The Sunday Times/Faber Literary Quiz

[phoenixxx]

All ready? My early thoughts:

FRUIT (2) Peach (James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl)

AEROPLANES (3) Hungarian (The English Patient)
(5) Philip Swallow and Morris Zapp (David Lodge story)

PICTURES (4) Rebecca Miller
(5) Julian Barnes
I am happy to stand corrected. All contributions welcome.

[razorboy]

PICTURES 4 - Arthur Miller's daughter?
BOATS 3 - is this Grandcourt in Daniel Deronda?
AEROPLANES 1 - Philip Larkin ("Naturally the Foundation will Bear your Expenses")
AEROPLANES 2 - Mary Postgate (Kipling)?

[maxwellmarsh]

I agree I think it will be more explicit about being a madhouse...

[phoenixxx]

Razorboy - your suggestions have already been listed. Are you saying you are unsure about them or have you just not read earlier postings.

Madhouses 2 continues to be the only question about which there is no consensus and no absolute proof!

[Ray The Grey]

The Rake's Progress is by Auden (Stravinsky said "I chose Wystan Auden as librettist for my opera "The Rake's Progress" because of his special gift for versification ... I simply gave all priority to verse, hoping that we could evolve the theatrical form together and that it would inspire Wystan to dramatic poetry".
The section is a chorus, it rhymes and it is a section set in Bedlam
"Leave all love and hope behind!
Out of sight is out of mind
In these caverns of the dead.
In the city overhead". It is referred to as poetry by several people. I still think this is right....

[Ray The Grey]

Other possibilities already ruled out -
Bedlam and Part Way Back - Anna Sexton - Institution is on a hill
Allen Ginsberg - Howl - not undergroud as I can see and all set in the asylum
Not able to confirm....
Christopher Smart - Rejoice in the Lamb: A Song from Bedlam / Jubilate Agno
Robert Browning - small chance it is in Parleyings regarding Christopher Smart. Or Madhouse Cells I & II.??

[bodpapa]

Could Criminals 5) be "Nora Helmer" from Ibsen'd 'A Doll's House' as opposed to Peer Gynt

Nora obtained a loan fraudulently - tried concealing this from her husband - and the end scene shows Nora leaving her family and closing the door (possible ref. to "ends outside in the cold") as the play is set at Christmas time ?

I find this a more fitting answer than Peer Gynt - would appreciate any comments.


~


Initially, I was led to believe Madhouse 2) Was indeed, Sylvia Plath's "Poem For A Birthday", as it is part of "The Madhouse Poems", Number 2 - "Dark House" has references to tunnels etc.....

However, I am now swaying towards agreeing with Auden's "The Rake's Progress"

I too, looked at Sexton, Coolridge, and other's, but nothing substantially apt to be 100%

~


Trains 3) Mrs Elspeth McGillicuddy (for those without the forename)

[Bonnin]

Pictures 4 is Rebecca Miller (Razorboy) Arthur Miller's first play was All My Sons?

[Bonnin]

SORRY - just realised Pictures 4 was answered right at the beginning!

[monaghan]

Finally sent off entry yesterday -having 'uhmmed and ahhed 'over the subterranean madhouse question - finally decided to go for Sylvia Plath option rather than the Auden , purely because the term section seems to apply better to the Plath poem than the Auden. Good luck to everyone and thanks for making it such a pleasurable thread this year with no wet blankets!

[monaghan]

Glad I opted for Plath - have now found this online! Webster's Dictionary 1828 - D'Ark House - An old word for a madhouse