View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Bukowski consider doing at the end of "The Beginner" when he wins the money?
(a) Dumping Madge.
(b) Buying drugs.
(c) Renting a fancy hotel room.
(d) Hiring a prostitute.

2. How much money does Mason give Ainsworth Hockley?
(a) $100.
(b) $150.
(c) $75.
(d) $125.

3. In what mood is Bukowski at the end of "The Day We Talked About James Thurber?"
(a) Angry.
(b) Happy.
(c) Pensive.
(d) Depressed.

4. How old is the prostitute who joins the three men in "The White Beard?"
(a) Sixteen.
(b) Twenty-three.
(c) Thirteen.
(d) Thirty.

5. Under what name is Hitler living in "Swastika?"
(a) Tilson.
(b) Steinberg.
(c) Werner.
(d) Meyers.

6. What does Bukowski claim to be doing with Tito and Baby to the police officer?
(a) Reading a book.
(b) Listening to the radio.
(c) Playing chess.
(d) Painting a picture.

7. How does Madge choose horses to bet on in "The Beginner?"
(a) She flips a coin.
(b) She sits down next to an old gambler and has him pick for her.
(c) She picks the ones whose names she likes.
(d) She picks the best-looking horses.

8. What does the prostitute offer to perform for the unnamed narrator in "Trouble with a Battery," which he declines?
(a) A threesome.
(b) Anal sex.
(c) Bondage.
(d) Oral sex.

9. Fill in the blank: Surgeons replace the president's brain and ________ with those of Hitler's.
(a) Mouth.
(b) Tongue.
(c) Eyes.
(d) Larynx.

10. What business does Marie in "A Lovely Love Affair" run?
(a) A French coffee house.
(b) A New Orlean's cafe.
(c) A German deli.
(d) A Spanish bookstore.

11. Which of the following is not a trait shared by Bukowski and Jeff in "A Drinking Partner?"
(a) Light eater.
(b) Heavy drinker.
(c) Fugitive.
(d) Single.

12. In what activity is Marie engaged when Charlie grows aroused by her?
(a) Making straw hats.
(b) Painting.
(c) Carving wooden figures.
(d) Yoga.

13. According to the prostitute, what is the true occupation of Jaime Bravo (supposedly the identity of her brother)?
(a) Matador.
(b) Singer.
(c) Dance.
(d) Lawyer.

14. Why does Mason send the waiter away in "All the Great Writers?"
(a) The waiter was smoking a cigarette.
(b) The waiter was coughing on their food.
(c) The waiter was trying to sell Mason a manuscript.
(d) The waiter developed an erection from looking at Francine.

15. What is Bukowski's opinion about the people in charge in "Politics is like Trying to Screw a Cat in the Ass?"
(a) They are true leaders.
(b) They are idiots.
(c) They deserve respect.
(d) He does not quite agree with the need for a government.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who stars in the movie that the narrator of "Trouble with a Battery" tries to discuss with the prostitute?

2. How does Ramon Vasquez die?

3. What is the name of the hospital in "The Copulating Mermaid of Venice, California?"

4. What section of the hospital has Bukowski just left in "The Beginner?"

5. What is Henry Mason's occupation?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 478 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample