Guess a book by its content

[Lext]

I'm not really a fan of puzzles/games where you can just plug any book in for the answer, because you can easily get one with GR search function no matter how odd the seed word is (if we restrict ourselves to what we personally know then it'll be a different matter). So I've thought of a new game, where a person provides some brief clue about the content or circumstances of the book (sort like a trivia), and then the next person tries to guess what the title is, and if it's right (or if you know it's right without the need for confirmation) then you can provide the clue for the next book. It's similar to a TV game show in America (although I forgot the name of the TV show).

For example, you can provide one of these as the clue:
1/ My main character is Holden Cauldfield, or
2/ I'm about a teenager wandering aimlessly in the 50s, or
3/ I was published in the 50s and was attacked for my realistic depiction of raw teenager language
What am I?

and the answer would be "Catcher in the Rye". Note that you don't need to provide all the clues, just one is enough, provided that it's definitive enough to narrow down to the book. If your clue is too vague or too broad, you'll have to accept the answer as long as it fits, even if it may not what you have in mind.

To make this fun I don't want to restrict this to any genre (classic or otherwise), although in general try to stick with something better known (i.e. don't do brand-new author unless they're NYT best-sellers, and don't do children books).

Let me start with the first one:
I'm about the life of a rich but heartbroken American man in the 20s. What am I?

[C]

The great gatsby

[Lext]

Yep.

I want to add something. First of all by "no children books" I mean the little books that only children would read, for example little picture books or the one in the other thread Sing a Song of Tuna Fish: Hard-To-Swallow Stories from Fifth Grade (not that you wouldn't find it enjoyable, but adults normally don't read it unless you're prompted for it). If the books are for children but well-known fiction (for example Hugo, or Narnia, or the Polar Express) then I think it's fine.

Another addendum is that if you provide a clue but no one is able to think of anything (say, after a couple of days?) then you can either provide additional clue, or someone may ask for something else about the book (when was it first published? in what country? was author male or female? etc)

OK, C, would you like to provide a new book clue?

[David]

An odd goth chick and an aging reporter come together to solve crime.

[Lext]

Is this the Swedish crime trilogy "the girl with..."? I'm not sure because I've only watch the movie, and in the movie he wasn't exactly aging to me.

[Liselott]

Yeah, the girl with the dragon tattoo etc the books are really good, and the swedish version of the film. And the reporter is in his late thirties/early forties. I hope that doesn't mean 'ageing' to you David! ;)

[Liselott]

Ok, I was gonna add, I forgive you if you are under 20 :)

[Lext]

Ok, next one:
I'm about a married woman in an unhappy union with a cold and rigid man. She entered a doomed affair and eventually met a tragic end. What am I?

[Melanti]

I'm sure that there's MANY that fit this, but one that jumps to mind is (view spoiler)[ Rebecca by Du Maurier?
(hide spoiler)]

Is that the one you're thinking of?

[Lext]

I've read the description of that book you quoted Melanti. The husband wasn't exactly cold and rigid was he? And the wife with the affair, she's not exactly the main character of the book right? I feel it's more a background story than the central story. The setup actually sounds like Jane Eyre.
(view spoiler)[
Do you know what happened in the end? The description said the castle was ablaze, does that mean the second wife died too? (hide spoiler)]

[Melanti]

So, that's a "No" on whether or not it was the book you were thinking of then. I'll keep thinking.

(view spoiler)[
There are a lot of parallels between Rebecca and Jane Eyre. And yes, Manderly (a manor house, not a castle) does burn down at the end.

But the second wife survives - the opening lines of the book are "Last night I dreamed I went to Manderly again" and it's obvious that she's relating past events.

Rebecca is actually dead long before the book begins. But she has a really huge vivid presence in the novel, where as the supposed main character is so timid and meek that she's overshadowed just by the mere memory of her predecessor... In fact, she's so overshadowed that even though it's in first person, we never even learn her name!

There's definitely a reason that the book is titled Rebecca.

Maxim is rather distant to his new wife - a bit cold. But (and this is a spoiler - though not more of a spoiler than the fact that she had an affair) he and Rebecca did NOT get along at all. Not in the slightest. So calling him cold and rigid towards her does sound appropriate, though it's probably not be the wording I would choose...
(hide spoiler)]


It's a wonderful book by the way! I definitely recommend it.

[Abcdarian]

Anna Karenina?

And if I'm right, C missed a turn back there & can have mine.

[Lext]

Yep. I just realize Madame Bovary is also close, although the husband Bovary was actually very warm and loving towards her.

C, you're still game to set a clue?

[LaLaLa Laura]

Thank you, Lext! Clever game!

[Abcdarian]

Until C checks in & gets her turn, try this: A short group goes on a long trip.

[Lext]

The hobbit?

[C]

Yes I'm in! Here is my clue I was neither rich or poor and then had nothing. I came to be completely isolated and stranded by an act of nature. Who am I?

[C]

Yes I'm in! Here is my clue I was neither rich or poor and then had nothing. I came to be completely isolated and stranded by an act of nature. Who am I?

[Abcdarian]

Lext wrote: "The hobbit?"

