Which Vladimir Nabokov novel was turned down by four publishers who feared obscenity charges before it was finally accepted?

Literature

What legal consequence did early publishers fear for Nabokov's 'Lolita' that ultimately never occurred after its release?

Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita" was rejected by four publishers before one finally accepted it, fearing obscenity charges that never materialized.

Literature

Which Ray Bradbury novel about a future where books are burned was itself secretly altered in school editions for years?

Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" about book burning was itself heavily censored in schools, with passages removed without his permission for decades.

Literature

What was the judge's ruling in the 1957 obscenity trial over the publication of Allen Ginsberg's 'Howl'?

The Beats were nearly destroyed by a single obscenity trial—Lawrence Ferlinghetti faced jail time for publishing Ginsberg's 'Howl,' which ultimately freed American poetry.

Literature

Which 17th-century English diarist wrote his famous personal diary in a shorthand code that took nearly 200 years to decipher?

Samuel Pepys encoded his diary in shorthand for 350 years until a Cambridge student finally deciphered it in the 1820s.

Literature

In Charles Dickens's 'Great Expectations,' what is the profession of the convict Abel Magwitch, who secretly becomes Pip's benefactor?

Dickens based the Australian convict-transportation subplot on a real government policy that sent over 160,000 British convicts to Australia between 1788 and 1868.

Literature

Which of Jane Austen's novels, published posthumously in 1817, contributed to the surge in earnings she saw in her final year of life?

Jane Austen earned more money in her final year of life than the previous 14 years combined, but died before seeing most profits.