1. X is an allegorical novel which discusses how culture created by man fails, using as an example a group of British school-boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves with disastrous results. Published in 1954, X was not a great success at the time — selling fewer than three thousand copies in the United States during 1955 before going out of print — it soon went on to become a bestseller, and by the early 1960s was required reading in many schools and colleges. The ABC television show Lost has also shown loose similarities to the book.
Identify the book X and its Nobel Prize winning author.
2. First published in the United States in 1951, this novel has been a frequently challenged book in its home country for its liberal use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality and teenage angst.
Mark David Chapman, who murdered John Lennon in 1980, was carrying the book when he was arrested immediately after the murder and referred to it in his statement to police shortly thereafter. He also read a passage from the book at his sentencing. John Hinckley, Jr., who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981, was also reported to have been obsessed with the book.
Which book?
3. Renowned author X was once a Pilot Officer assigned to fly obsolete Gloster Gladiators. On 19 September 1940, X was ordered to fly his Gladiator from Abu Sueir in Egypt, on to Amiriya to refuel, and again to Fouka in Libya for a second refuelling. From there he would fly to 80 Squadron's forward airstrip 30 miles (48 km) south of Mersa Matruh. On the final leg, he could not find the airstrip and, running low on fuel and with night approaching, he was forced to attempt a landing in the desert. Unfortunately, the undercarriage hit a boulder and the plane crashed, fracturing his skull, smashing his nose, and blinding him. He managed to drag himself away from the blazing wreckage and passed out. Later, he wrote about the crash for his first published work.
Which author?
