Do you think you know world literature? Do you think it wouldn't be difficult to write down 100 great world authors? So did I. Until, 3 years ago, one of my professors gave us this test. I scored 52 points in it... which means I failed . I found it yesterday (scored 94 this time) and thought you might be interested.
Try it. No need to cheat, you'd only lie to yourselves. Write down authors you know. Then after you finish, check your answers in some encyclopaedia or Google.
1. 5 British authors
2. 5 French authors
3. 5 German authors
4. 5 authors from other countries of Western Europe
5. 5 authors from Central and Eastern Europe
6. 5 Slavic authors (except Russian and Czech)
7. 5 Russian authors
8. 5 Czech authors
9. 5 authors from Southern Europe (except Italian)
10. 5 Italian authors
11. 5 African authors (NOT African-American!)
12. 5 Asian authors
13. 5 authors from Australia and New Zealand
14. 5 authors from South America
15. 5 authors from USA
16. 5 authors from Canada
17. 5 current authors (published works after or since 1980)
18. 5 antic authors
19. 5 classics
20. 5 authors that won Nobel prize
1 point for every correct name.
• In questions 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 19 and 20 (i.e. all questions where you have to name authors from certain region), count down 1 point if all authors you stated are from the same country. (Count down another point if that country is your own.)
• In question 18, count down 1 point if all authors are from Antic Rome or Greece.
• In question 20, count down 1 point if all authors are anglophones.
• In all questions where you have to give names of authors from only one country, count down 1 point, if all authors are from the same literary period or movement (e.g., if you state 5 Russian authors, but they are all 19th century authors, you scored only 4 points)
You need 76 points to pass the test.
76 – 80 points – E
81 – 85 points – D
86 – 90 points – C
91 – 95 points – B
96 – 100 points – A
NOTE: I know it may seem that the test is more oriented on Europe. Other professors from other countries might come with quite different test. But I still like it, because it covers also countries and regions that aren't usually considered.
Well? How much did you score?