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

Whose 1922 novel prompted a U.S. judge to read all 700-plus pages before lifting its import ban in a landmark 1933 obscenity ruling?

"Ulysses" was so illegal to import into the US that a judge had to read the entire 700+ page novel to rule on obscenity charges in 1933.

Literature

The Handmaid's Tale has been banned in some U.S. schools for its feminist themes, while other challenges cite it for graphically depicting what?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was banned in schools for being too pro-feminist, while simultaneously banned elsewhere for depicting misogyny too graphically.

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.