1. Of which writer does Gardner say, "the brilliant language with which he describes a minor character cannot help but suggest that the words he chooses are more important to him than the token secretary behind the desk"?
(a) F. Scott Fitzgerald.
(b) William Faulkner.
(c) John Updike.
(d) Dylan Thomas.

2. What author of Over the Edge does Gardner cite in Chapter 1?
(a) Harlan Ellison.
(b) Franz Kafka.
(c) Kurt Vonnegut.
(d) James Joyce.

3. The two things that keep the common reader turning the pages, according to Gardner are story or what?
(a) Theme.
(b) Mood.
(c) Argument.
(d) Character.

4. Which philosopher maintained that nothing a writer writes means anything, "all the words are a lunatic blithering," since all language is by nature false and misleading?
(a) Nietzsche.
(b) Kant.
(c) Plato.
(d) Heidegger.

5. Who is the author of Piers Plowman?
(a) Miller.
(b) Joyce.
(c) Langland.
(d) Salinger.

Short Answer Questions

1. What author does Gardner say was known to arrive at a party and sit for ten minutes or more staring at guests and not answering when people addressed him in Chapter1?

2. What psychologist suggests that Jack and the Beanstalk is about penis envy?

3. What does Gardner compare to the floors and structural supports in a fine old mansion in Chapter 1?

4. In Chapter 1, Gardner writes, "Though there are exceptions, as a rule the good novelist does not worry primarily about ____ brilliance."

5. What word does Gardner use to mean a phrase is worn out and overused?

(see the answer key)

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