Finish the Line: Can You Complete These Famous Book Quotes?

Welcome to the On The Spot: Test your Literary Knowledge!

In this quiz you will discover how much you really know about some of the best-known literature quotes ever. 

Question by question, each quote will test you by giving only part of the quote. Complete the quote to show how well you know your literature. 

Some of these will be easy, some may push your memory hard. 

This is a fun game for everyone from novice to avid reader. Think carefully and trust your gut before attempting to get as many corrections as possible! 

Let's figure out if you're an expert on famous book quotes!

Check Out: Which King Was Known as the Philosopher King?

Can You Complete These Famous Book Quotes?

1) A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of ___”
A) wisdom
B) belief
C) foolishness
D) adventure
Answer: C

The French Revolution was an era of great extremes, Dickens makes mention of the chaos within society, the total inequitability of social classes and the extreme range of emotions encompassing the characters throughout the entire story. 

2) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a ___, must be in want of a __”
A) wife/house
B) good fortune/ wife
C) friend/company
D) goal/journey
Answer: B

Austen critiques the society’s obsession with wealth and marriage through the use of irony by illustrating how one’s economic status has a direct impact on the relationship and expectations of a woman. 

In the 19th century, for example, women had no economic wealth of their own; therefore, they were married in order to provide them with economic stability for their futures. 

3) Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

“Call me __”
A) Jack
B) Ishmael
C) Nemo
D) Holmes
Answer: B

Ishmael is introduced as the narrator in the simple yet memorable beginning of the story.

The obvious mystery surrounding Ishmael and his relationship with other characters adds to the intimacy of a philosophical exploration of the great sea and people’s obsession regarding their lives and fate, while also exploring all of the struggles that exist within both an earthly and a human aspect of existence. 

4) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“So we beat on, boats against the ___, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
A) wind
B) storm
C) waves
D) tide 
Answer: D

The conclusion of this poem represents the continuing battle between human ambition and time. The "tide" represents a force that cannot be controlled.

Whereas, Gatsby's dream represents optimism, the unrealistic pursuit of a dream and oftentimes the quest to recover a lost dream. 

5) Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

“Death exists, not as the opposite but as a part of ___”

A) fate
B) life
C) memory
D) time
Answer: B

Murakami reflects on how life and death are deeply intertwined rather than completely separate opposites.

Through his storytelling, he often explores themes of loss, loneliness, memory, and emotional complexity.

This idea shows how human existence is shaped by both joy and grief, making life more meaningful through contrast.

6) Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 

“Whatever our ______ are made of, his and mine are the ______.”

A) hearts / same

B) minds / equal

C) souls / same

D) lives / one

Answer: C 

This emotive quote communicates the existence of a passionate, spiritual attachment between Heathcliff and Catherine; it implies that Brontë believes that love has an overwhelming force that is almost beyond our physical reality.

This statement correlates to the themes of obsessive love, identification and tragic romanticism, which recur regularly throughout the text.

7) The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

“I have the true feeling of myself only when I am ___”

A) alone
B) dreaming
C) working
D) lost
Answer: A

Kafka demonstrates through Gregor Samsa that he is an alienated individual who is separated from both himself and others; this illustrates Kafka's obsession with the feelings of existential loneliness, loss of identity, and emotional dislocation.

It is through complete disconnection from society and the expectations of humanity that Gregor feels most like "himself".

8) The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes ___ interesting.”

A) destiny
B) life
C) time
D) hope
Answer: B

This quotation reinforces the notion that one should have faith in the existence of dreams and destinies. 

According to Coelho, the pursuit of one's personal legend makes life worth living and encourages individuals to pursue their dreams and aspirations, which in turn, are supported by the universe when they confidently pursue them.

9) Animal Farm by George Orwell

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than ____”

A) others
B) humans
C) leaders
D) one
Answer: A

This quote is a satirical example of the idealism surrounding revolutions. Orwell critiques how the very structures of power and the ultimate outcome change through those in power.

In addition, he elucidates the manner in which those in power ultimately become very much like the individuals they have displaced by illustrating the inequalities, corruption, and exploitation of power that exists within the world around them.

10) The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to _____”

A) follow it
B) resist it
C) yield to it
D) ignore it
Answer: C

This quote illustrates Wilde's thematic explorations of desire and morality, it implies that yielding to temptation can sometimes yield more profound insights into humanity, beauty, corruption, and the hidden desires of all.