22
$\begingroup$

(Obviously, inspired by Twisted TV Titles and its sequels.)

It's not just TV and movie studios that are facing a lack of original ideas. In fact, publishing houses have started getting highly derivative submissions. Each of the book blurbs given below describes a copy of a literary classic with the title changed by just one letter. Identify each modified title.

(Sorry if this is biased somewhat towards American literature. Also, I have no drawing skills, so sorry, there won't be any visual clues in this one.)

  1. In this play set in Renaissance Padua, an Italian nobleman finds his new acquisition has stripped threads.

  2. A grown man with the mentality of a child imagines himself protecting children playing in a clothing factory from falling into the vats.

  3. In nineteenth century St. Petersburg, a detective must solve the murder of a pastry chef.

  4. Follows the exploits of an irreverent young attorney in frontier Missouri.

  5. A modernist tale of an epic struggle to find something hot to drink.

  6. Against the backdrop of Napoleon's invasion of Russia, follows the lives of ordinary Russian golfers.

  7. A family flees the Dust Bowl for California, where they find work as interior decorators.

  8. In an allegory of the Bolshevik Revolution, anthropomorphic beasts rebel against their cruel HR department.

  9. Chronicles incredible discounts during the French Revolution.

  10. In a small Puritan town, an adulteress is sentenced to pick up trash.

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
4
  • $\begingroup$ One of these must be Les Miserables by Victor Hughes $\endgroup$
    – Prince North Læraðr
    Apr 8, 2018 at 15:47
  • $\begingroup$ @North That one was definitely on my mind, but unfortunately I couldn't find any way to fit it into the format. $\endgroup$
    – Daniel Schepler
    Apr 8, 2018 at 16:16
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ Thank you for this wonderful puzzle! A lot of these made me chuckle :) $\endgroup$
    – puzzledPig
    Apr 8, 2018 at 16:17
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ @DanielSchepler Great Puzzle, man! Keep on making more! I'm excited to see more from you :) $\endgroup$
    – Prince North Læraðr
    Apr 8, 2018 at 16:23

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
16
$\begingroup$

1:

The Taming of the Screw (from Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew")

2 (credit goes to edderiofer, thank you!):

The Catcher in the Dye (from Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye")

3:

Creme and Punishment (from Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment")?

4:

The Adventures of Tom Lawyer (from Twain's "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer")

5:

The Old Man and the Tea (from Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea")?

6 (solved by QuantumTwinkie and North, upvote their answers!):

Par and Peace (from Tolstoy's "War and Peace")

7:

The Drapes of Wrath (from Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath")

8:

Animal Firm (from Orwell's "Animal Farm")

9:

A Sale of Two Cities (from Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities")

10 (solved first by QuantumTwinkie):

The Scarlet Litter (from Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter")

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ #2 is "Catcher in the Dye", from J.D. Salinger's "Catcher In The Rye". $\endgroup$
    – edderiofer
    Apr 8, 2018 at 16:07
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @edderiofer Why not post that as an answer? $\endgroup$
    – Daniel Schepler
    Apr 8, 2018 at 16:09
13
$\begingroup$

6 is

Par and Peace(war) by Leo Tolstoy(War and Peace from North :D)

Is 10

The Scarlet Litter(letter) by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
10
$\begingroup$

6 is

Par (War)and Peace (Thanks @QuantumTwinkie)

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
0

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.