love of her life, children’s author Gordon Snell, in 1977 after the pair met at Broadcasting House, the home of the BBC.

Maeve Binchy’s literary career began in 1978 when her book of short stories Central Line was published. In total she had 11 books of short stories published and also wrote plays for radio, TV and the stage. But she is most famous for her 16 novels, several of which were best sellers and 3 of which have been made into films. She died in 2012 at the age of 73.

Maeve Binchy is unmistakeably Irish but did you know that she married an Englishman? Test your knowledge on Maeve Binchy and discover some more interesting nuggets of information in this quiz.

1. Before becoming a full-time writer, Binchy was a journalist on which newspaper?
[ ] The Irish Mail
[ ] The Irish Post
[ ] The Irish Telegraph
[ ] The Irish Times
2. What is the title of Binchy's first novel, published in 1982?
[ ] Light a New Candle
[ ] Light an Old Candle
[ ] Light a Penny Candle
[ ] Light a Twopenny Candle
3. Binchy's novel Tara Road features two women, who have never met, who trade houses. One is Irish; what nationality is the other?
[ ] American
[ ] Canadian
[ ] English
[ ] Scottish
4. In which Binchy novel does the glamorous Helen marry Martin, though still pining for Louis?
[ ] The Glass Lake
[ ] The Glass Pond
[ ] The Glass River
[ ] The Glass Stream
5. The 1997 novel Evening Class features a group of students studying what?
[ ] French
[ ] Italian
[ ] Spanish
[ ] Turkish
6. Which 1988 novel centres around an anniversary party?
[ ] Silver Wedding
[ ] Ruby Wedding
[ ] Golden Wedding
[ ] Diamond Wedding
7. Who played Marilyn in the 2005 version of Tara Road?
[ ] Brenda Fricker
[ ] Keira Knightley
[ ] Andie McDowell
[ ] Emma Thompson
8. Minnie Driver played Bernadette 'Benny' Hogan in a 1995 film version of which Binchy novel?
[ ] Circle of Fame
[ ] Circle of Fire
[ ] Circle of Forgiveness
[ ] Circle of Friends
9. What colour is the bus in the title of Binchy's 1984 short story collection?
[ ] Indigo
[ ] Lavender
[ ] Lilac
[ ] Violet
10. Binchy was born in which small town near Dublin?
[ ] Dalkey
[ ] Doolin
[ ] Drogheda
[ ] Dundrum

 

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Books Quiz - Author - Maeve Binchy (Answers)
1. Before becoming a full-time writer, Binchy was a journalist on which newspaper?
[ ] The Irish Mail
[ ] The Irish Post
[ ] The Irish Telegraph
[x] The Irish Times
As well as being a journalist, Maeve also worked as a teacher of history, Latin and French
2. What is the title of Binchy's first novel, published in 1982?
[ ] Light a New Candle
[ ] Light an Old Candle
[x] Light a Penny Candle
[ ] Light a Twopenny Candle
Before Light a Penny Candle Maeve had had two books of short stories published - Central Line in 1978 and Victoria Line in 1980
3. Binchy's novel Tara Road features two women, who have never met, who trade houses. One is Irish; what nationality is the other?
[x] American
[ ] Canadian
[ ] English
[ ] Scottish
Tara Road was made into a film in 2005 in which Maeve Binchy can be seen in the first scene at Colm's restaurant
4. In which Binchy novel does the glamorous Helen marry Martin, though still pining for Louis?
[x] The Glass Lake
[ ] The Glass Pond
[ ] The Glass River
[ ] The Glass Stream
It's set in the Irish village of Lough Glass
5. The 1997 novel Evening Class features a group of students studying what?
[ ] French
[x] Italian
[ ] Spanish
[ ] Turkish
The setting is the Mountainview School, Dublin
6. Which 1988 novel centres around an anniversary party?
[x] Silver Wedding
[ ] Ruby Wedding
[ ] Golden Wedding
[ ] Diamond Wedding
Silver Wedding tells the story of Deirdre and Desmond Doyle, their family and friends and some guilty secrets
7. Who played Marilyn in the 2005 version of Tara Road?
[ ] Brenda Fricker
[ ] Keira Knightley
[x] Andie McDowell
[ ] Emma Thompson
Brenda Fricker is in the film but she plays Mona, not Marilyn
8. Minnie Driver played Bernadette 'Benny' Hogan in a 1995 film version of which Binchy novel?
[ ] Circle of Fame
[ ] Circle of Fire
[ ] Circle of Forgiveness
[x] Circle of Friends
Driver put on 30 lbs for the role
9. What colour is the bus in the title of Binchy's 1984 short story collection?
[ ] Indigo
[ ] Lavender
[x] Lilac
[ ] Violet
The stories are all about a group of seven people from the village of Rathdoon, who work in Dublin and return home every weekend on the Lilac Bus
10. Binchy was born in which small town near Dublin?
[x] Dalkey
[ ] Doolin
[ ] Drogheda
[ ] Dundrum
Dalkey is the hometown of two Irish novelists: Maeve Binchy and Hugh Leonard. It is also popular with musicians with Bono, The Edge, Enya, Chris de Burgh and Van Morrison all owning houses there