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Quizzes > Books & Literature

Famous Authors Quiz: Name the Classic Writers

Quick, free authors quiz to test your knowledge. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Tanya HallUpdated Aug 23, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration of open book and quill pen on dark blue background for quiz on classic authors novels and plays

This famous authors quiz helps you match classic novels and plays to the writers behind them. Test your recall with quick questions and instant answers, then explore more with a classic literature quiz, try a broader famous literature quiz, or sharpen names and dates with focused author trivia.

Who wrote 'Pride and Prejudice'?
Charlotte Brontë
Emily Brontë
Jane Austen
Mary Shelley
Jane Austen published 'Pride and Prejudice' in 1813, and it quickly became one of her most popular novels for its witty exploration of manners and matrimonial machinations. Her deft characterizations of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy have endured as literary icons. Austen's commentary on social class and marriage remains influential.
Which author wrote 'Hamlet'?
Christopher Marlowe
John Donne
Ben Jonson
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is credited with writing 'Hamlet,' believed to have been composed between 1599 and 1601. The play is a cornerstone of English literature and one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies. Its themes of revenge, madness, and political intrigue have been endlessly analyzed.
Who is the author of 'Moby-Dick'?
Walt Whitman
Edgar Allan Poe
Herman Melville
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Herman Melville penned 'Moby-Dick' in 1851, a novel that explores obsession, revenge, and the whaling industry. Initially met with mixed reviews, it later gained recognition as one of the greatest American novels. Melville's dense prose and symbolic depth are hallmarks of the work.
Which author wrote 'Great Expectations'?
William Makepeace Thackeray
Thomas Hardy
George Eliot
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens published 'Great Expectations' in serial form between 1860 and 1861. The novel follows the orphan Pip and examines themes of social class and personal growth. Dickens' vivid characters and social commentary have made this work a classic.
Who wrote 'Don Quixote'?
Pedro Calderón de la Barca
Lope de Vega
Miguel de Cervantes
Francisco de Quevedo
Miguel de Cervantes published 'Don Quixote' in two parts (1605 and 1615). It is considered one of the founding works of modern Western literature and the first modern novel. Cervantes' satire of chivalric romances has influenced countless writers.
Which author wrote 'War and Peace'?
Leo Tolstoy
Alexander Pushkin
Ivan Turgenev
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Leo Tolstoy published 'War and Peace' in 1869, weaving together the lives of aristocratic families during the Napoleonic Wars. It is celebrated for its scope, depth of character, and philosophical insights. Tolstoy's epic remains a high-water mark of realist fiction.
Who is credited with writing 'The Odyssey'?
Hesiod
Homer
Virgil
Ovid
Homer is the ancient Greek poet traditionally credited with composing 'The Odyssey,' an epic poem dating to around the 8th century BCE. It recounts the hero Odysseus' ten-year journey home after the Trojan War. Homer's works are foundational texts of Western literature.
Who wrote 'Crime and Punishment'?
Leo Tolstoy
Ivan Turgenev
Anton Chekhov
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky published 'Crime and Punishment' in 1866, exploring morality, guilt, and redemption through the mind of Raskolnikov. The novel is a landmark of psychological fiction and Russian literature. Dostoevsky's deep philosophical and ethical questions resonate to this day.
Who is the author of 'Faust'?
Thomas Mann
Friedrich Schiller
Heinrich Heine
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote 'Faust,' a two-part dramatic work published in 1808 and 1832. It retells the legend of a man who makes a pact with the devil in exchange for knowledge and pleasure. Goethe's masterpiece is central to German literature and world drama.
Who wrote 'Wuthering Heights'?
Emily Brontë
Elizabeth Gaskell
Charlotte Brontë
Anne Brontë
Emily Brontë published 'Wuthering Heights' in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell. The novel's dark romance and complex characters, like Heathcliff and Catherine, distinguish it from Victorian norms. It is now considered a classic of English literature.
Who wrote 'The Scarlet Letter'?
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Louisa May Alcott
Edgar Allan Poe
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Nathaniel Hawthorne published 'The Scarlet Letter' in 1850; it examines sin, legalism, and guilt in a Puritan Boston community. Hester Prynne's scarlet "A" and Hawthorne's symbolic style have made the novel a staple of American literature.
Who wrote 'Jane Eyre'?
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Anne Brontë
Charlotte Brontë
Mary Shelley
Charlotte Brontë wrote 'Jane Eyre,' first published in 1847 under the pen name Currer Bell. The novel broke ground with its strong female protagonist and exploration of class and gender. It remains a cornerstone of Victorian literature.
Who is the author of 'Frankenstein'?
Elizabeth Gaskell
Bram Stoker
Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley published 'Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus' in 1818 at age 20. The novel is credited with creating the science fiction genre and addresses themes of creation, responsibility, and isolation. Shelley's work continues to inspire adaptations.
Who wrote 'The Importance of Being Earnest'?
J. M. Barrie
Henrik Ibsen
George Bernard Shaw
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde wrote 'The Importance of Being Earnest,' first performed in 1895. This comedic play satirizes Victorian social conventions and is celebrated for its witty dialogue. Wilde's only full-length comedy remains a favorite on stage.
Who wrote 'Ulysses'?
Joseph Conrad
T. S. Eliot
Virginia Woolf
James Joyce
James Joyce published 'Ulysses' in 1922, paralleling Homer's epic by following Leopold Bloom through a single day in Dublin. Celebrated for its stream-of-consciousness technique, it remains one of modernist literature's pinnacles. The novel was subject to censorship for its frank content.
Who is the author of 'Middlemarch'?
Charlotte Brontë
Elizabeth Gaskell
Thomas Hardy
George Eliot
George Eliot is the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, who published 'Middlemarch' between 1871 and 1872. The novel examines provincial life in 19th-century England and is praised for its realism and psychological insight. Eliot's narrative technique and social observations are highly esteemed.
Who wrote 'Paradise Lost'?
Christopher Marlowe
John Milton
John Donne
Edmund Spenser
John Milton published 'Paradise Lost' in 1667. This epic poem in blank verse explores the biblical story of the Fall of Man, presenting complex themes of free will, rebellion, and redemption. Milton's mastery of language and epic scope cemented his literary legacy.
Who is the author of 'The Divine Comedy'?
Petrarch
Dante Alighieri
Guido Cavalcanti
Giovanni Boccaccio
Dante Alighieri composed 'The Divine Comedy' in the early 14th century, an allegorical journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. The work is a cornerstone of Italian literature and deeply influenced later writers and thinkers. Dante's use of vernacular Tuscan helped standardize the Italian language.
Who wrote 'Madame Bovary'?
Guy de Maupassant
Émile Zola
Gustave Flaubert
Honoré de Balzac
Gustave Flaubert published 'Madame Bovary' in 1857. The novel's realistic portrayal of Emma Bovary's disillusionment and adulterous affairs shocked readers and led to an obscenity trial, though Flaubert was acquitted. It is now considered a masterpiece of literary realism.
Who is the author of 'In Search of Lost Time'?
Jean-Paul Sartre
André Gide
Albert Camus
Marcel Proust
Marcel Proust wrote 'In Search of Lost Time' (also known as 'Remembrance of Things Past') over seven volumes between 1913 and 1927. The work is celebrated for its introspective style and exploration of involuntary memory. Proust's monumental vision profoundly influenced 20th-century literature.
Who wrote 'Les Misérables'?
Victor Hugo
Alexandre Dumas
Émile Zola
Gustave Flaubert
Victor Hugo published 'Les Misérables' in 1862. This epic novel follows ex-convict Jean Valjean and examines themes of justice, morality, and redemption in post-revolutionary France. Hugo's vivid storytelling and social critique have made the work enduringly popular.
Who wrote 'The Trial'?
Robert Musil
Franz Werfel
Thomas Mann
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka wrote 'The Trial,' which was published posthumously in 1925. The novel tells the story of Josef K., who is arrested and prosecuted by a remote, inaccessible authority. Kafka's themes of alienation and bureaucracy have had a lasting impact on modern literature.
Who wrote 'Dream of the Red Chamber'?
Luo Guanzhong
Wu Cheng'en
Cao Xueqin
Li Bai
Cao Xueqin, an 18th-century Chinese writer, is traditionally credited with composing 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. The semi-autobiographical work offers a detailed portrayal of 18th-century aristocratic life. It remains a cornerstone of Chinese literature.
Who is the author of 'Eugene Onegin'?
Ivan Turgenev
Nikolai Gogol
Alexander Pushkin
Mikhail Lermontov
Alexander Pushkin wrote 'Eugene Onegin,' a novel in verse published in serial form from 1825 to 1832. Often called the 'encyclopaedia of Russian life,' it blends romantic narrative with satirical commentary. Pushkin is revered as the father of modern Russian literature.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Famous Classic Authors -