That would be correct. :-)
C's is a bit more challenging.

[Lext]

C, is "isolated and stranded" the ending of the book? Or is there more happening afterwards?

[Melanti]

Hm. Sounds like a shipwreck of some kind...

It can't be Robinson Crusoe - that one has Friday and Crusoe had a great deal more than "nothing".

So, perhaps Life of Pi?
Unless you count Richard Parker... Hm.

[C]

Melanti you got it! It's Life of Pi!

[Melanti]

Yay!


I'm an expert with cliffhanger endings. They kept me alive for nearly three years.
What book am I in?

[Abcdarian]

Arabian Nights, the 1001 tales told by Scheherazade?

[Melanti]

Yep!

[Abcdarian]

I liked that one; thought about it quite awhile before the aha! moment. :-)

I play in a classical string duo when things are calm.
What book am I in?

[Lext]

Wow, you amaze me Abc. I couldn't figure out why you said that answer until like the 10th Times I look at the question and connect the dots. Well done !

[Abcdarian]

I'll assume we need a bit more info for my book challenge.

I play in a classical string duo when things are calm. I play violin and my friend & shipmate Stephen plays the 'cello. What book am I in?

[Lext]

This sounds tempting :) Let's wait to see if anyone has read it. If not I'll put on my Sherlock hat and find out :)

[Melanti]

I still have no clue. I've seen a book cover floating around lately that might fit, but can't remember the title.

[Abcdarian]

Today's clue: Also a movie.

[Liselott]

I still can't picture it. Frustrated...

[Abcdarian]

The music thing is not the main plot of the book. Shipmate. When things are calm. Hints.

[Abcdarian]

The first book in a series on a naval career.

[Melanti]

I'll go out on a limb and say Midshipman Hornblower, even though I don't remember any instruments in Beat To Quarters.

[Abcdarian]

I thought someone might guess that series; it is more famous, but no.

Russell Crowe help at all?

[Abcdarian]

Master and Commander

[Lext]

Sorry Abc, I didn't have any time to do this today. I was going to try some sleuthing tonight though. Next time don't give up hope so soon :) Some people only come in once every couple of days. With the amount of clues you've already given, I'm sure it's solvable, just a matter of time.

[Lext]

I'll set the next one.

As mentioned before, the clue doesn't always have to be the content, but trivia surrounding the book as well. This will be one such example:

I was written by a school teacher as a standalone book. It was warmly welcomed by the intended audience, and 20 years later, she was persuaded to write some sequels. Soon it became a series, which has continued to be written even to this day. Currently there are more than 100 books in the series, and counting. What am I?

[Nidofito]

More than 100 novels? Hopefully, they can be read as stand alones XD

From my reading experience, I'm guessing it to be a cozy murder mystery series as they usually start and end with a separate case and murderer (no book title but couldn't help myself commenting)

[Lext]

No, Nido, it's a children book series. In fact, I'm not aware of any adult series that has more than 100 books.

[Melanti]

The Boxcar Children?

[Lext]

You got it Melanti!

The first book is the one that gives the series it's name. It's like a simple, urban version of the Swiss Robinson family. It's also made into an animated movie. The rest of the series are just various mystery trip they make.

[Melanti]

Process of elimination! Most of the long running mystery series (Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, etc) were farmed out to various authors pretty early on.

New clue.

When writing this book, author called up the local fire station to ask at what temperature certain materials caught on fire. The fireman was off by a bit, but most people will now cite the incorrect temperature due to this book's popularity.

[Lext]

This sounds like instantaneous combustion to me :)

Just a side note (probably unrelated to the book, and only because I find it interesting): the diesel engine works in similar way. Once the mixture of diesel/air is injected into the cylinder, the piston will compress/heat it so much that the combination of pressure and temperature is enough to ignite the mixture, thus causing the explosion to push the piston out and drive the engine. No spark plugs (fire) required.

On your gasoline engine, such an explosion will cause too much damage and make the engine inefficient, thus the design is to lower the pressure and burn the gas mixture with a spark instead.

[Melanti]

Lext wrote: "This sounds like instantaneous combustion to me :) ..."

Yes, the temperature at which spontaneous combustion occurs for one particular material... I'd say what material, but that'd probably be a dead giveaway.

[Abcdarian]

I thought your original clue was pretty much a dead giveaway, though it was an interesting piece of trivia I did not know about the book. :-)

[Melanti]

Well, I'd thought it might be, but we're not flooded with people knowing the answer yet... Which could just mean everyone is busy.

Okay, well for a further hint - the material in question is paper.

[Lext]

Abc, since you know the answer, why don't you go ahead with it and then give us another of your challenges? :)

(ps. I found what book this is too, but because I found it with google, I didn't want to jeopardize everyone's chance. Plus I want to see others' clue - it's certainly been very interesting :)

[Abcdarian]

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, a classic of dystopian sci-fi.

Hmm, have to try for a clue that might work for people who have NOT read the book involved, but still might have heard of it. Which will probably be a total giveaway for those who have read it. Tricky.

I live in Botswana and people come to me with their troubles. What book am I in?