    Recognize the names of legendary writers featured in the quiz and associate them with their most iconic works.

  2. Match Authors to Works -

    Match each author to the correct novel, play, or poem to reinforce your knowledge of classic literature.

  3. Recall Literary Context -

    Recall key historical and cultural contexts that shaped each author's writing career and major publications.

  4. Analyze Authorial Styles -

    Distinguish between different writing styles and thematic focuses of classic authors across genres and eras.

  5. Enhance Literary Trivia Skills -

    Build confidence in your famous author trivia by testing your memory and learning new facts about literary legends.

  6. Assess Personal Knowledge -

    Evaluate your understanding of classic literature and identify areas for further reading or study.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Chronological Context of Major Authors -

    Understanding the timeline of famous classic authors helps you place each writer in their historical era. For instance, Oxford University Press timelines show Jane Austen (1775 - 1817) preceded Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870), situating Austen in the Romantic period and Dickens in the Victorian. This historical map strengthens your ability to identify famous classic authors by era.

  2. Key Works and Signature Themes -

    Memorize each author's hallmark work alongside its central theme, such as Shakespeare's "Hamlet" for existential dilemmas or Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" for Gothic innovation. A British Library mnemonic - "FRAG" (Frankenstein, Romeo & Juliet, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations) - links titles to themes. This approach boosts recall when you encounter famous author trivia in a classic literature quiz.

  3. Authorial Styles and Language Features -

    Study distinctive stylistic elements like Dickens' long, descriptive sentences versus Austen's concise, ironic dialogue. Cambridge University research highlights Dickens' use of serial commas and Austen's free indirect style. Recognizing these signature language features helps you match an excerpt to its creator in literature authors quizzes.

  4. Poetry Movements and Their Poets -

    Group poets by literary movement - Romantic (Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley) versus Metaphysical (Donne, Marvell) - using University of Cambridge frameworks. Employ the mnemonic "WKS-MD" to recall Romantic and Metaphysical pairs. Associating poets with their movements sharpens your performance on classic literature quizzes.

  5. Cross-Cultural Perspectives -

    Expand beyond English classics to include Victor Hugo, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Leo Tolstoy, as recommended by Harvard's literature syllabus. Use flashcards to categorize French and Russian authors, highlighting national contexts and genres. This broader scope prepares you for more challenging identify famous authors questions.

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